Dear Uhlig,
Again a red — i.e., a business — letter. The director, J. A. Stöger, at Prague, wants the score and book of Tannhäuser, and so I beg you to let him have them at once. By this time you have probably received the missing "sheet" through my parents-in-law.
From no quarter have I received an honorarium, and I think of soon giving rather a rough reminder to the Leipzig director. No answer from Berlin. The director of the Würzburg theatre has lately inquired about Tannhäuser.
Only to-day have I finished the manuscript of my "Address on the performance of Tannhäuser." It had to be more detailed than I at first thought, and I am now glad that I hit upon this way of removing a great weight from my mind. I am again much exhausted by the work, and I must now try to thoroughly recover from the effects. After ripe reflection, I found it necessary to give the manuscript at once to be printed here, so as to be able to send as quickly as possible a sufficient quantity of copies to the theatres (privatim and gratis). I have ordered two hundred, of which I will at once send you a good share, so that you may be able to deliver them to the theatres, together with the scores; the number in each case to be determined by me. But in this matter I wish to appeal to the public also, and, as soon as it is ready, will send a copy to Brendel to put in his paper.
Härtels have sent me copies of the score of Lohengrin, of which I keep three for presentation. In any case you will receive one (as you seem to have received none from Härtels); a second I think of presenting to Robert Franz, and will send it to you to see that he gets it. I have really been intending for a long time to write to Franz. Heaven knows how one always puts off a thing of the sort, however agreeable it may be. Kind greetings to him, and assure him that I place great value on the fact that he — next to you and Liszt — was the first musician who showed me any friendship.
I cannot write any more to you to-day. My head is again all confused. Rest! rest! (just like Reissiger!)
Farewell, and greetings at home.
Your
R. W.
Keep scores in readiness, for shortly there will have to be a regular hailstorm of them!
Peps keeps on barking. Auerbach was also here; but he did not bark.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 75