Most honoured Friend!
In reply to the question which you, as President of the Committee of the Grand-ducal Court-theatre at Mannheim, have most politely addressed to me regarding the acquisition of the right of performing all the parts of my Bühnenfestspiel "Der Ring des Nibelungen," I take leave to quote you the conditions under which I assign that right both now and in the future.
1. Production of the single parts in their proper order of succession. (Leipzig and Brunswick begin with "Rheingold" and "Walküre" on two successive evenings.)
2. Ten per cent of the gross receipts (including the quota of the abonnement) on every evening of performance of one of the pieces, down to expiry of the author's copyright, i.e. 30 years after my death.
3. Guarantee that all the parts shall follow in due order: namely an advance of 10,000 marks, to be gradually refunded by the half of every tantième, i.e. 5% of all receipts. As to one half, this advance is to be paid me in the sum of 5000 marks at the exchange of signatures, as to the other half, by a like sum of 5000 marks on the 1st of January next year, 1879.
These are the same conditions under which I have accorded the Leipzig Town-theatre the performing-right in question, whereas Hamburg has had to pay an advance of 16,000 marks — Vienna of 20,000 marks.
With the greatest friendship and respect.
Yours
faithfully
Richard Wagner.
P.S. I have to remark, in your advantage, that the Mannheim Court-theatre will probably be the only theatre — at least as regards the Lower Rhine — that can offer performances of my work to the neighbouring population.
R. W.
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner to Emil Heckel, with a Brief History of the Bayreuth Festivals, trans. William Ashton Ellis (Grant Richards, 1899), No. 81