Dear, Good Friend!
It seems I shall never have an end to experiencing difficulties. The most absurd rumours of my sudden affluence draw down upon me from every direction the worst consequences. Even the official authorities have had to protest against the jealous hostility here: I have sent my wife this rectification, which was printed in a local newspaper. From this you can see how very moderately my position is provided for: I have just enough to manage on very modestly, which is possible through the fact that the King has provided for my residence. I have made it my duty to reduce my personal interests to the most modest degree in order to give free play alone to the King's admirable provisions for producing my works. — Now I beg you earnestly, as an old and tried friend, to be of help to me in removing the difficulties that have arisen out of this, as far as this borders on your own neighbourhood. First, be good enough to enlighten the unhappy Frau Kriete regarding her mistake; with the idea that I am swimming in money here, she demands 1,822 thalers interest on the principal of 2,000 thalers that was refunded. — It is madness to lay claim to such a thing now: it is possible that the time will come when I shall really be rewarded for my work and suffering: in order to obtain this, I must now still have great patience. On the other hand, should not Herr Musikhändler Müller be persuaded, for honour's sake, to pay over something more to Frau Kriete? I understand that he let Flaxland in Paris pay him (behind my back) a considerable sum for the Paris edition. Now he's doing a splendid business with the Flying Dutchman. If he will behave honestly, then without expecting any further compensation, I shall let him have my new scenes for Tannhäuser in addition, to exploit as he likes, but otherwise I shall — not give them away. — That's one thing!
Now, my wife! — My monthly income — in addition to free residence — is one hundred florins. With that I am content. Naturally, I can only pay for my wife's annual allowance of 1,000 thalers out of occasional receipts from other quarters. As a rule, these are sufficient to cover this, but they don't come in regularly and so it's very difficult for me to be punctual in the matter. If you, then, dearest friend, would only intercede there! That is, I would ask you in my name to give my wife 250 thalers every quarter regularly; in return for which, I would at once send you whatever I receive from abroad. Naturally, your advances must be within bounds and in any case, you would, each time, prior to a new quarter, have had to receive back from me the old amount coming to you. If such an arrangement were then possible, how much would it contribute to the peace of mind that I need so badly! — Now, for instance, from Coburg I have had coming to me, for The Flying Dutchman, twenty louis-d'or (110 thalers), which I sent directly to my wife. From Berlin I expect information regarding the tantième due there, which I shall likewise forward to her; and from Braunschweig I expect thirty louis-d'or in the course of next month. See, dearest! I would at once send these receipts directly to you, if for instance you were now good enough to give my wife at once the 140 thalers that are lacking.
Certainly, you should not suffer any loss by doing so, and — if I should ever really be in considerable arrears — then the King would gladly help me (and you) in such particular cases. But THIS should be only a last possibility.
Understand that! And if you can at all, fulfil my request, in return for which you can count on my most honourable scrupulousness.
Only — peace! Peace! — These eternal worries are undermining all hope of ever setting free my spirit — as is necessary! So — do it, and let me soon hear good news!
Address me at Munich, Briennerstrasse, 21.
Adieu! A thousand greetings to your dear ones! Be my good friend, and thank you always!
Cordially
Your
Richard Wagner
Source: The Letters of Richard Wagner to Anton Pusinelli, trans. and ed. Elbert Lenrow (Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), No. 36