Wagner, Richard (22 May 1813, Leipzig; 13 February 1883, Venice), composer, arrived in Paris for the first time to seek fame and fortune on 17 September 1839. The composer was unschooled in the French language and without sufficient funds, but these obstacles were minor when compared to his complete ignorance of the questionable manner in which success was most often won at the Opéra. Yet he had confidence in himself and faith in the letters he had already sent to Eugène Scribe , even if the…