GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Berlin, 9 January [1855]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Berlin, 9 January [1855]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Berlin, 9 January [1855]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1855-01-09
Place
Berlin
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Berlin, 9 January [1855]
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1855. Mostly published: Cross, I, 364-367.
Dorotheen Strasse, Berlin | January 9. 1854. 565
Dear Sara
I ought to have enclosed a letter to you in the one I sent to Mr. Bray, but the fact is our days are so accurately parcelled out that my time for letter writing is rather restricted, and for every letter I write I have to leave out something which we have learned to think necessary. I am so uneasy under the sense of having said nothing to you in reply to your letter, that I sit up tonight to scribble you a note which I shall enclose in a letter to Mr. Chapman.
We have been to hear Fidelio this evening -- not well executed, except so far as the orchestra was concerned, but the divine music positively triumphs over the defects of execution. One is entirely wrapt in the idea of the composer. Last week we had Orpheus and Euridice and I heard for the first time at once an opera of Gluck's and Johanna Wagner. 566 It is one of the glories of Berlin to give Gluck's operas, and it is also something of a glory to have "die Wagner." She is really a fine actress and a fine singer; her voice is not ravishing, but she is mistress of it. I thought of you that evening and wished you could hear and see what I know would interest you greatly -- I refer rather to Gluck's opera than to Johanna Wagner. The scene in which Orpheus (Johanna Wagner) enters Tartarus, is met by the awful shades, and charms them into ecstatic admiration till they make way for him to pass on, is very fine. The voices -- except in the choruses -- are all women's voices, and there are only three characters -- Orpheus, Amor and Euridice. One wonders that Pluto does not come as a Basso, and one would prefer Mercury as a tenor to Amor in the shape of an ugly German soprano -- but Gluck willed it otherwise and the music is delightful. The scene in Elysium is immensely absurd -- Ballet girls dance in the foreground and in the background are Greek shades looking like butchers in chemises. But the worst of it is, that instead of letting it be a tragedy, Euridice is brought to life again and we end with another Ballet girl scene before Amor's temple.
I am reading a charming book by Professor Stahr -- who is one of our acquaintances here -- Torso: Kunst, K'fcnstler und Kunstwerke der Alten. 567 It feeds the fresh interest I am now feeling in Art. Prof. Stahr is the futur of Fanny Lewald, 568 the novelist. He is a very erudite man, and what is very much rarer amongst Germans, a good writer, who knows how to select his materials and has above all a charming talent for description. We saw at his house, the other night, the first portrait of Schiller which convinces me of a likeness to him. It is the copy of a miniature which has never been engraved. 569 The face is less beautiful than that of the ordinary busts and portraits; but is very remarkable -- the eyes blue, the complexion very fair (the picture was taken in his youth) and the hair sunny. He has the long "goose-neck" which he describes as belonging to Carl Moor in the Robbers, 570 and the forehead is fuyant, in correspondence with the skull. The piteous contrast there is between the anxiety poor Schiller is constantly expressing about a livelihood -- about the thalers he has to pay for this and the thalers he has to receive for that -- and Goethe's perfect ease in that respect! For the History of the Netherlands 571 he got little more than 15s. per sheet.
I am very much interested in Professor Gruppe as a type of the German Gelehrter. He has written books on everything 572 -- on the Greek drama -- a great book on the Cosmic Systems of the Greeks -- an epic, numberless lyric poems etc. -- he has a philosophical work and a history of literature in the press -- is professor of philosophy at the University -- has invented a mode of staining paper beautifully for bookcovers -- is enthusiastic about Boar-hunting, and has written a volume of hunting poems -- and ich weiss nicht was. Withal he is as simple as a child. When we go to see them in an evening, we find him wrapt in a motheaten grey coat, once a great coat, now converted into a schlafrock, and a cap on his head. Then he reads us a translation of one of the Homeric hymns, 573 and goes into the most na'efve impersonal ecstasy at the beauty of his own poetry (which is really good). The other night he read us part of an epic which is still in MS. and is to be read before the King -- such is the fashion here. 574 And his little wife, who is about 20 years younger than himself, listens with loving admiration. Altogether, they and their two little children are a charming picture.
We have been to Rauch's 575 atelier. He is now occupied on a group representing Moses with his arms held up by Aaron and Har. It is very interesting to see the original little clay model -- the marvellous expression given in that rough way. My back aches and it is nearly 12 o'clock. Best love to Cara.
