On the 24th of November 1836, when Wagner was twenty-three years old, he and Minna were married. It would prove to be a less-than-ideal partnership, for two reasons – Richard Wagner was an inveterate womaniser, and to the very end of his life was unfaithful to whichever woman he was with; and Wagner’s financial situation was alarmingly bad. Even in Königsberg, his debts had pursued him, and in pursuit of impressing the theatre when finally the music conductor Schubert took up his other appointment, Wagner had encouraged the management to reduce the fees paid to the performers. Minna and Richard quarrelled heartily on several occasions about the lack of money, and Minna left Richard with the assistance of a wealthy merchant who lent her his company on the way back to her parents’ house.

In his autobiography, Wagner states that he believed Minna left him for an amorous adventure, and that the rich merchant was more than a friend to Minna, both on this occasion and later, just before Richard secured another position. It cannot be ascertained whether Minna’s departure was an innocent one, or whether she simply could not bear the hand-to-mouth existence Wagner was willing to endure for the sake of professional advancement, and Wagner’s own explanation is not likely to be trustworthy on this point.

Riga

Wagner’s experience with the Bethmann company solidified his idea of what he wanted – and that was opera on a grand scale. He greatly admired the largeness – some might say the cumbersomeness – of French grand opera, and with this in mind he began work on his next opera libretto, a five-act behemoth, Die hohe Braut, which he never set himself. (It was later set to music by Kittl.) Wagner continued composing instrumental works – two overtures, certainly, one of which was performed in Königserg in 1836, and the other of which was performed the following year in 1837. Alas! The theatre at Königsberg was another third-rate company, and although Wagner was appointed as its conductor on the 1st of April 1937, the theatre teetered on the brink of insolvency. Wagner determined to leave before the ship sank… and with the help of his old friend Heinrich Dorn, he was appointed music director of the theatre in Riga, a post which he took upon the 21st of August that year, and which entailed the conducting of opera and concerts of orchestral works. He held the post of music director there for the next two years. He is coy about his relationship with Amalie, Minna’s sister, who apparently agreed to come to Riga to be near him. “Under the circumstances, Holtei joyfully agreed to my proposal to ask Amalie, Minna's sister (who was glad to accept an engagement that brought her near me), to come to Riga at once.”⁴

Wagner claims he had already asked a friend to put a divorce into motion at this point. It is likely that he had an affair with Minna’s sister – Minna herself had returned again to her parents’ home, and was ill, but both she and Amalie left Dresden to live with Wagner in Riga. It is hard to know just how truthful Wagner is being when he discusses this – according to him, he magnanimously forgave Minna an infidelity, and took her back. That such behaviour is unlike his character can scarcely be denied. He mentions, too, that the two sisters quarrelled seriously, upsetting the menage à trois – if Wagner was indeed having an affair with his sister-in-law, the year-long quarrel is certainly explained.