Dear, dear Minna,
Well? When are you coming? Everything is arranged, and luckily with time enough left to report to you at leisure. First for the apartments, then. — I've been fairly round the whole city, looked at 21 apartments, and found many among them that would have suited us quite well, but the cheapest were 20 thaler. That's how the new houses run: it is impossible for us to take rooms in one of them just yet, and besides, they offer us no convenience whatever in the way of kitchen and the like, but for the most part are merely arranged for the Deputies, who are assembling here now and make house-room very dear. So I considered it quite a stroke of luck, when I found at last the lodging I have taken. It lies on the Promenade, by what is called the Johannis-Allee, to the right of the Promenade if you go down the Seegasse from the Market, about 3 or 4 houses before the corner-house in which you say the Emil Devrients live. It is no new house, to be sure, two nights up, and the rooms a trifle low, but will do well enough: 5 windows looking on to the Promenade, 2 decent rooms with 2 windows apiece, and one with 1; quite nicely furnished, 2 beds with mattresses, etc.; also use of a kitchen. The rent comes to 12 thr, it's true, but everyone advised me to close with it, as it would be impossible, they said, to get a lodging like it cheaper. What particularly determined me to take this abode, moreover, was that on the same floor there is another very beautiful lodging with sitting-room and bedroom, which is let to someone who doesn't take possession till the end of August; consequently my mother can put up there for one or two weeks, as she pleases, and it will be left to her generosity what she pays, since the people can't well ask for rent, of course, when another person is already paying. She therefore will be let off cheap, and as she will scarcely remain a whole month at Dresden under present conditions, my opera not being given before the end of September, this kind of halting-place can only be what she would like. — That ends the apartments story; rest assured I couldn't have managed better.
For the rest, my prospects here are looking brighter and brighter. My personal intervention seems to have really done my cause a heap of good. I really haven't time now to describe to you in writing all I've settled and put straight amid the shakiest circumstances; only thus much: all are for me, and for a speedy production of my opera. Lortzing's Casanova (a little opera) was really to have been given first, with Tichatscheck to sing in it; but he has asked Lüttichau to relieve him of the role, that he may study Rienzi the more diligently. Yesterday Koch told me that Tichatscheck had said to him that, if he could truly help my opera thereby, he possibly might decide on not leaving us for Salzburg at all! —
The Devrient seems extremely well disposed towards me. Yesterday I dined at Heine's, who is attaching himself more cordially to me every day, and whom do you think he had invited? — The Devrient! — She was in very good vein, and it was determined that right at the end of my opera (— where Adriano comes rushing in, to rescue Irene from the burning Capitol —) she shall gallop in on horseback — just fancy! riding like a man. — That will raise a fine Halloh!!! —
Reissiger I have quite in my pocket — I've made him a present of my opera subject, the Hohe Braut. When I read it to him yesterday, he was beside himself, all fire and flame; in return, he's to be nice and industrious! —
And now, my good, brave, charming wife, you're coming Thursday, aren't you? Anyhow I shall wait for you outside the gate on Thursday — but in case you do not come till Friday, I herewith give you the address to which the coachman is to drive: Waisenhausgasse, no. 5, left side of the court, that being the entrance from the road. I shall move in to-morrow afternoon, to get everything prepared for your and Mother's welcome.
With money I am provided: Luise came through here en route — as you know — and Bochmann, who was with her, offered me the money for next month straight off, to save him the bother of sending it. — So that fell out exactly as I wished. — And so will everything, be sure of it! — For that matter, I was quite delighted with Luise, she said so many nice things about you. — But now for something dull. On my return home last evening from the theatre, I find an unfranked letter from Paris, which costs me 16 groschen. It was from Troupenas, asking me as amicably as possible for the arrangement of the Reine de Chypre. I fell to at once, and worked till midnight to get the arrangement finished. I am packing it now, and shall send it off at once through the Leipzig firm. —
Now grant God you all are quite well! — The Mama must have recovered by now, I should think; may she be feeling quite brisk after this crisis! —
Arrive safe and sound, and give me due praise if I've done the right thing. — Farewell, my dear Wife, be good to me, and come full soon to
Thy charming Richel.
How's Turk?
Postscript. I had just sealed up this letter, dear Minna, when I received your own. I therefore am breaking it open again, to reply in haste to what you write me. It is very disagreeable to me, that you two won't come till Monday; for, besides my longing for yourself, I have already hired the apartment for a quarter till the end of October. Notwithstanding that I can move in as early as tomorrow, I shall have no more to pay than if I entered on the 1st of August; so I don't lose by it — still, it goes very much against my grain, for many reasons, to be left alone so long. Only don't alarm yourself about the lodgings; I made the agreement in such a form that I believe I shall have to pay no rent before the end of October — when the quarter expires — for I said: "I will take the rooms till the end of October, and then pay you 36 thr." The people are in good circumstances, too, and won't be wanting money earlier. This was a prudent move of mine, as it will make it easier for us to pull along till the production of my opera. — If it's only Mother's nervousness, perhaps, do persuade her in my name rather to choose Thursday for travelling. — My God, what a mite of a journey! and she shall find everything handy here. Do see if you can't coax Mother round. For the rest, you're to remain in Dresden yourself, you understand? My prospects are good!
In great haste, as I must be off to Tichatscheck. Farewell; see if you cannot come soon!
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 2