My Dear Good Anton!
My conscience has troubled me a great deal for not having answered you finally! Perhaps the circular which is coming to you later on will enlighten you somewhat regarding my needs and the attitude which, as a result of this, I have towards such "child's play" as these little (or great) local concert enterprises, whose only design, actually, is to give a few of the town's so-called élite the opportunity and excuse of assuming airs of importance. As far as Dresden is concerned, I am surely mistaken, and I should particularly like not to have offended good Bartheldes. However, I am not to be blamed for sparing myself detailed explanations now and then, as soon as one fails to understand me. My enterprise must be entirely removed from this so-called Liedertafel concert footing. To meet, converse, play music, and so forth — that is of no help at all. Of what significance was our fine evening at the Terrasse, other than that a very few of us were moved at being together again and exchanging memories: but did it in any way stir up anything? No! Again a Liedertafel concert! Oh! One's becoming tired of that!
Now forgive me for my silence all that time, for it was truly prompted by the fact that I have absolutely not a composition on hand of the sort that is desired, and I did not know what to say that you would not refuse to believe.
In exchange, let me know as soon as you can how things are going with you and your dear ones, particularly the little, enthusiastic Frau Hofräthin whose name used to be Chiappone. It was lovely, the way we were together on that evening! And you had looked after everything so splendidly! Of all my experiences in Dresden, these are by far the dearest memories!
Here I am living in perpetual vexation, agitation, anxiety, and ill humour, so that I cannot arrive at any peace or work. It's only the building of the theatre that lifts me up again, whenever I go over to it. You must look at the structure: it's worth all our trouble and rouses hope. By all means come here for the 31st of October!
For today, hearty greetings to you and all the Pussels from me and my beloved wife, of whom Kietz has made a splendid model here!
Good-bye, and continue to be good to your
Old, ever grateful friend
Richard Wagner
Source: The Letters of Richard Wagner to Anton Pusinelli, trans. and ed. Elbert Lenrow (Alfred A. Knopf, 1932), No. 73