My Dear Old Friend!
Hearty thanks for your last letter; your wonderful activity has rejoiced me uncommonly, and the promise of your visit next year gives me a hope that warms my heart, and which you must not reduce to nothingness.
But it is characteristic and touching, above all else, that it should be left for an old fellow like yourself to introduce Liszt to Dresden! In this one sees what youth and old age are, and whether it is a question of years, or of heart and right understanding! In this you have again proved your mettle, as once upon a time with me: for without you I should never have made my way with Rienzi. Honour to you, dear good old fellow!
About Heine's activity with a Conservatorium I know nothing at all? But that is altogether grand, for therein I see that he also keeps himself fresh and active; still there is a good strong blend of my own egoism in it, for thus I may venture all the more to hope to see you both again, as the old fellows of former times. May it only be soon — at latest next summer, for then you will both come to me!
I am very glad that you have not yet communicated to L. the last propositions I sent you, and I hope also that nothing has been done since then. For should you think — as you hinted to me — that that old debt may be regarded as cancelled, and that in the case of an amnesty they would not think of causing me any further unpleasantness on account of it: in that case I should be most thankful, and let the matter drop. For this — I say honestly — the only thing that made me think of offering myself again to the Dresden Court in any capacity was the perplexity in which I was placed by the idea that they might still expect from me a satisfaction of that debt.
But apart from that, there is nothing I long for more than to remain free, and never again to accept any kind of engagement whatever. Dresden — the theatre — L., etc., awake in me such a train of tormenting remembrances, that I would like to be for ever considered there as dead. Only yourself and Heine would I take from out of the place! That you will see! So, let that be kept to yourself, and should the occasion arise mention nothing of my propositions, unless you perceive that they are going to demand such a compensation from me.
Lately the Grand Duke of Baden sent me a message that he had just written to the King of Saxony, in order to obtain permission for me to visit Carlsruhe. I am now waiting to see if he has in any way succeeded, but naturally doubt it very much! Yet I presume that my affair is likely now to be taken up again; hence the above hint.
For the rest, I do not believe that anywhere in the world are there such muddle-headed men as in Dresden. You will easily guess that I refer again to the business successors of the late X.! If you should see the music-publisher M., please tell him that, if his intentions are friendly, he ought not to refrain from writing me, and to some extent explaining the state of things. As far back as last Easter the lawyer of Fräulein X. sent me the inventory, with the notice that the publishing business had been handed over to M. But, as I have transferred all my rights in the business, it was my duty to hand over the whole matter to the attorney of these two persons, and at the same time to express to him my astonishment that he should look so badly after the interests of his clients that the attorney of the opposite party, in spite of the surrender, still thought it necessary to apply to me and not to him! Now for a long time I have heard nothing at all, until at last M. returns me, through you, this unheard-of, unexpected answer. It is enough to make one mad! But tell M. that all I want from him is information about the technical part of the publishing; because, though I have no longer any present right to the receipts, I still am anxious that the business should be conducted in such a way that my assignees may derive the utmost possible profit from it.
Yes, considering that I can get no other news about the real state of affairs, I shall have to be prepared next for being summarily sued again, especially if people are always hearing such silly nonsense about my income as appears from time to time! O you divinely practical men!
Well, that is the old story over again — much the same as it has been told for the last six years! Do not be angry that I give it you to hear. But you appear to me — alas! — the only clear and intelligent head amongst these stupid creatures.
Otherwise, dearest old fellow, I am well: I live alone, work, read, and make good music. You may take my word for it: Tristan will please even you, although there are not many choruses in it! A thousand greetings to you and Heine from me and Minna.
Good-bye! Remain what you are.
Your
R. W.
I herewith commission Herr Chorus-master Fischer, Sen., of Dresden, to send off at once a copy of the score and of the libretto of my opera Rienzi to the High Intendant of the Royal Court Theatre in Hanover.
Richard Wagner.
S., January 18th, '58.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 145