God, how much I've thought of you lately, dearest Tschekel! How often have I already told people the story about you, how after the first performance of Rienzi you had forbidden the copyists to make the cuts I indicated and how, when I called you to account, you answered: "No! I won't allow any cuts! It's too heavenly!" How the hot tears ran down my cheeks.
This was all brought back to me as I was dealing with a miserable coward who runs around howling that he ruins his voice with my Tannhäuser. You can well imagine how I feel!
. . . Since Heaven wants to preserve you for me so wonderfully that I'm to find you in good shape when I return to Germany, we'll still accomplish something at which everybody will be amazed!
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 235