My dear Mienel,
It is the third day since I left you, and things have gone quite well with me; how do they stand with yourself? — God grant you no less passable a frame of mind than mine is now, for which I'm very simply indebted to an extraordinarily successful clearance which set in on my journey. Good Lord, on what things our inner and outer life often depends, when one observes it closer!! — I've hit off everything most happily, till now: Monday I saw the Stumme (Masaniello) at Leipzig, and Tuesday Don Juan with the Lind at Berlin. Could things have fitted better? — On Monday, after being thrown from the arms of one relation to another, with one or other of them running after me everywhere, I had to dine at Luise's, and go to Cecilie's after the theatre; all the rest were also there each time, the Laubes too. Lord, how pitiful I thought the Leipzig theatre! One will never do much with its tenor; a disgusting stick! On the other hand, Schmidt has already booked my Holländer for February; and that, at any rate, they should be able to give capitally: I saw Kindermann as Pietro in the Stumme, and am very, very pleased with the man — he has everything for the Dutchman.
So my Leipzig affairs were soon settled, and to my satisfaction; the Berlin won't commence till to-day, as I couldn't undertake anything yesterday. I did not arrive till getting on for 2: had dinner, a wash and brush up, secured a ticket for that evening's theatre, and had only just time to call upon the Frommann, who is living with a well-to-do lady in very fine style. The Frommann could tell me nothing of consequence regarding my affairs; I'm to dine with her to-day, however — that is to say, at her friend's — and Professor Werder will be there, also the young Goethe. At Don Juan I was terribly bored: Donna Anna, moreover, isn't held to be the Lind's best part; she sang the last aria extraordinarily beautifully, for the first act she lacks very much. She has a curious pensive individuality, which interests one much in itself, but cannot rise to a great dramatic portrayal. In the first act the Devrient is incomparably more affecting. But there: I can't record my verdict on the Lind so briefly, and therefore save it up. All the rest were wooden, as we have got accustomed to in Don Giovanni everywhere. The auditorium of the new Opera-house pleased me exceedingly; beyond question it is superior to our Dresden one; i.e. more roomy, not so low, nor with such a dead acoustic.
Now, after passably sleeping it off last night (— it was half past one before I got to bed at Leipzig, and I had to be up again at 5 —), I intend, God willing, to make a start with my affairs to-day. I shall go to Redern in the first place. Together with the result of my endeavours I then shall also let you know the date of my return. Until then, my ducky, fare as well as you can! Best love and kisses! Hold me dear, as I you, and only open up again! Regards to our people, and farewell, well!
Thy Richard.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 19