My Dear Friend!
I knew that if I were to write you some time, it would turn out to be a long and circumstantial letter: there was much to be touched on that was most tormenting and grievous to me. It was not only the fact that I had to reproach myself for having upset your financial position that made the recollection of our mutual relations exceedingly oppressive for me; it was particularly the knowledge that you were unable, on account of the nature of your interest in me, to gain any compensation for the losses you suffered. You once told me yourself, definitely and frankly, that your disposition as it now is no longer permits you to be associated actively with me in my life's endeavours: you explained that your former unqualified warmth towards me had been a mistake on your part, which you no longer would be able to maintain, because you saw clearly enough that actually we two were not suited to each other. I can scarcely describe how deeply this pained and tortured me — at that time when I knew that I was so extremely indebted to you: I was compelled as a result — in view of the feeling you had shown — to recognize myself frankly as a swindler and a robber! The whole monstrous curse of "money" now became clear to me: the quite natural position of the needy in relation to the wealthy had, in consequence, separated friend from friend. — You complained yourself of a certain closeness in your nature: I felt that only a very great change in this would have made it possible to preserve your friendship for me; only if you had accepted all the consequences of my own nature in a great and liberal spirit, would it have been possible for me not to feel that my relations with you were oppressive.
However, to my reassurance, I dare hope now that only the unusual and unexpected nature of your relations with me made you constrained at that time when you felt unable to continue with me. That you have always continued to be generous with me could not escape my observation — at first almost to my distress! The kind regards which you recently sent me had a really soothing effect on me; and now I am in the right mood for approaching you with the old habitual confidence, in order to thank you deeply for the — well-nigh involuntary — continuance of your friendship. So I can now cut the story short: you know enough about me, but I must learn about you. Tell me, above all, how you saw your way again, recently, to having relations with me: tell me what you think of me, and be kind to me while you are doing so.
Yet at the same time I don't want to be too reckless again, and first of all I would ask you to give some attention to our complicated relations in regard to debts. — To my great joy I still hope to be able to see the time when even my "creditors" may become satisfied with me.
Entirely without resources as I am, I am living only on the friendship of a family dear to me, who have aided me to such an extent that I am able to live independent of worries about my health and my art: what I have realized, recently, now and then from theatres, is all a matter of chance and quite indefinite, so that today I may receive something and tomorrow again nothing, and since thus I cannot count definitely on this, such receipts can serve only to relieve somewhat the protection that my benefactors give me, and, on the other hand, to allow me those summer excursions and opportunities for recreation which I need so very much.
Therefore, in order to satisfy my creditors, I have employed the only source of receipts that are more substantial and can be administered — the proceeds from the business of publishing my operas. As you know, Rienzi, The Flying Dutchman, and Tannhäuser have been committed to C. F. Meser for sale on my account and to my advantage.
Since this has already begun to have decided results, there cannot fail now to be actual profits realized from their publication, which I shall simply turn over to my creditors as I receive such profits. There is an increasing demand for all of the operas and to all appearances this will advance to the fullest extent, so that I consider it most important that, in the interest of my creditors, this business be conducted in a sound and prudent way.
I therefore beg you, as far as you are able, to put yourself, as my chief creditor, at the head of the management of this business, for the purpose of assembling my creditors in your name and mine, and having them elect a representative who would be commissioned with the running of the business and the supervision of it in their name and interests. For this, I had already thought of the attorney Julius Schirmer, and I had requested my late friend Uhlig to communicate with him along the lines indicated: unfortunately, I have had no news regarding the consequences of this, and from another source I now learn that my creditors would like it better if Steuerprokurator Fleck, who was previously in charge of the matter, were again retained. Naturally, I must leave it all to the wishes of my creditors as to whom they may desire to appoint as their representative; only I should be allowed to furnish the following information to him for his activity — and this really in their own interest.
A contract between Meser and me was made in the year 1844, according to which my operas were to be published by the firm of Meser and under his management: I had to provide the necessary capital for covering the expenses of publication, in return for which I was to have the income from the business, and the ownership of the publications as well; for Meser's efforts, it was decided that he was to have 10 per cent on every copy sold. But since then, I have found cause to feel regret and pity for Meser. I had to pity him, for the business proved to be unprofitable and I had at last exhausted all my capital for covering expenses. In order to raise funds, Meser was obliged to arrange for loans — with himself as surety — which I was not able to pay back, since I had finally become insolvent, and which therefore were a heavy burden on Meser. When I left Dresden, Meser remained entirely alone there with all the burdens and tribulations that were involved in managing the business of publishing my 3 operas: my other creditors did not concern themselves with it, because they thought the thing was utterly unprofitable. Consequently, Meser had to carry all the worries alone and in particular had to hold out against some of the creditors to whom he had given surety. When at last there occurred a demand for those publications and as a result new editions had to be prepared, Meser again had to assume the burden all alone of finding the money necessary for the new editions, and this — even though there was in general a prospect of improving his situation — gave occasion chiefly to considerable further inconveniences for him. He could not be blamed if, amid such conditions and in so helpless a situation, he gave unpleasant replies to some of my creditors who, having learned of the favourable turn of his business, felt induced to inquire regarding their special claims on me, nor could he be blamed for putting himself and his claims before the others after he had been completely abandoned to the task of keeping up, all by himself, the business which I had left behind there.
