NIETZSCHE CHRONICLE 1851 FN receives his initial piano lessons.

His first musical sketch, a melody fragment, dates from this year. 1854 In May, FN hears a performance of Hndel's Messiah and is so inspired that he attempts some initial compositions. In his memoirs, Pinder recalls that FN was a skilled piano player. Musical compositions include sketches and exercises for piano. 1857 First musical composition of FN's that is preserved: Allegro for piano. 1860 acquire the piano score of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. In the summer, FN composes a Miserere, for five part choir a capella, as a Germania contribution. 1865 At the Antiquariat Rohn in Leipzig (a second-hand bookstore), FN discovers a copy of Schopenhauer's Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung [The World as Will and Representation, first published in 1818]. Against his usual practice, FN buys the book after thumbing through it briefly. FN immediately begins a close, intensive reading and is enthralled by the work. 1866 FN's enthusiasm for Schopenhauer reaches its zenith. Gersdorff, also very much taken with Schopenhauer, urges FN to take up the theme of 'pessimism in antiquity.' This notion will stay with FN; indeed, in Ecce Homo, FN will write of his first book Geburt der Tragdie [Birth of Tragedy]: " 'Griechenthum und Pessimismus': das wre ein unzweideutigerer Titel gewesen: nmlich als erste Belehrung darber, wie die Griechen fertig wurden mit dem Pessimismus, -womit sie ihn berwanden" ['Hellenism and Pessimism' would have been a less ambiguous title, namely as the first lesson on how the Greeks got over their pessimism, -- how they overcame it. Janz I p. 193] 1869 January 21: FN attends the premier performance of Wagner's Meistersinger in Dresden and is much impressed. In his correspondence he refers to it as his favorite opera. May 17: visits Wagner for the first time in Tribschen. FN is invited to Tribschen for Wagner's birthday (22 May) but is unable to attend. He returns to visit for the weekend of June 5-6; Siegfried Wagner born during that visit.

Visits Tribschen at the end of July; Cosima Wagner writes in her diary: "Zu Tisch den Pr. Nietzsche, der sehr angenehm ist und sich auf Tribschen wohl fhlt." [At mealtime Prof. Nietzsche, who is very agreeable and feels at home in Tribschen] Repeated visits to Tribschen: June 5/6; July 31-August 2; August 21-23; August 28-29; September 18-19. For the most part very warm and cordial. Of his relationship to Wagner, FN writes Deussen: "Alle zwei, drei Wochen verlebe ich ein paar Tage auf seinem Landgute... und erachte diese Annherung als die grte Errungenschaft meines Lebens, nchst dem, was ich Schopenhauer verdanke." [Once every two or three weeks I spend a few days at his estate...and consider this friendship the greatest achievement of my life, next to that which I owe Schopenhauer] 1870 During these few weeks, FN composes an essay entitled Die dionysische Weltanschauung, [The Dionysian Worldview] an early ancestor of his first book that will be published in January 1872. [Janz I p. 410] FN witnesses the playing of Wagner's Siegfried-Idyll (intended as a birthday surprise for Cosima). As his own present for Cosima, FN brings his manuscript Die Geburt des tragischen Gedankens [The Birth of the Idea of Tragedy], a reworking of his earlier manuscript Die dionysische Weltanschauung. The work is well received by Wagner. 1871 During this time, FN continues to work on his manuscript concerning Greek tragedy. He thoroughly reworks his earlier drafts (from January) and gives his new draft the title Ursprung und Ziel der Tragdie [Origin and Goal of Tragedy]. On February 22--Schopenhauer's birthday--he composes the preface to Richard Wagner. [ber Wort und Musik] Wagner conducts a long lecture tour through Germany and announces the initial Festspiele to take place in Bayreuth in 1873 (delayed however until 1876). In Berlin on December 12 he gives his lecture Bestimmung der Oper [Vocation of opera] and is received by Bismarck. At the end of the tour, on May 15, Wagner visits FN in Basel. FN visits Wagner in Tribschen on May 22 and announces his intention of establishing a journal in two years' time. He visits Tribschen again, with his sister Elisabeth, May 28-29. [Chronik, p. 242]