Wagner's Letters

Richard Wagner to Emil Heckel

March 17, 1878 · Bayreuth

Overview

As a personal token of trust, Wagner gives Heckel himself the right to perform any part of the Ring as often as he likes, free of charge, for as long as he remains president of the Mannheim theatre committee. To the Mannheim theatre as an institution he will not yield a farthing.

Letter

Dear Friend Heckel,

I hereby give to you, for so long as you are in the unhappy position of a President of the Grand-ducal Theatre-committee at Mannheim, the right to perform every portion of my "Ring des Nibelungen" as often as you like and for nothing.

To the Mannheim theatre, which stands on a certain list of mine, I will not bate a farthing.

This is the full earnest
of your
old friend

Richard Wagner.

Source: Letters of Richard Wagner to Emil Heckel, with a Brief History of the Bayreuth Festivals, trans. William Ashton Ellis (Grant Richards, 1899), No. 82

Previous letter: March 14, 1878 Next letter: March 21, 1878 Back to Letters