My esteemed friend,
Many thanks for your last letter! - It would never occur to me to doubt in the genuine success of our great enterprise as long as you remain loyal to me. But you surely understood me correctly when you supposed that my displeasure was directed at the locality that has been chosen for our undertaking only insofar that I was bound to feel a sudden sense of renewed disgust at the fact that, precisely because of my choice of locality, I shall again be subjected to the most incomparable, unique and utterly wearying vexations, vexations to which, as I know from experience, every enterprise is necessarily exposed from which it is not possible to exclude all interference on the part of Munich’s courtiers and other civil functionaries. That is why I refused from the outset to accept any direct contribution from the King, precisely because I wanted to avoid this interference (in whatever guise). Not to be allowed to achieve even this negative aim, however, drove me to despair as a result of recent experiences, and I thought I would also have to sever the threads of that influential connection as it affected my desire to settle in Bayreuth. Never for a moment did I believe in any duplicity on the part of my Bayreuth friends, but it alarmed me to think that that appalling system in which all things Bavarian are influenced by Munich, its Court and its officials, had also insinuated itself into your midst. - On the contrary, had I given up Bayreuth, I should also have had to abandon the entire undertaking. They are both bound up with each other, and inasmuch as my great stage festival excites attention, it is already synonymous with the name of Bayreuth. And that is all to the good, and cannot be so quickly replaced.
What pleases me above all else is that you, my dear friend, remain undaunted, and that, on the whole, you even appear to be optimistic about the future. Of course, I can see that all around us things are developing and stirring: and I who had such boundless patience now wish for nothing more but that we should be given time and not rushed (as is the case, conversely, with my very difficult position with the King of Bavaria.) - Everything of course is happening; it is prospering and maturing, - however: everything must be kept pure. -
I entirely agree with your maxims with regard to the allocation of the financial resources that we require. More specifically, these are as follows: 1.) The theatre building to be provisional only; I should be quite content for it to be only of wood, like the halls used for gymnastic displays and choral festivals; it should be no more solid than is necessary to prevent it from collapsing. Therefore economize here, economize - no ornamentation. With this building we are offering only the outline of our idea, and handing it over to the nation for completion as a monumental edifice. 2.) Stage machinery and scenery, and everything that relates to the ideal, inner work of art - perfect in every way. No economies here: everything as though designed to last a long time, nothing provisional. - 3.) Singers and musicians to receive only their expenses, no fees. Those who do not come for the honour and out of a sense of enthusiasm may as well stay at home. Any singer - be they male or female - who came to me only in return for one of their insane fees would be a fat lot of good to me! How could anyone like that satisfy my artistic demands. These, my dearest friend, are my miracles, which I shall reveal to the world here and show them how to obtain the people needed to meet such a challenge: and my friends must believe in this. It is different of course when some Court Theatre intendant has to deal with these people: the devil himself takes possession of these poor wretches, but he at least is someone I know how to control. I need about 20 principals and auxiliaries; these should not cost me more than 30,000 ths. for the two months, otherwise - I have no use for them, 100 musicians, with expenses of 50 ths. a month, making 10,000 thalers at most. I shall answer for this: for this is my empire. It is different when one has to deal with builders, carpenters, wood, canvas, sheet metal, brushes and stage machinery: I have no power here, but must be able only to arrange things and give orders. Here only money can achieve anything. —
I must say that, in spite of everything, the latest reports about Neumann’s reliability have left me dumbfounded. Who could suppose such thoughtlessness! - And so, my dear friend, let us be short and to the point in deciding what to do here. For the time being simply put to one side Neumann’s sketches for the house that (some day - perhaps) will be mine! Let us ignore this particular worry for the time being. When things are like this - it is best simply to call a truce on both sides! - As for the rest, we can discuss these matters at our convenience when the opportunity presents itself. I am so uncommonly pleased to have found a man like you as a friend, my dear fellow. This is at present more reassuring for my future than if people were already hammering and chiselling away on “my” house today.
Let me know when you need me in Bayreuth: I now consider myself wholly dependent upon you.
We shall stick to our arrangement for the concert whereby the stalls in the auditorium are sacrificed to the singers; the stage is too narrow to serve for the mass of performers whom, for very good reasons, I am not prepared to forgo. In the event that the “Patrons” also turn up in large numbers, there will be nothing for it but to perform the symphony twice; then everybody will be able to attend, including all my splendid Bayreuth hosts. — I shall shortly be making a move with a circular letter to my Patrons; something must be done in this regard. -
Sincere good wishes from my dear wife, who is a great admirer of yours! -
Wholly yours,
Richard Wagner
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 407