I am asked for the score of my opera Lohengrin. I only possess my original score, and a copy of it made here would be very expensive, besides being done badly and slowly. Now, Herr v. Lüttichau possesses a copy of this score, for which, at the time, he paid the expenses of the copying — thirty-six thalers. As I have already ascertained, his Excellency has no intention of keeping this copy as a sort of pledge for what I unfortunately owe to the treasury of the Royal Court Theatre; but on receiving back what he spent for the copying, he would hand it over to me as my property, as soon as he were thoroughly assured that, at my wish, it would be delivered to me or to my order.
Now, I presume that if this letter is shown to his Excellency, he will be assured on that point, and therefore beg you to betake yourself to Herr v. Lüttichau, and ask in my name and at my request that the score may be put into my possession in return for the payment of thirty-six thalers; for this, indeed, is of great importance to me.
I pray you for speedy news about this, and thankfully remain,
Yours most truly,
Richard Wagner.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 105