Soon the skies clouded; one hope after another failed.  His compositions were either too difficult for conductors to grasp, or theaters failed on which he depended for assistance.  He became in great distress and could not pay for the furniture of the apartment, which he had bought on credit.  It was now that he turned to writing for musical journals, to keep the wolf from the door, meanwhile working on the score of “Rienzi,” which was finished in November, 1840 and sent to Dresden.  In later years it was produced in that city.

But the Wagners, alas, were starving in Paris.  One of Richard’s articles at this time was called “The End of a Musician in Paris,” and he makes the poor musician die with the words; “I believe in God—­Mozart and Beethoven.”  It was almost as bad as this for Wagner himself.  He determined to turn his back on all the intrigues and hardships he had endured for over two years, and set out for the homeland, which seemed the only desirable spot on earth.

The rehearsals for “Rienzi” began in Dresden in July 1842.  Wagner had now finished “The Flying Dutchman,” and had completed the outline of “Tannhaeuser,” based on Hoffmann’s story of the Singers’ Contest at the Wartburg.

And now Wagner’s star as a composer began to rise and light was seen ahead.  On October 20, 1842 “Rienzi” was produced in the Dresden Opera House and the young composer awoke the next morning to find himself famous.  The performance was a tremendous success, with singers, public and critics alike.  The performance lasted six hours and Wagner, next day, decided the work must be cut in places, but the singers loudly protested:  “The work was heavenly,” they assured him, “not a measure could be spared.”

With this first venture Wagner was now on the high road to success, and spent a happy winter in the Saxon capital.  He could have gone on writing operas like “Rienzi,” to please the public, but he aimed far higher.  To fuse all the arts in one complete whole was the idea that had been forming in his mind.  He first illustrated this in “The Flying Dutchman,” and it became the main thought of his later works.  This theory made both vocal and instrumental music secondary to the dramatic plan, and this, at that time, seemed a truly revolutionary idea.

“The Flying Dutchman” was produced at the Dresden Opera House January 2. 1843, with Mme. Schroeder-Devrient as Senta.  Critics and public had expected a brilliant and imposing spectacle like “Rienzi” and were disappointed.  In the following May and June “The Dutchman” was heard in Riga and Cassel, conducted by the famous violinist and composer, Spohr.

In spite of the fact that “The Flying Dutchman” was not then a success, and in Dresden was shelved for twenty years, Wagner secured the fine post of Head Capellmeister, at a salary of nearly twelve hundred dollars.  This post he retained for seven years, gaining a great deal of experience in orchestral conducting, and producing Beethoven’s symphonies with great originality, together with much that was best in orchestral literature.