The painter Ernst Benedikt Kietz (1815-1892) idolized
Wagner and, though struggling himself, often made him
life-saving "loans." Later, when Wagner passed through
Paris, he never missed a chance of visiting Kietz, who
made notable sketches of both Heine and the composer.
Composed on December 31, 1840, Wagner's little
Albumleaf for Kietz, warmly beholden to Mendelssohn's
example, is a gemütlich souvenir of hard times.
SHEET MUSIC