Sir,
I am a composer of music who is seeking a favourable opportunity to present himself before the Paris public, and, while waiting, am obliged to find some means of supporting myself by undertaking work in the most ordinary sense of the word.
I am therefore writing to you, Sir, in order to ask whether you can provide me with work, making arrangements for every instrument of the orchestra, the piano etc., which work I shall always do promptly and at the price which you yourself shall fix, under the sole condition of anonymity.
Since, unfortunately, my friend and very good patron M. Meyerbeer, who would be kind enough to vouch for my abilities in the event of your agreeing, is not in Paris at the moment, I would offer to do some work for you in advance, free of charge, in order to prove my abilities to you, if you are able to make use of the same.
May I ask you to be so kind as to honour me with a brief word of reply.
Yours
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 26