Through our personal interviews, which have been a source of great pleasure to me, you have learned of my desire for your co-operation in my enterprise, namely the performance, thrice in succession under quite exceptional conditions, of my tetralogy entitled The Ring of the Nibelungs. I believe that if my intention is to be realised I need not only exceptional efforts on the part of wealthy amateurs and patrons of my art, but also the very hearty good will of the talented artistes whose assistance I have secured, since my patrons' sympathy can and should only be enlisted to support an enterprise from which all thought of profitable speculation has been excluded. Accordingly, you see yourself called upon—perhaps for the first time in your artistic career—to devote your powers simply and solely to the attainment of an artistic ideal, namely that of showing the German public what the German can do in a domain most peculiarly his own, and of placing before the foreigner, on whose leavings we have for the most part existed hitherto, something which he cannot possibly imitate.
Allow me personally to point out to you the duties which, on this presupposition of mine, you will undertake if you [...] ultimately accord me your co-operation. [...]
The first preliminary rehearsals are to take place in Bayreuth from July 1st to August 15th, this year, 1875. [...]
These preparations having been accomplished during 1875, the months of June and July of the following year, 1876, are to be devoted to full rehearsals of the entire work. By this I mean that, carefully avoiding overstrain and fatigue, we shall day by day, from June 1st to July 15th, rehearse with orchestra and scenery the separate parts of the tetralogy in succession—The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods, and from July 15th to 30th all four pieces as seems advisable.
In the first week of August 1876 the first performance of the whole work [...] will take place. [...]
In the same way the second and third performances will follow in the second and third weeks in August.
In telling you of my plans for the performance, I do so in accordance with a very close appreciation both of the difficulties of my enterprise and, on the other hand, of our artistes' powers of achievement once their unconditional and ready co-operation is assured. [...]
I now ask you if you will give your binding assent, thus assuring me that I may count on your co-operation in the production of my tetralogy and, at the same time, if you will name the sum you wish to claim for expenses.
From the description I have given you above of the attitude I have adopted towards the patrons of the undertaking, you will recognise that there can be no thought of profit for any of the participants and that a certain degree of sacrifice even must be required. [...]
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Vol. 2, selected and ed. Wilhelm Altmann, trans. M. M. Bozman (J. M. Dent & Sons, 1927), No. 672