After stating the above by way of introduction, now my complaint about Meser touches on the fact that in general he carried on the management of the business with too little energy — probably because he was disquieted by his greatly distressed situation. I have received complaints from far and near about the slowness and unreliability with which Meser handles orders; evidently he has lost surety of judgment over his business, and has failed to take many precautions which always keep a business moving swiftly and smoothly.
As I have never doubted Meser's honesty, it will now be only a matter of supplying the proper energy for his business, to my way of thinking, and this can be accomplished on the one hand by a stimulating supervision, and on the other, only by giving my creditors an interest in defraying the necessary expenses of operating the business. Therefore my advice is that my creditors should come to a resolution whereby, until their claims on me are fully settled, they will frankly make the same arrangement with Meser as that which my contract with him assigns to me myself. By this arrangement, they would not only have to supervise the business — through an elected mandate — and receive the profits coming to them, but also have to take care to make the business as profitable as possible, by a prompt and speculative administration of it. Only by a complete sharing of interest, in the fullest sense of the word, would they have any right to interfere with Meser's managing of the business, since otherwise he certainly should not be expected to undertake this thing or that, with a view to earning as much profit as possible from the source of income.
Furthermore, I must mention that earlier — when I had come to realize how much time and labour were required to operate the business — I already had decided to offer Meser a voluntary increase from 10 per cent to 20 per cent as his share in the profits. After Meser's great tribulations during the past few years, it seems to me more than fair now for my creditors to agree to deal with Meser as I promised him; and I advise this not only for the sake of humane considerations, but also as a piece of good sense; for when his claims are satisfied, Meser might very easily lose all inclination to continue with this troublesome charge, which — as matters now stand — could not be entrusted to anyone else without running a great loss.
I would further advise my creditors not to shirk any sacrifices, in the sense I have mentioned, for I believe they may certainly be assured of arriving in this way, sooner or later, at a complete settlement of their claims on me. Now everything indicates that the sale of the publications in question has already been very successful: but the best still lies ahead of us, for the great German cities that really count, above all Berlin and Vienna, have remained as yet entirely unexploited. In addition, I should like to call your attention to the fact that my music-dramas are not destined to attract interest merely as a passing mode, but their performance will, I hope, survive me and indeed my creditors themselves. However, it is the duty of my creditors to make sure of their yielding profit for all time, and to that end one must now institute the proceedings that will be appropriate.
Now, my dear friend, I must trouble you with a special request. You know that Herr Kriete's claim on me amounts to a capital of 2,000 thalers. Kriete is not so well off as you; he did not make the loan from an inherited capital, but employed particularly the savings from his wife's pay: both are now pretty limited in their income, and so I feel especially distressed about them. Hence I appeal to your generosity with the request that you not only take general charge of the matter yourself, but also first of all resign yourself as much as possible to renouncing in Kriete's favour your own share in the receipts anticipated, as long as it will be possible for you to do so without injuring your own interests too much. By doing this, you would take an unusual burden from my heart!
Now enough about this business: I know that I can leave it to you, and I certainly shall not be disappointed in the great confidence which I have in you in this regard. I hope you will receive this communication in a good and friendly spirit!
I am sending you herewith one of the few copies of my new poem, which I had prepared at my expense (i.e., at the expense of several of my friends). I expressly limited the number of copies so much, that I don't believe I shall be able to let friend Heine have a copy of his own; I therefore ask you kindly to share yours with him; as soon as the work appears publicly, I shall provide especially for him.
In this poem you will see what a huge project I have set as the goal of my activity; in view of the extremely delicate state of my health, I almost doubt the possibility of its completion. My nerves are in such very bad shape, and I still live only an artificial existence, with constant and most mindful care of my health, which often has sunk to a state of utmost physical and mental depression. However, I must find another time for telling you about this and my life otherwise, because the work I have done already has completely exhausted me for today.
In any case, I feel very much relieved at having made this communication to you: an old debt is settled, and — you may be sure — with a glad, deeply affectionate sentiment of the heart! I feel almost as if I were 10 years back, when your friendly affection came as an entirely unlooked-for gift, to comfort and strengthen me: — let us go on in the old way!
Source: The Letters of Richard Wagner to Anton Pusinelli, trans. and ed. Elbert Lenrow (Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), No. 7