My Dear Friend!
I shall certainly be a great burden to you if I trouble you again regarding the unfortunate matter which alone continues to remind me of my former activities in Dresden!
I had already intended to ask you, as my friend, to inform me whether the receipts expected for this year from my published operas were realized, and whether it was possible to return to Frau Ritter, according to the agreement, the amount of the debt paid back to Hiebendahl. However, instead of this desired news, I received from a local attorney, yesterday, a summons to settle a claim of Herr Kriete's amounting to 2,000 thalers plus interest for 12 years. Thus it seems that all is ended and I must once more take to flight!
This Kriete, whose generosity I was beginning to appreciate a few months ago in the Hiebendahl affair — who in any case considered himself at that time a sharer in the partnership — has suddenly forgotten all of these things and now thinks he must write to a lawyer to get hold of me.
From this incident I can thus get an approximate idea of what conditions must be like in the publishing partnership! But before I give in to this new attack which threatens to undermine my strenuously achieved civil position here — i.e., by withdrawing far off, because I have no other choice! — I must make one more effort to save my sole property (namely, that publishing business), now fallen into the utmost neglect.
When several years ago I offered my Dresden creditors partnership in that business, I did this with a twofold hope and expectation: first, that the creditors would in time be satisfied out of the profits, and, second, that in their own interests these creditors would give the partnership the attention that any profitably managed business requires. While for my part I was happy to see everything done that would tend to assure an extremely good sale for those publications, now, on the other hand, nothing at all has come of my expectations and hopes. When I felt it necessary to ask Meser for information regarding his stubbornness towards yourselves and then received a full report from his attorney which indicated that, according to Meser's own statements, the business ought to be profitable this year, I communicated this news to you both and was advised by you not to deal again with Meser, since this might give rise to difficulties over your rights. I was quite satisfied, because I could thus feel certain that the matter was safe in your hands. But what is the result now??
Dearest Anton! I could weep tears of blood. — As my only true friend and dependable representative in this unhappy business, surely you will not refuse me the request which I am making of you; i.e., to provide me with definite information once more — and, if it must be so, for the last time. In view of the success which Tannhäuser has continued to have, the interest which now has turned also towards the Flying Dutchman, and that which soon will come to Rienzi, the publishing of these operas must be particularly profitable; nothing else could be possible. I will never have any profit from this, for while it might be possible for there to be profit perhaps after my death, this would be of no use to me since I am without heirs. But look! You are a man of means now — you could perhaps look after everything and if you secured the owner's rights to my works you could then be sure of leaving your children something through this after your death. (New editions were published recently of Der Freischütz and Fidelio!)
Therefore listen to my urgent appeal, please, and accept the exclusive title to this publishing business, which I am gladly ready to let you have once for all, and take over with it the debt to Kriete which still encumbers it; you could pay off his claims, surely, in annual instalments as the business profits would make them available, and so you would not have to make recourse to new advances of funds. — This seems to me the only possible solution of the question and the only means of delivering me from this new trouble that has befallen me! From the depths of my soul I beg you to grant my request! For you it will prove to be a simple and easy matter, if you will only resolve to do it. I, myself, will disclaim my share once for all — if only I can have — peace.
I know, perhaps I may be seeing you soon again: arrange things, then, so that I can embrace you as one of my greatest benefactors — because I should then be obliged to you for granting me one of the greatest of favours.
Please excuse my incoherent scribble! — I have no self-possession! Surely I may expect a prompt reply from you; then I hope to write to you more coherently and tell you something of my life here that may be of interest to you!
For today, good-bye, and have pity on
Your unhappy friend,
Rich. Wagner
Source: The Letters of Richard Wagner to Anton Pusinelli, trans. and ed. Elbert Lenrow (Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), No. 12