Highly honoured Sirs and Friends!
With many thanks I return to you the three plans made by Herr Franck. As in the meantime I have already informed you of my wishes in regard to the placing of my musicians and singers, you may now regard the matter as settled. I however insist that nothing shall be changed in the first plan, upon which Herr Franck and I agreed in Bayreuth, as I regard it as entirely appropriate to the character of the performance that a part of the singers should be placed in the stalls. I have quite made up my mind as to the manner in which this is to be done, and the slightest change in the disposition of the parquet must not be attempted. I beg of you now to give me an exact statement of the number of seats in the entire parquet; at the same time it is desirable that Herr Franck should send me a plan of the interior of the theatre, in fact, a statement of the number of seats in the various parts of the building. I think that I shall need the entire parquet space, with all of its seats, for my singers, as I now have over three hundred at my disposal, and no one of whom I should like to reject—for almost moral reasons.
The real listening public would accordingly be placed almost exclusively in the galleries and rows of boxes. As the theatre is said to seat seven hundred, I count on placing two hundred in the parquet, in which number standing-room must probably also be included. According to this, we would have at our disposal only five hundred good seats for the audience. As I have to provide for four hundred (Bayreuth) hosts of our musical guests, only one hundred places would remain for patrons and friends from a distance. This number will depend upon the result of the announcement, and for that reason I should have wished that the public invitation had not been withheld so long. As it is to be no theatrical performance, I fancy, on the whole, that there will be no musical rush at that time on the part of the real “patrons,” as there are not so many of them, and among them are many who (like the Emperor, twenty-five times a patron) would not dream of making the trip to Bayreuth simply to participate in this Festival. In regard to the members of the Wagner Society, one could be a little careful about granting admissions. At all events, if a considerable number of really justifiable guests announced their intention of being present, then I must appeal to my Bayreuth hosts, or friends, and beg them to resign their claim of being present at the performances. Naturally there are many among them who are not very keen about a Beethoven Symphony. Such, then, could receive compensation from us for the proffered accommodations and meals, and it might be possible from the beginning to make two lists of entertainers, one of which would be put down as voluntary (with tickets), the other those who would be willing to accept compensation (without tickets).
At any rate, there would be a considerable amount of standing-room in the parquet (which I should not dare offer the singers), and this could be used and not be found too fatiguing for mere listeners, as the performance lasts only a little over an hour. The chief thing is an inspiring Musical Festival; the chorus of the symphony should really be sung by the entire audience; in fact, it would be inspiring did they only seem to be doing so. Therefore! be quick with the announcement, in order that we may set a limit for acceptances to be sent in; then a plan of the theatre and information as to the space. . . .
Levy no duty upon the musicians! If a musician is to take pleasure in playing well, the first condition is that he must be untrammelled. By the way, I have now exactly one hundred musicians.
Accept my most cordial greetings. More later from your
Very faithful
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. 23