Dear Nante!
Do not take it amiss that I only to-day send you news! But even to-day I merely write you briefly, to tell you that to-day I shall not write you at length, because I can only do this after some little time. Why? you shall learn that at once. You know what an obstinate beast I am; well, I have just finished my great Nibelungen poem, and I mean to make a clean copy of the stuff, so that my friends, too, may be able to taste as much as possible of it. This will take a full month of my time away, for at present I can at most spend three hours on such work: but it must be done before I go to anything else; otherwise I shall have no rest. Now, I cannot write as I ought to you without thoroughly acknowledging your amiable care about Lohengrin. But I see again, especially from your letter, that I must express myself very clearly and in detail with regard to my wishes for the staging of Lohengrin, before I can be certain not to be misunderstood on any point. For this purpose I shall have to bring my unfortunately somewhat neglected painting talent into service; but in any case I see a work before me that cannot be dashed off in a moment: I therefore save it until I have finished what I have immediately in hand. Fortunately this matter does not press: I have withdrawn Lohengrin everywhere for this winter, and shall not open the doors for it until the next. The Flying Dutchman is being given in place of it at Schwerin and Breslau. I rejoice at the thought of the work which we shall both do presently: something "orderly" will come out of it. You have already given me most "disorderly" joy by your ready consent, as well as by your preliminary designs. You will receive the pianoforte score at the same time as my sketches: I have a copy for you. I doubt whether we can persuade Härtels to publish the scenarium: I shall probably have to pay the costs myself, but sha'n't make anything by it.
The visit of yourself and Fischer to Weimar surprised me very much: how the deuce do you old-young fellows come to take such a jaunt? There must be some witchcraft in it! Your notes about the Weimar performance were of the highest interest to me: I saw everything vividly before me, and, so far as I can conjecture, agree with you as to the character of the performance. Hearty thanks! The small attention which G. paid to all my hints and directions appears to have made your hair stand on end! And yet Papa Fischer blames me so much for my Guide to Tannhäuser — he always imagines it to be my sole concern to see my operas performed, and that it is therefore "unwise" to make so many out-of-the-way demands!! I have indeed good ground for shame, to have been misunderstood on the most important points even by you and him. I care absolutely nothing about my things being given: I am only anxious that they should be SO given as I intended; he who will not and cannot do that, let him leave them alone. That is my whole meaning — and has Fischer not yet found that out? O you hardened sinner!! Na, greet him heartily. Best thanks for his letter: answer anno 1853!
Give greetings to good Aunt Heine and Marie: in his sail round the world I hope Wilhelm will meet you again in Japan — and, to be sure, stuttering. Many hearty greetings and good wishes from myself and Minna: to-morrow we give our Christmas-boxes. Farewell!
Your soon forty-year-old
Richard.
P.S. As to the Flying Dutchman, I have referred Breslau and Schwerin to Berlin for the scenarium (it was not at all bad there!): perhaps with your acquaintances you could help them?
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 169