Ever your affectionate
Marian.
MS: Yale. Endorsed: 1855. Mostly published: Cross, I, 364-367.
Dorotheen Strasse, Berlin | January 9. 1854. 565
Dear Sara
I ought to have enclosed a letter to you in the one I sent to Mr. Bray, but the fact is our days are so accurately parcelled out that my time for letter writing is rather restricted, and for every letter I write I have to leave out something which we have learned to think necessary. I am so uneasy under the sense of having said nothing to you in reply to your letter, that I sit up tonight to scribble you a note which I shall enclose in a letter to Mr. Chapman.
We have been to hear Fidelio this evening -- not well executed, except so far as the orchestra was concerned, but the divine music positively triumphs over the defects of execution. One is entirely wrapt in the idea of the composer. Last week we had Orpheus and Euridice and I heard for the first time at once an opera of Gluck's and Johanna Wagner. 566 It is one of the glories of Berlin to give Gluck's operas, and it is also something of a glory to have "die Wagner." She is really a fine actress and a fine singer; her voice is not ravishing, but she is mistress of it. I thought of you that evening and wished you could hear and see what I know would interest you greatly -- I refer rather to Gluck's opera than to Johanna Wagner. The scene in which Orpheus (Johanna Wagner) enters Tartarus, is met by the awful shades, and charms them into ecstatic admiration till they make way for him to pass on, is very fine. The voices -- except in the choruses -- are all women's voices, and there are only three characters -- Orpheus, Amor and Euridice. One wonders that Pluto does not come as a Basso, and one would prefer Mercury as a tenor to Amor in the shape of an ugly German soprano -- but Gluck willed it otherwise and the music is delightful. The scene in Elysium is immensely absurd -- Ballet girls dance in the foreground and in the background are Greek shades looking like butchers in chemises. But the worst of it is, that instead of letting it be a tragedy, Euridice is brought to life again and we end with another Ballet girl scene before Amor's temple.
I am reading a charming book by Professor Stahr -- who is one of our acquaintances here -- Torso: Kunst, K'fcnstler und Kunstwerke der Alten. 567 It feeds the fresh interest I am now feeling in Art. Prof. Stahr is the futur of Fanny Lewald, 568 the novelist. He is a very erudite man, and what is very much rarer amongst Germans, a good writer, who knows how to select his materials and has above all a charming talent for description. We saw at his house, the other night, the first portrait of Schiller which convinces me of a likeness to him. It is the copy of a miniature which has never been engraved. 569 The face is less beautiful than that of the ordinary busts and portraits; but is very remarkable -- the eyes blue, the complexion very fair (the picture was taken in his youth) and the hair sunny. He has the long "goose-neck" which he describes as belonging to Carl Moor in the Robbers, 570 and the forehead is fuyant, in correspondence with the skull. The piteous contrast there is between the anxiety poor Schiller is constantly expressing about a livelihood -- about the thalers he has to pay for this and the thalers he has to receive for that -- and Goethe's perfect ease in that respect! For the History of the Netherlands 571 he got little more than 15s. per sheet.
I am very much interested in Professor Gruppe as a type of the German Gelehrter. He has written books on everything 572 -- on the Greek drama -- a great book on the Cosmic Systems of the Greeks -- an epic, numberless lyric poems etc. -- he has a philosophical work and a history of literature in the press -- is professor of philosophy at the University -- has invented a mode of staining paper beautifully for bookcovers -- is enthusiastic about Boar-hunting, and has written a volume of hunting poems -- and ich weiss nicht was. Withal he is as simple as a child. When we go to see them in an evening, we find him wrapt in a motheaten grey coat, once a great coat, now converted into a schlafrock, and a cap on his head. Then he reads us a translation of one of the Homeric hymns, 573 and goes into the most na'efve impersonal ecstasy at the beauty of his own poetry (which is really good). The other night he read us part of an epic which is still in MS. and is to be read before the King -- such is the fashion here. 574 And his little wife, who is about 20 years younger than himself, listens with loving admiration. Altogether, they and their two little children are a charming picture.
We have been to Rauch's 575 atelier. He is now occupied on a group representing Moses with his arms held up by Aaron and Har. It is very interesting to see the original little clay model -- the marvellous expression given in that rough way. My back aches and it is nearly 12 o'clock. Best love to Cara.
Ever your affectionate
Marian.
Signature
Marian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, Berlin, 9 January [1855], Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/93881