Best Friend,
Some business, so that you may not get out of practice! I enclose the sketch of my last letter to my Berlin brother, from which you will see how it stands with the Tannhäuser matter there. Let Heine see this draft at once, and then send it back to me.
As things now are (they have suddenly discovered that Tannhäuser cannot be given on any one of the Royal birthdays), it is advisable meanwhile that X. should write about the books of words to Berlin (to the general intendant of the royal theatre). You must compose the letter for him (he is an ass). This is the state of things. My brother writes: "A family, Jacoby by name, received from the late King, Heaven knows for how long, the privilege of printing and selling all books of words for all operas. The family receives therefrom a yearly income of 1,800 thalers: to take away from them the books of words of Tannhäuser would result in a law-suit and all kinds of things. However, it could be arranged by means of a discount (25 per cent.): they would not then need to print them, and could always sell them to advantage. Hülsen will speak to the parties. If the parties are unwilling, nothing can be done." So far my brother!
I would have you notice that the (wretched) Berlin books of words are always sold for 5 Silbergroschen, whereas the price of the Tannhäuser books was fixed at 3 Neugroschen. X. ought therefore to send to Berlin copies on which the price is not marked, or on which it is marked as 5 Silbergroschen (for smaller places the lower price could remain). X. could let the Jacoby family have the copy for 2½ Silbergroschen, that is, at 50 per cent. discount. Thus the people will be perfectly satisfied, and it will make no difference to our receipts.
Should it be impossible to make an exception in the price, or, for any other reason, to mark it at 5 Silbergroschen, and so the 3 Silbergroschen have to remain, X. would have to reduce the discount somewhat, perhaps to 35 or 40 per cent., in order to make these people amenable. We shall not let it come to a law-suit; on the other hand, even without gaining much profit, we still preserve our rights over the property.
My head is still bad, and as the result of my continual agitation by the invisible land outside, I am in a very nervous state of health.
Röckel's letter of yesterday caused me great, great joy! He bears himself in first-rate style, staunch and cheerful. I shall answer him to-morrow.
The "three opera-poems," which he supposes to be already there from Härtels, he has not yet received; neither has he yet had Oper und Drama, about which he has much to say. Now I had begged you to send a copy to Röckel as soon as it appeared, and you also wrote that you had attended to it: could you not inquire through your legal friend in Waldheim? Härtels appear to have paid no attention to the matter, for he is even still asking for the pianoforte score of Lohengrin. By his wife I am sending him my last copy (already bound for myself); but will you please inquire about the "three opera-poems"?
You may possibly soon receive an acceptance-permit from Cologne for Tannhäuser; keep scores ready!
Farewell; I must stretch myself on the lazy-couch, in order to close my eyes!
Your
R. W.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 79