To my dear and highly esteemed Friends, Messrs. Feustel and Muncker!
You must permit me to write to you mutually, for you are, as I know, one heart and one soul in my cause, and it would therefore be difficult to decide what, of all I have to impart, should be said to either one separately!
Moreover, it is unnecessary to impress upon you to what a great degree your kind letter refreshed and strengthened me.
For a long time I have cherished the wish—greater even than for the success of my artistic activity—to have a quiet home, in which I should be able to strengthen my overtaxed mental powers by getting out of harness; and I have wished this all the more of late years, since the noble blessing of an incomparably happy family life has been granted me.
This wish, more than anything else, influenced me in my choice of your dear city of Bayreuth, and since I have known you, my dear friends, and through you gained an insight into the friendly attitude of your city toward me, the consideration of settling in your midst has really outweighed the success of my unusual artistic undertaking.
This I have given the King of Bavaria to understand unconditionally; and this I had a right to do, as one of the first assurances which I received from him was in connection with this one point, that I was to be raised above all the cares of life and be allowed to pursue uninterruptedly my artistic activity. . . . Although I have learned that the King has finally become reconciled to the state of things, I still deem it advisable to renounce his help in my proposed move to Bayreuth, if I cling firmly to my plans and wishes.
I have so expressed myself recently to the Court Councillor Düfflipp, and shall remain firm in refusing the support of the King in my removal to Bayreuth, as a result of which you, dear Herr Feustel, will be requested eventually to dispose of the building lot which was bought at the expense of the Royal Treasury.
I confess that I almost felt myself moved, by this failure of my most ardent wish, to renounce definitely all my plans concerning Bayreuth. But your two splendid letters have thoroughly changed my views. Let us, then, remain firm! The work must flourish, even should its creator be left to his former anxiety! Even without a building lot, you will probably accept me as one of your citizens. . . . We were moved to tears to learn of the care which you, dear Herr Muncker, had bestowed upon the planting and laying out of the lot intended for me. Accept my thanks, as if it were really for me!
From your intimations, dear Herr Feustel, am I to recognise that your efforts in regard to our great undertaking are being crowned with encouraging success? May I not be deceiving myself? You will encounter much indolence and unreliability, but presumably it will be the same with you as with me, namely, you will not relinquish your faith that finally—finally it must and will come to something with us good Germans!
Neumann is terrible! Yesterday, after receiving your letter, I telegraphed him categorically, and hope that it may have some effect. He is just a thoughtless Berliner! Of quite another sort is Brandt of Darmstadt! He has, in fact, the most thorough understanding of the entire matter, and how much I wish that we had also left the choice of an architect to him! Possibly we shall be obliged to call upon him, after all. Have the kindness to telegraph me immediately as to how N. has conducted himself, in order that we may accordingly adopt other measures. I fear that he has engrossed himself with plans for “my” house, which I should deplore very much, as the work, for a long time at least, has become unnecessary! In this connection I am reminded of my former plans, and in regard to them must beg of you to cancel my agreement with the host of the inn at the “Fantaisie,” for which there is probably still plenty of time. My immediate move would have had for an object my proximity, when necessary, to my permanent home (now given up), as well as having furnished me with a closer point of contact for my labours in connection with the future Festival Play. As regards the latter, we are now agreed that we cannot be ready by next year, and accordingly dare not hold out a prospect of such a thing before 1874. On this point I intend to come to an understanding with my patrons on May 22 in Bayreuth.
I have now, as a simple private citizen, to take into consideration my peculiar circumstances, and find that a summer residence in the “Fantaisie” would tax me too heavily, as I still have to pay very high rent here for a year. However, I am willing to modify my decision as soon as you, my dear friend, consider my further absence from Bayreuth as injurious to our undertaking.
In regard to our Festival performance of the big Beethoven Symphony, I have hit upon a very simple expedient for the placing of my big body of singers, namely, all the singers, for whom room cannot be found on the stage, will be placed in the front rows of the parquet. In fact, this idea corresponds exactly and in the most perfect manner to my most ideal demands, according to which the public (just as the congregation in the church) shall join in the singing.
The question to be considered is that of providing for the “entertainers,” in whose interests I should therefore like to suggest that all those who would prefer compensation in money rather than by a temporary art pleasure should be paid off in this way.
On the whole, I should like to have the entire parquet and stage reserved for us crazy musicians and singers, and relegate the listeners to the boxes and the balconies.
The question is now how many acceptances will come in from the patrons and friends. For that reason I regret the misunderstanding which led you to believe that I did not wish the invitation to be made public until April 15. I should like the announcement to be made at once! So much sooner we shall be clear as to whether many or, as may be easily imagined, only a moderate number of acceptances will be received.
More soon in regard to everything else! For to-day only the most friendly greetings from the depths of my soul and that of my dear wife, to you and yours!
Yours most faithfully,
Richard Wagner.
Source: The Story of Bayreuth as Told in the Bayreuth Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Caroline V. Kerr (Small, Maynard and Company, 1912), No. 21