Dear Friend,
I now hear nothing more of you, so that I am really becoming anxious! Some time ago I wrote to Heine, and sent you greetings. He does not answer, and, with regard to him, I must unfortunately be anxious about his health. But with regard to yourself, I must fear that you are vexed with me? If neither supposition is correct, do please write to me; or, rather, in any case write to me!
You have now much to do: I know you therefore cannot do any useless scribbling; but I should much like to have a sign of life from you both, my good, my only remaining Dresden friends. For I cannot surely forget everything: when I recall the joys and sorrows of the Dresden Court Theatre and band, naturally my heart can but grow warm as I think of you.
Heine will have told you something about me. I have again become quite the musician, and more than ever. I am now writing the score of the Rheingold (first commenced in November). In the summer I go to the Walküre, in the spring of 1855 comes the Junge Siegfried, and in the following winter I think to take in hand Siegfried's Tod, so that everything will be ready by Easter of 1856. Then comes the impossible: to erect my own theatre, in which I may bring out my work before all Europe as a great dramatic-musical festival. Then God grant that I may breathe my last sigh!
You see I am full of plans. In any case, I think no more about "our" theatres. These may drag down my old operas completely into the mire of commonplace: I have abandoned them, and let myself be satisfied with everything, because I expected nothing good: you know my disgust! My only interest is in the money which I win from the German theatres by this my prostitution: for the rest I have closed the books, and am only astonished when from time to time I hear anything good about the performances.
Have you seen to the Flying Dutchman for Wiesbaden?
What is all this about Pesth? I read in all the papers that they intend giving Tannhäuser in the spring, with Tichatschek: that is all very nice, and for Tichatschek's sake I am glad; but I should very much like to know how they are going to come by the score. Do ask Tichatschek, who is, I hope, no longer angry with me: my kind greetings to him!
I have heard nothing at all from Dresden for such an age, that I do not know how your Wilhelm is getting on. Is he satisfied? Has he any prospects of succeeding in Dresden, of doing honour to himself and art? I should much like now to see you both. I can picture to myself your smiling glance from the conductor's desk at rehearsals. Hearty greetings to him: I do not know what I should write to him in particular. He has not sent me his opera-book: why not? I should be pleased if I could be of any service to him.
Now, perhaps you will once again let me hear something of you: do not put it off too long! I often seem completely abandoned in spite of all fame.
Farewell! greetings from me and Minna to Heine and your folk, and be good to your
Richard Wagner.
Do not let X. sell any more Tannhäuser scores: we want them all!
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 124