Dear Brother Fischer,
I could not answer you before now, as the Flying Dutchman affair here remained in uncertainty. I always hoped to get clean rid of the matter, and there was, indeed, some prospect of that, as the Munich scene-painter who had to stage the opera here declared that there was not now sufficient time. My joy at this, however, was to be troubled, for the theatre-director here hunted up a wandering scene-painter and machinist, who has had to make sketches for him which certainly show much ability. As besides — and this is the chief reason for me — my friends here, after I had let them hear the Tannhäuser Overture (really extremely well done), quite seized me by the throat, insisting on my producing one of my operas, I at last said yes, and can no longer draw back. So the Flying Dutchman is to come out in the second half of April, and now for honour's sake I am anxious that the performance shall not be bad. The singers that I required for this opera are really quite good, especially the soprano and the baritone; whatever else has to be procured will be attended to. So now I must ask you to see to the orchestral parts. I enclose the desired lines to Tichatschek for L., and request that you will see that they are despatched with all haste.
The vocal and chorus parts are already copied out, and rehearsing has commenced; so I only want the orchestral parts. But as it will be impossible to copy the parts by the time the orchestral rehearsals begin, of which I must hold a great number, I beg you also to send the duplicate parts: three first violin, two second, two viola, three 'cello and double-bass parts, and all for the wind instruments.
So as not to give you too much trouble, I advise you to get Uhlig to see to the packing and sending off; I know he has a large supply of packing canvas. Anyhow, now that it has got so late, the packet must be sent direct by post and not by carrier, and to the address of theatre-director Löwe in Zurich. So I count on having the parts here at latest by the end of this month.
Now, do not be angry with me about this vexation!
But whenever are you coming to us in Switzerland? My wife and I count for sure on having you here once again with us. Let us know your plans about this! What great pleasure can you still get from Dresden? A nephew of yours is already here, and is now a low-comedian at the theatre. Candidly, I wish him an engagement with a good troupe; he is excellent, full of talent, and quite a different sort of fellow from your ordinary buffoon. … I often go to the theatre when he acts. Tell this to your brother. (The family likeness to yourself has quite touched us!)
I wish Heine would again let me know something about his son's fate: I have nothing interesting to tell him, but certainly he has to me. Do you know anything about his Wilhelm?
Good-bye for to-day, you good old friend! Forgive me these mere business letters! Soon more from your
Richard 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. 108