O Minna!
Peace! Peace!
Here is the letter to the Minister, in which I express my thanks, and at the same time beg him to lay me at the feet of the King! —
These scanty lines came very hard to me again, else I should have given you a sign of life still earlier. —
Julius's death, which had already been briefly notified me by Luise (no one else has written me from Dresden), we will pass in — silence. Your interest in him, and the tone of your more detailed report to me, do your heart and self great honour; I thank you for it! Beyond that, Fritz Brockhaus's conduct in particular has touched me much; I beg you to give him my most cordial greetings: he has something very affecting to me! —
My trust in your health — which, strange to say, you interpret as envy — has not been shaken by your protestations. It isn't nice of you, to threaten me so often with black thoughts, which hardly ever come to you, I'm sure, except when you converse with me. For myself, I'm not afraid of death, especially of such a calm and peaceful death as Julius found it. —
If my communications about my money-troubles only produce on you the sad effect of covert reproaches for yourself, it will certainly be better if I am somewhat more chary with them in future. Only, it is scarcely a fault in me, to be so eagerly desiring some results on that side, in particular as it so distresses me not to be always able to provide you with all those comforts to which the troubles you have gone through give you such just claims, and claims so deeply felt by me. This is my only sentiment toward you in that regard. —
I am hoping you'll soon be also taken with the wish to look around for an abode. The provision of everything connected with that settlement in ease and order by next autumn, largely depends on my having got so far with my new opera by then as to be able to anticipate results from it. Till now I've been unprecedentedly delayed, and am much behindhand with my work; which no doubt is contributing to Schott's close-fistedness with me. Only the other day, and mainly through the influence of fine weather — which is greatly enhanced by the delightful rooms — did I succeed in seriously sinking myself into my music in spite of many things; but I believe I shall soon have got the length of sounding that productive mood whence not even the most untoward occurrence can tear me any more. You, dear Minna, know how much you can assist toward that. Don't think of my weal, but solely of the very needful thriving of my work! — And make this comprehensible to all the rest. — For which matter, you may tell the Messrs Dresdeners that, if they're so anxious to have me back in Dresden, they should furnish me also with something to live upon. —
I saw Jacob and his Sons at Frankfort, and met the regisseur, Hysel (known to you also from Magdeburg days). Thereon the local Kapellmeister Lachner wrote and bade me to a conference on Tannhäuser, which is to be got up there afresh; which took me there a second time. I saw a Spanish tragedy (very good!) and was introduced to Herr v. Guaita, who interests me much. Being a very rich Frankfort patrician, he has been placed at the head of the Theatre-committee, is a man of the most cultivated taste, and prepared to cover out of his purse any deficit thereby arising. I was quite astonished at such an encounter! —
Hr. Bürde — as you say — is an agreeable, lively, educated man: as actor, I've seldom met anyone of less talent; such affectation and unnaturalness had absolutely never come my way.
I thank you kindly for your news about the Holländer. A pity if it never succeeded at Dresden; in Vienna they have given it innumerable times, and yet the Viennese are rated far less serious and profound. It seems it always needs a great deal else, to hit the Dresdeners' taste.
Now forgive me if I've forgotten anything. I am very mean with letter-writing now: when I'm working, I always find little free time to keep a free head for my letters!
Farewell, and the very best greetings!
Thy Richard.
I did put something in the Frankfort lottery, but drew a blank.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 2 (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909), No. 238