Dear Minna,
I really must write you at last, just to let you hear something of me again before your departure from Weimar, but — without being able to give you the smallest good news! That sounds sad — and is so, too! I am not to be blamed if I see things very black now, and ask myself how it's all to turn out, and whether I really must die outright before people arrive at an inkling of what they ought to do for one, to conserve themselves a force like mine! — Enough: from nowhere, nowhere have I as much as a vestige of news; not a cock crows after me. Merely the Frommann has answered me, that she wrote to the Grand Duchess immediately on learning my wish. (I am really afraid of that Devrient now: to me it's as if he were doing his utmost to keep me away from there!) I wrote to Seebach several days ago: it certainly is of moment that the Dresden question should be completely disposed of as quickly as possible. —
The worst of it, unfortunately, is that I have had to make up my mind to forgo a commencement of the rehearsals for Tristan for the present. You may imagine the mood I'm in! It won't and won't come right with Ander: first he was to have appeared at the beginning of this month; now he hopes to have got that length, perhaps, by the beginning of November! The truth is, as soon as he has sung a high note a few times in succession he grows hoarse at once. In any case his vocal chords are much relaxed, and everybody fears that, even if he does recover for a time now, it won't last long with him; he will never have much staying power again. The management has really shewn me the greatest consideration hitherto, and not allowed anything else to be taken in hand; but at last I've had to put an end myself to this objectionably uncertain, nay, impossible situation, and so I've brought about the following arrangement: The rehearsals of Tristan will begin the first of January. If Ander by then hasn't sung all his parts with full vigour again for the whole month of December, neither can he take that of Tristan this winter, consequently the new tenor Morini will have to sing it. The latter will make his first appearance the 25th inst., and sing three different roles in quick succession; — my and all our hopes of him run very high. He is a Strassburger, and has spoken German from his childhood; but as he has only sung French hitherto, or rather Italian, he has to learn up every part again in German. So far, he has had a success here through his good looks and educated, elegant manners; he is thoroughly musical, and yesterday went all through the Tristan with me, which lies well within the compass of his voice, so that I shall have to alter nothing in it for him, as for Ander. I shall wait for his 3 debuts, however, to be quite sure of my affair. I confess that if it comes to that, and this robust young man (aged 28) with his broad chest, strong voice, perfect vocalisation, impassioned delivery and acting (just because he has no need to spare himself), sings my new opera's difficult part in lieu of the half-invalid Ander, — in the end I shall have to regard it as a piece of good fortune. It would never have come to this — this costly engagement of a tenor previously unknown to all of us — if Ander hadn't fallen ill; and again, the latter wouldn't have strictly contented me, whereas the former has far more of the right stuff for it. Consequently I almost might call it a stroke of good luck, if only my whole situation were such that I lightly could bear such a postponement. If my Tristan had come out the beginning of October — as intended — what different chances I should have had for this winter in Germany! All that is now set back another year: how hard it makes everything for me again!! —
In any case I don't care to spend those two months, November and December, here. I wrote to Paris at once, to ask if anything were in the wind there, and whether my presence might help my affairs; I'm awaiting an answer. Anyhow the Opéra comique has its mind fixed on Tannhäuser still; Roger is engaged for it: only, I also know that great difficulties confront it. I may soon have an answer, too, touching Rienzi (Italiens) and flieg. Holländer (lyrique). — Finally, I also believe it will be needful to present myself in Berlin before long: the Frommann has put me up to a good idea about the tantième, whilst I believe I shall do well to remove sundry prejudices from Hülsen's mind through my personal acquaintance. Consequently I shall try to turn the time to good advantage. —
You will receive the 100 rth. in full from Berlin in a day or two; all the same, Bülow was wrongly informed when they told him at first there were 130 odd thaler lying ready for me. With the great and touching economy you are shewing me, I hope this money will be sufficient to take you to Dresden. Thereafter I shall see to more; rely on me! —
You may well conceive that you delighted me uncommonly by the news of your improvement; I give your Weimar doctor, even tho' he is a homoeopath, my greatest thanks! — Your being so pleased with Weimar in general, has given me no less food for thought. Have a look at Dresden, and see how that pleases you again now: in any case it oughtn't to be too long before you set up house again with the furniture. For my own part, I remain firmly resolved not to embark on a definitive setting up and settling down until I've arrived at a sufficient fixed income. Should that delay too long, it really would be more advisable that we should let the furniture all come to you; you would select from it whatever could be got into a smallish logis (with only 1 room for me) and meanwhile stow the rest away. Exactly as you feel disposed; and if it pleases you, I'll vote for Weimar too. —
Greet the Regierungsrath Müllers, Pohls, and so forth. I know nothing at all of Liszt. — So soon as anything good occurs to me, I'll despatch you a courier at once. Now look after yourself as well as you can, hold good Jacquot in honour, remain on the high road to health, and love
Thy Husband in spite of all.
Adieu! Most heartfelt greetings!
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 216