A thousand thanks, my good Wife, for your kind letter, which has given me a veritable heart's-delight such as I cannot possibly express! You will hardly believe how good, how lovable, you shew yourself in this simple letter! — See now, it's quite splendid for us to be calling each other "Old Minna," "Old Richard"; what is a young passion, beside so old a love? Passion is only beautiful when it ends in a love such as this, — in and for itself it's a suffering; but a love like ours is pure enjoyment — and a brief separation always makes that quite plain, — from a long separation may a kind Fate preserve it! — Isn't that so, good Wife? — Your tiny mite of doubt, too, I forgive you, — I can but smile at it, for it really sounds too droll to think that I'd be casting eyes about here in Berlin a bit because you were away! — You silly girl! —
Now for a word on my affairs. — They're standing well; I have been able to hold rehearsals 4 mornings running from 10 to 1 o'clock. Really I deem myself lucky to get the chance of holding such thorough rehearsals once more: the whole company always punctually on the spot and in earnest, — no chattering, but undivided attention. When I think how that ass of a Dettmer always gave himself the air of doing me a favour by singing this Colonna! Even if I may have detected just a trace of such a sentiment in Bötticher and the others — they are always in deadly earnest with their work; and in return I shall obtain a capital ensemble. — Naturally I have to expect the best Irene here, — the duet in the last act will be a gem such as we haven't known at Dresden for many a long day! The Köster is almost too good for my Adriano: she has something very virginal about her, very womanly — much more than Johanna, who strikes me, on the contrary, as somewhat bluff, — and with it an uncommon gentle magic in the voice — in short, I'm looking forward to her Elsa (— Bötticher has asked me to revive the Holländer, also, with Frau Köster!) Pfister now takes the place of Peps with me, he dogs my footsteps so, and will not leave my side; — not that I have any objection, since it makes me more familiar with him and lets me take him in hand with less ceremony. There can be no rehearsal of Rienzi for several days this coming week, on account of the Köster's debut; which offers me the advantage of concerning myself with Pfister alone. That will be the crucial time, and I have good reason to hope it will turn out well. From Monday week we shall pass on to the stage; all the singers are well up in their music now.
The Frommann arrived on Wednesday, and sends kindest regards. She is on the alert, and always has something of profit to tell one. She's looking forward to you immensely, and only begs you'll come as soon as possible.
And now I must accuse myself: I'm living very luxuriously here, which is rather disagreeable, than agreeable, to me. This Meinhard doesn't know how to shew me his esteem, and besides the most voluptuous feeding at his place (— for that is famous!) not a dinner passes off without champagne. We sit down to table at 3, and it regularly lasts till 5; deprecate as I may, he will declare it's good for my inside, — and thus much is certain, the aperitive effect is constant. At 5 o'clock a drive in Meinhard's equipage — then I go on to the Frommann, who always has tea served, though I never drink anything there but cold water. — You see, I'm accusing myself, and to speak candidly, however good these people are, and little as I may despise anything good, I honestly am pining for your cuisine — especially when you serve me yourself. Well, that will come to an end here in time; though when you arrive, you will have to go through it yourself! There's no escaping it, as Meinhard has said, — for which matter, the man's a Berlin droll of a humour one can but envy him! —
Enough of chatter: it's my first altogether free day, and I mean spending it on a visit to Tieck at Potsdam; the Frommann says he might be of more use to me than anybody, with the King! — Gracious, I haven't seen Meyerbeer even yet! — I've bought myself a hat, had boots made, etc.; you shall be able to hold your head high when you come! h'm! h'm!
— Kind regards to Röckel; — he is afraid my money won't last out, and has written me as much, — good fellow! I'll answer him presently. — Certainly, when I look as far as the end of October, one must begin to think of something soon; nevertheless, that will all come right.
Be as merry as you can, and don't make my heart so heavy with the good animals. I'm sorry for them, of course, when I think that you will soon be leaving them as well; see how weak one is! — But — want to delay it as much as you like — by Saturday week you have got to be here, in any case; and then we shall have been 3 weeks apart and have another 3 weeks here together, shan't we?
Farewell, you good Minna; I must go and dress, if I'm to catch the Potsdam train at 10 o'clock. If you write again soon, you'll make me very happy! Believe that, and be sure of it! The joy of reunion will soon be upon us — Juchhe! — Adieu, adieu! Write and come soon! —
Ever and always
Thy faithful Richard.
(For the grapes:) Sr Hochwohlgeboren des Herrn E. von Küstner, Intendant der Königl. Schauspiele pp. pp., in Berlin.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 23