Dearest Brother,
It was very kind of you to take such interest in the Freiburg people: it has borne very good fruit. From all reports I learn that in this small nest — through the uncommon zeal of all, and particularly of the young but extremely talented musical director — an exceptionally good performance of Tannhäuser has taken place. The singer of the principal rôle, a young man of twenty-two, so interests me that I have made an appointment with him, in order to make his acquaintance. Eduard Devrient was also there (at the third performance). I tell you this in reward for your friendliness toward these people.
The long letter which I owe you I cannot write to-day. I have for the present knocked myself up with many and various things: especially have I a wretched lot of letters to answer, and indeed to persons who are not so indulgent as you and Fischer. But I shall soon settle to the Lohengrin work: Härtels will publish it, provided the matter is made easy for them. With the pianoforte score I will then send you also my recently finished great poem (Der Ring des Nibelungen). In the course of the next few days I hope, too, to manage to write to P.: kind greetings to him for to-day, and announce my letter to him, which certainly will contain much business-stuff (for we must take X. by the nape of the neck!).
For to-day, only one further question and request. The Leipzig Illustrirte again wishes to make a fuss about me (in connection with Tannhäuser): for that purpose they wished to give my portrait, and from a new photograph. I tried it, but the weather was so bad that it turned out a failure. So at last — with my great dislike to a sitting — I yielded to the request of a lady portrait-painter here, who is really a most intelligent and practised water-colourist, and am now having my portrait taken: the Illustrirte will receive a photographic copy of it. But the picture, in the opinion of all who have watched its growth, has turned out so exceptionally good, that we have now come upon the idea of having a portrait so like my present self — at last, and indeed for that very reason — lithographed for my friends in Germany. The artist is not satisfied with the lithographers here; and she would only permit it to be lithographed abroad, provided there were some one in the place who was well acquainted with me, and who could therefore supervise the copy in the interest of the likeness. So I thought of Hanfstängl as lithographer and you as supervisor. Please then speak soon to Hanfstängl, and see if he will undertake the stone-drawing: any one who cares may see about publishing it. I should think no one would do badly with it; but if there is any difficulty, Härtels will take it up at once. If you agree, I will send you the portrait next week; but the lithographing must be first-rate!
Well, as this is not to be a proper letter, you've had enough for to-day; besides, I am rather more in the dumps than usual. Yesterday I worried the members of our orchestra out of their lives, and into quite a magnificent performance of the Eroica: I feel some of the effects of it now.
You appear to be going on fairly well! Heaven knows! you will come out of it in grand style at the finish! Excuse me this superficial scribbling, but greet wife and child, with Uncle Fischer, most heartily from both of us!
Farewell! Soon more from your
Veery gude
Richard W.
(Do not frank letters to me! I get quite enough now to pay for that, although in my other money-matters I shall always be a good-for-nothing.)
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 171