Dear Old Fellow,
I was already about to write to you, when I received a letter from Cassel, which doubles my reason for writing. So Wilhelm has really managed to get me from there an official order for the score of Tannhäuser. (Probably the recent success of the opera at Frankfort lent a helping hand.) Now, I must ask you to send off a completely revised score of Tannhäuser to the intendant of the Court Theatre at Cassel. There probably is at least one such copy in reserve — inquire of Uhlig's widow, in case everything has not been sent to you. Now, you will make a nice grimace!!! for I also ask you to enclose with the score five copies of the "Guide to Performance" (pamphlet): they are to be given to the four principal actors and the stage-manager. (I have never — between ourselves — expected that this Guide would be followed to the letter: but partly it has been and is a necessity to me, on such occasions, to express my full intention; and, partly, I know that people at least hereby receive a shock, which tears them so much away from their customary humdrum ways, as has been hitherto the case with all the recent performances of Tannhäuser — much to the advantage of the latter.)
Be so good as to let X. know about this new order; this is on account of the books of words!
I thank you very much for seeing to the Dutchman scores. With regard to this matter, I beg you to have another pattern-score got ready quickly (with everything complete), and to send me back the score which I lately sent direct from here, as it does not belong to me, but to the theatre-director Löwe. I then should like to know how many scores of the Flying Dutchman you have still in reserve.
Apropos! Wilhelm writes to me that he has already asked you for the Dresden scenarium; so will you be good enough to see to the designs, etc.?
Probably you will again need a reserve supply of revised Tannhäuser scores: Uhlig always insisted on having two ready. He sent me an account of the expenses half-yearly. Now, please tell me how you wish to, or can, manage in this matter? Surely you will prefer that I should give you something in hand for your outlay? Answer me quite freely on this matter!
Kr. wrote to me lately; for the moment, give him kind greetings from me, and thank him for his letter. Tell him, further, that I intend shortly to lay the whole details of my Dresden indebtedness before a lawyer (I think Schirmer), and to get him, in the interest of my creditors, to look carefully into the publishing business of my operas. I had already repeatedly asked Uhlig to commission Schirmer to call together my creditors, in order to receive authority from them to supervise the business in their interest. I fear, however, that it was never taken up with the proper energy. Anyhow, X. has not made much by it hitherto, for he has had from time to time to pay the costs of carrying it on out of his own scanty pocket. Now, it would be advisable if my creditors, by their empowered attorney, were to get the business into their own hands, and manage it for themselves. For I feel certain that in time this publishing property would fully satisfy my creditors.
I will then ask P. to withdraw for the present in favour of Kr.: he can best do it, I suppose?
Farewell for to-day. Hearty thanks. Greet the Heines from us, and remain good to your
R. W.
It is possible that you may shortly receive back the Berlin score of Tannhäuser; for I have demanded it back. Instead of now at last taking up my opera, they are studying there the Feensee and Flotow's Indra: this is a downright piece of impudence. I now prefer to break entirely with them; for it is then positive that next winter Liszt will receive a commission through the Prince of Prussia to perform Tannhäuser and Lohengrin in Berlin. This to comfort Heine!!
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 113