My good Mutz,
The performance of Lohengrin won't be till Wednesday; Frau Ortrud has had a small mishap. This delay really suits me, for the excitement of the performance would have followed too swiftly on the emotion into which the rehearsal plunged me. That rehearsal took place last Saturday: I sat on the stage, and never stirred from my chair, yet could scarcely stand on my legs when it was over. That rehearsal far exceeded all my expectations, and for the first time in my thorny life as artist did I reap a full enjoyment atoning for everything. Words cannot express the deep, completely unalloyed delight I felt. Orchestra, singers, chorus — all admirable, incredibly fine! Possibly the reverential mood of all who were to represent my work to me for the first time contributed much to the quite incomparably tender, noble and vibrant warmth of their achievement: everything proceeded with the utmost regularity, and yet without any constraint; there was something touchingly hearty about it. I sat quite still, without moving a muscle; merely one tear chased another down my cheek. Then the dear creatures came and silently embraced me; only the band and chorus broke into loud cheers at last. You may imagine the style in which I thanked them all! But it was good Kapellmeister Esser to whom I gave the greatest joy: the poor man had been in dire anxiety beforehand whether I should be satisfied, and not want a great deal altered; so he was quite taken aback, and stood dumb as a pillar when I declared to him that upon receipt of such a heavenly boon as this performance one lost all thought of criticising: it was all so excellent, that I felt nothing but emotion, thanks, delight. And indeed every word of that came literally from my heart; never have I so ogled anybody, as this honest good Kapellmeister at his desk. —
In short, dearest Mutz, it's a heavenly Opera here: a mass of glorious voices, one finer than the other, — chorus — orchestra — transporting! Ander — the tenor — quite perfect; his voice, too, not merely sufficient, but of brilliant energy where needed; and with it all, a conscious artist through and through, admirable in delivery, altogether penetrated with the thing, full of life and fire. Frau Dustmann, with a heavenly soulful voice which nothing comes amiss to, but everything fits like a glove, has an excellent dramatic delivery; she brings out every nuance so naturally and distinctly, so moving and so true, that I shouldn't have a hint to give her. — With these two — not a doubt of Tristan and Isolde! —
My God, how it warms the cockles of my heart for once! —
Beyond the above, best Madame, I can report nothing further to-day. Whether I shall be able to decoy these little people for August and September, I strongly doubt; I fear it's quite impossible. To-day — just now — I have been presented to Count Lanckoronski, Court-Intendant of the Imperial theatres: he is said to take an interest in the smallest stage detail, and with a good conscience I could only tell him the most flattering things; for my own part also, I had the advantage with him of being an enthusiastically admired composer here. So we parted, I fancy, quite excellent friends. He has placed his theatre at my disposal for all my operas; and I am told he doesn't trifle, but literally means and keeps his word. —
At any rate I cut a comic figure in my own eyes now with my laborious Carlsruhe model-performance, for which I've got to beat up everybody first; and I almost believe I shall have to lay hold where I find everything, everything ready to hand, and an enthusiastically attached big public at my back into the bargain. — On the contrary I still adhere to our Carlsruhe plan for a residence. Soon more and preciser on that, my good Minna! In any case a favourable and lasting change is coming over our prospects; Heaven grant us calm deliberation, to hit the best choice to give security and permanence at last! —
And now farewell for to-day! Unfortunately I'm quite beleaguered here already, and feel somewhat fatigued the whole time: Tausig and — Cornelius are here as well! That confounded youngster amuses me as much as ever. —
But enough now! — I'm hoping for news from you soon, and hope it will be good! Kindest regards to our friends, and all sorts of endearments to our tiny house-mates! Adieu. Be quite well and of good cheer!
Thy R.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 205