When I saw you on the last occasion in Vienna in May, you expressed a willingness to receive further orders from me.
I feel that I am still somewhat in your debt; in addition, you are familiar with the style of the clothes that I wear about the house etc., and the fabrics which I would in any case prefer to have provided for me are difficult to obtain here in a decent variety. And so I should welcome it if you were to provide for my tastes now and in the future, only I would ask that your accounts be rendered annually not only for these but for all other expenses not calculable in advance, and I shall settle these accounts at the year’s end. If you are able to comply with these wishes of mine, I should like to place a number of orders with you immediately. You would oblige me, therefore, if you could send me information, in the first instance, concerning the following fabrics.
1. Can you obtain from Szontag a fine heavy satin, light brown in colour, to match the enclosed sample?
2. The same in dark pink?
3. Is there a good quality fabric obtainable at 4 to 5 florins to match the enclosed light pink?
4. - ditto - the blue, but preferably somewhat lighter, certainly not darker.
5. Has Szontag enough of the new red or crimson-coloured heavy satin in stock that you used to line my white dressing-gown (with the floral pattern)?
6. Do you still have any of the dark yellow which we used to make the curtains for the little tables?
May I ask you to obtain suitable samples (small remnants will do) of these 6 colours and fabrics, and, at the same time, let me know whether you are able to agree to my proposal. I should welcome it not least because this is the most convenient arrangement for me, and in this way I can occupy you permanently in future.
I hope you still have the patterns for my house-clothes?
I look forward to hearing from you, and remain
Your respectful and obedient servant
Richard Wagner.
PS: Do not confuse No 2, the dark pink, with the earlier violet pink, which is not what I mean here, but genuine pink, only very dark and fiery.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 309