My Most Esteemed Herr Heine,
It would indeed have given me immeasurable pleasure to have been fortunate enough to receive a few lines from your valued hand, informing me whether you justify me or not in presupposing your sympathy for me and my interests. But, on the other hand, I know through our friend Kietz that at first you had very great hindrances, and often, unfortunately, not of the pleasantest, so that you could only bestow scanty communications even upon him; and as Kietz moreover assures me that he observes how kindly and sympathetically disposed you always are towards me, I therefore, counting on this your favourable inclination, forbear to woo afresh your friendship, and only wish most ardently that I may not outweary it.
More than a month ago I received the desired formal acceptance of my opera on the part of the general management of the Dresden Court Theatre. For the hastening on of this decision I am certainly indebted chiefly to the instigation of Councillor W., whom, by an unimportant counter-service, I have been enabled to win over to my interests. It is, however, obvious that even W. could not have given so fortunate a turn to this decision had not the votes of Reissiger and other authorities concerned in the musical question been given in my favour. Reissiger, who had already expressed to me by letter his honest intentions towards me, has put me under endless obligation to him. What deep apologies have I to make to him, to you, and even to myself, for the doubt which I expressed about his unselfish and liberal intentions — a doubt which could only arise in me through my complete ignorance of what it was proposed to do in Dresden with my opera! Heaven be praised! Everything hitherto has shaped itself according to my wishes; for only in the past few days I received the consent to my last desire, namely, the wish that my opera should be put on the stage immediately after the appearance of the new opera by Reissiger. Thus I have reason to hope that Rienzi will appear on the Dresden boards the end of this or beginning of next year; at length a long-awaited, gracious prospect!
The most important thing which now remains to be kept alert is, without doubt, the good feeling of the noble Schröder-Devrient; of what nameless weight is this to me! I have just written to her, as well as to Herr Tichatschek. May my good angel make and maintain both these persons well disposed towards me! Everything depends upon this; and if you, my dear Herr Heine, hold me worthy of some effort, you would render me a priceless service if you would exert your utmost friendly influence with these two celebrities in my favour.
I am now most eager to know whether the management will soon think of making preparations for the scenic equipment of my opera. As Herr von Lüttichau wrote me that only after most careful previous examination of the book and score had he given his consent to the production of my opera, so I cannot entertain a doubt but that he is fully acquainted with the heavy expenditure which its equipment essentially demands. Moreover, as I have never omitted to draw his special attention to this point, I therefore feel confident that it has already been decided that it shall want for nothing. In this, my best Herr Heine, you are the most important man, and with all insistence I therefore beg you to bestow on me your whole good-will. As soon, then, as the time of production of Reissiger's opera approaches, I shall send you a detailed memorandum, containing all my ideas and wishes with regard to decoration, costume, and arrangement, as well as what concerns the musical mise en scène. Meanwhile Kietz has already offered, should you approve, to jot down here and there a sketch and send it to you. Ah! if I could only get to hear something, and that right soon.
Kietz, as you know, is about leaving Paris. He is always complaining, but has certainly no right to do so; if he will only give himself the trouble, he can quite easily maintain himself for some time yet by work — he has some orders now. Besides, if he must leave Paris, he can do it with the consoling conviction that he carries away with him a good slice of what he has learnt here; even though the proof of this should consist in nothing beyond the oil-portrait of Anna Zecher, to which he can certainly point with pride. In this painting I was less struck at finding Kietz' unrestrained conception of a subject again displayed, in a sphere as yet so little trodden by him; but the thing that most surprised me was that he could so quickly become familiar with colour and the brush, that in the matter of execution it is scarcely possible to detect the novice. He has a delightful talent and a splendid sensibility. I should like to write much more to you about him, if my space had not unfortunately come to an end; for I confess that, purely out of consideration for yourself, I had no intention this time of writing you a long letter. Let me therefore with a brief sigh return to myself, and beg you from the bottom of my heart never to withdraw from me your friendly sympathy. In return I may assure you that it is my greatest pleasure to be thankful! With the best wishes for your prosperity, I commend myself most thankfully and respectfully as
Your most obliged
Richard Wagner.
P.S. Would you have the great kindness to forward the enclosed letter to its address? R. 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. 153