My esteemed Sir,
I have received from my dear nephew, Clemens Brockhaus of Leipzig, the most gratifying assurance that you would welcome an approach from me if I were to think of appealing to you in the not unimportant matter that has no doubt already come to your attention.
As to the enterprise itself I make so bold as to offer you a more detailed explanation of it in the enclosure which I am sending under separate cover. My reasons for choosing Bayreuth, rather than anywhere else, as the place to carry out my plan will not be difficult for you to guess, even without the further particulars which I am reserving for the moment: they may be found in the demands which I have made upon such a locality. The place ought not to be a capital city with a permanent theatre, nor any of the more popular or larger health resorts which, especially in the summer, would attract quite the wrong sort of audience; it ought to be situated close to the heart of Germany, and be a Bavarian town, since I am also thinking of taking up permanent residence in the place, and think it only right to do so in Bavaria, if I am to continue to enjoy the acts of kindness shown to me by the King of Bavaria. Moreover, this friendly town and its environs left an attractive impression upon me years ago, and the fact that I am still a perfect stranger to its inhabitants ought not to deter me at the outset.
However, I immediately interpreted it as a favourable omen that my dear sister Ottilie Brockhaus was able to tell me of the friendly relations that exist between your own esteemed family and hers, and I set some store by knowing that I have been recommended to you and your good-will on the strength of these family ties.
Permit me therefore to acquaint you forthwith with the matters that concern me.
It is first and foremost various not unimportant points of information which I have to request of you.
I assume that no demands are to be made on the town of Bayreuth in procuring the financial means necessary for my undertaking. Energetic friends of my project are already engaged in collecting the necessary funds, and such is their success that I am already justified in taking the necessary steps to acquire a site on which to build my temporary theatre, although, because of the inclemency of the season, work on this building will have to be postponed for now until next March. For this purpose I intend to come to Bayreuth shortly, and at the latest by the end of this month. I must begin by counting myself fortunate that, with your kind permission, I may turn to you, esteemed Sir, for the purpose of settling important preliminary questions. These concern first and foremost the choice and acquisition of the site itself. What seems to me to be important here is whether, in view of the advantages which my enterprise is able to offer in terms of its reputation and the resultant, not insignificant increase in foreign visitors to the town, the town of Bayreuth might feel persuaded to transfer to me, free of charge, the land on which to build my theatre. I am not saying that the enterprise necessarily requires this support; but it must be clear to all observers that such a privilege would, from the very outset, establish a good and highly commendable working relationship between the town of Bayreuth and my own enterprise. In the event that such willingness be shown, there could of course be no question of my choosing the site myself. On the other hand, if I have to purchase the site, I should welcome your kind suggestion. An area of approximately Two Hundred (Prussian) feet square is needed for the building, including projections, and it would then depend upon the conditions that were placed on me how much space would be available for the grounds surrounding it. — As regards the choice of the site - if this is to depend upon me in the sense just described - my choice would fall upon the open field interrupted by a road (or, rather: separated from it), which abuts on the end of the Schloss park. - I may also take this opportunity to mention that I have set my thoughts on a long strip of meadowland for my own residence, a plot of land which is situated similarly near to the end of the Schloss gardens, stretching from the left-hand side of the park in the direction of the road that leads to the Eremitage (the Schloss curator who acted as my guide last spring could give you more details.) For the rest I must mention the chief objection that has been levelled against my choice of Bayreuth on the part of my Patrons. This concerns their anxiety that it will not be possible to find sufficient accommodation in Baireuth for all the visitors. It is a matter of ensuring decent hospitality for 200 persons for a period of several months, with 2000 visitors during the principal month, and of protecting them all against being overcharged. Since I have no suggestions to make here on the basis of my own experience, I leave this matter to your admirable and kind consideration, and should be very pleased if you could enable me to offer my Patrons powerful reassurance on this point. I should also like to be able to reassure them that there will be no shortage of workmen to carry forward the building work with all despatch, and that we shall not find ourselves crippled by strikes etc. The material aspect of the building shall of course be carried out and supervised by Bayreuth’s capable Court Architect; but I must insist upon retaining the services of my friend, the Royal Inspector of Buildings in Berlin, W. Neumann to superintend this new plan of mine. -
May I add at once to this recital of my requirements the answer to a further point that was explained to me in Munich, namely that I must obtain the approval of the municipal authorities for the entire undertaking. You will no doubt not lose sight of the fact that we are not concerned here with a moneymaking theatrical enterprise: the performances will be attended only by invited guests and by patrons of the undertaking; no one can be allowed to pay for admission. At the same time, I have ensured that a sufficient number of seats is placed at the disposal of the inhabitants of Bayreuth to be distributed among them free of charge. -
Having, as I believe, informed you, esteemed Sir, of the main points which I felt encouraged to submit to you for your kind consideration, advice and co-operation, I would now only beg the favour of your gracious reply, and, at the same time, assure you of the very high esteem with which I have the honour to be
Your most obedient servant
Richard Wagner
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 402