I turn to you today, my honoured friend, with only a few lines in order to thank you for your recent letter, and at the same time to show you some sign of life.
I have just spent a wild, exciting - and yet tremendously beautiful week: Liszt left me only a few days ago. A veritable storm of conversation raged between the two of us: my joy at meeting this indescribably amiable man was all the greater for my finding him so robust and resilient, and in much better health than I would have expected from earlier. We had an incredible amount of things to tell each other: for essentially this was the first time we had really got to know each other, since I had previously only ever spent a few days at a time with him. And so the 8 days which were all he was able to offer me on this occasion were packed so full that I am still well-nigh benumbed by it all. I lost my voice during the first few days, so that Liszt then had to provide for the music himself: his playing was unbelievable! - The two of us then went off on a splendid excursion to Lake Lucerne, and he finally left me with the spontaneous promise that he would return next year for at least four weeks: I hope you yourself will be there then! -
I cannot put up with Zurich a moment longer: and yet this very evening I shall have to submit to yet further celebrations. I am threatened with a vast torch-lit procession with music, singing and honorary awards; rumour has been rife in the town for the whole of last week. - Tomorrow morning, however, I am off to St Moritz: if I survive my course of treatment there, I shall then go to Italy. I have laid in a stock of well-ruled paper for my sketches, and believe that before the year is out, I shall have the score of the Rhinegold fully drafted. To my immense gratification and surprise I discovered that Liszt is in total agreement with my plans for the future presentation of my stage festival play: we have agreed that it shall take place in Zurich between spring and autumn one year; a provisional theatre will be built for the purpose, and all that I need by way of singers etc. will be specially engaged: Liszt will collect contributions for the undertaking from every quarter and from every corner of the earth, and he is confident of raising the necessary money.
You must admit that it was no small thing on which we agreed!
[...]
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 163