Best Friend,
Indeed I have fairly recovered my old elasticity: unfortunately my exertions — resumed too impatiently — somewhat overpass the forces of a convalescent. Where and when I am to repair myself, God only knows: for the present I am doing my best, at the doctor's orders, with all kinds of strengthening diet. My employment is quite incredible; but the worst of all is, that I still am very much behindhand with my composition work. The first dance-scene in the Venusberg isn't touched, and I've no idea as yet how I shall set it. And then this absorbing Paris, in which, for all my keeping myself a hermit, I can't prevent folk bothering themselves to whom I don't exactly want to give offence.
Through my weeks of illness a delay in the study of Tannhäuser has certainly occurred, yet I still reckon on the last week of January, that is to say if I can get my compositions ready in time, by a miracle. We are now beginning the preliminaries for the actual mise en scène; i.e. the finer shades and main dramatic situations are settled in a foyer furnished with a stage. In this fashion the new scene between Venus and Tannhäuser has already been worked out; it makes an extraordinary impression. Both artists will be admirable. Soon we shall be thinking of descending to the stage proper; then will come the orchestra too (as last thing), which has hitherto been practising apart. My authority remains unquestioned, in fact is stronger than ever, as the Princess Metternich (who becomes more and more attached to me) and Walewski, the Cabinet-minister, are especially friendly. — So as God wills!
Give my hearty greetings to your wife, and tell her that I have spent a happy Sunday to-day, namely wholly at work, without either going out or receiving anybody!
And hearty greetings to yourself, dear friend! Soon more!
Your
Richard Wagner.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to Wesendonck et al., trans. and indexed by William Ashton Ellis (Grant Richards, 1899), No. 30