Dearest friend,
I was intending to write to you during the next few days on a business matter. I shall do so now, but first I want to congratulate you - as they say - on the arrival of a new and born Wagnerian - long live Hubert Edward, and may Richard Wagner - significantly - be entered in the parish register as his godfather! Bravo!
I shall leave the London fog in peace, and never again try to drape myself in it: may all that happens be God’s handiwork!
Very many thanks for your touching news of Carlyle! - But now to business. I am now - for honour’s sake - making preparations for the production of Parsifal. Having fared so badly with our English dragon, let us see if we cannot do any better with the Grail bells.
Following a discussion with experts on the best way of representing the necessary sound, we agreed after all that it could best be imitated by means of Chinese tamtams. In what market are these tamtams to be found in the greatest number and best selection? It is thought to be London. Good! - Who will be responsible for selecting them? Dannreuther, of course. And so, my dearest friend, try to track down 4 tamtams which will produce - at least an approximation of - the following peal.
[music example]
It should be noted that - in order to produce a deep bell-like sound - these instruments must be struck only gently near the rim, whereas if you hit them sharply in the middle they produce a much brighter sound that is quite unuseable. And so, see what you can do! -
I very much enjoyed your article which - as I have only just discovered - was not printed until very late in the B. Bl.: it is a real connoisseur’s piece, and I was also pleased that the translation had turned out so well, so that you, too, must have been satisfied by it. Very many thanks!
And a thousand good wishes to Chariclea, and my regards to Wolfram.
Assuring you of my loyal friendship, I am
Your devoted servant,
Rich. Wagner.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 484