Best Friend,
You are in error. At no time, nor at Heidelberg either, have I rejoiced at your decision to accept the presidentship of the Mannheim Theatre-committee; and those present of my family very distinctly remember that the words you quote as mine were used by Hotel-keeper Albert, not by myself. However, as I saw that your local triumph flattered you, I ended by rejoicing at this triumph purely for yourself. On the contrary, I had to regret that you paid so little heed to my serious scruples — which I expressed to Zeroni also in particular. I simply remember having said that, if anyone chose me, I shouldn't know how to begin managing a theatre — especially if it fell to me for reason of a heavy deficit — with any skill. Only, you had confidence in yourself — and — so I held silence.
This is the truth, as concerns the one point.
The other refers to the acquisition of the right of performing my Nibelungen. You ask me a question "as President of the Grand-ducal Theatre-committee." I placed my requirements before you as such. You thereupon informed my wife that the Mannheim Town-council would expel you if you did but tell it my requirements. Candidly speaking, dear Heckel, I should have let myself be expelled with pleasure. To be sure, the matter wears a different look to you. Your position appeared to me — excuse me! — unenviable. But if you believe that the acquiring of the Nibelungen is an absolute necessity of your staying on (at anyrate a great honour to me!), I gladly offer it up to your personal continuance in your position, so long as you deem the latter worth maintaining.
So I renew my last offer to you: do with my Nibelungen scores at Mannheim what you please; give concerts or stage-performances. But only yourself, so long as you are in it. May this declaration fortify you in making your disclosures to the Mannheim magistrates without alarm. I decline any bargaining!
God keep you, dear old friend!
Your ever
devoted
Richard Wagner.
And now — not another word about this matter!!
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner to Emil Heckel, with a Brief History of the Bayreuth Festivals, trans. William Ashton Ellis (Grant Richards, 1899), No. 83