My dear Liszt,
The real answer to your last great letter you will not receive today; I hold it over for a good reason. But I must tell you something at once. Yesterday I heard from my niece in Berlin that Tannhäuser there could not be thought of for the present, because Feensee and Flotow's Indra had first to be given. The last thing that Hulsen had said was that Tannhäuser should be put in rehearsal after the Queen's birthday, November 13th, 1852. I have let them know that I look upon this cavalier treatment as an insult, and consider all previous transactions finished, demanding at the same time the immediate return of my score. This has eased my heart, and by Hulsen's fault I have been released from all previous concessions.
Now, dearest friend, comes the principal thing. I accept your generous offer and place all my further relations with Berlin in your hands. Hulsen may reply to me what he likes; he may offer to produce Tannhäuser at once. I am determined to answer that, in my present condition, I am unable to take a leading part in so important a matter as the performance of my operas at Berlin, and that therefore I refer him once and for all, and concerning everything in connection with the performance of my works at Berlin, to you, who have unlimited power to do or leave undone in my name what seems good to you. Let it be settled in this way, and I ask you to act in the matter quite according to your own opinion. I should think it most advisable if you had nothing further to do with Hulsen, who is merely an instrument without a will of his own. You will, I think, prefer to keep up communication solely with the Prince and Princess of Prussia. I was very glad to learn that even the Prince of Prussia understood at once that your personal direction was inseparable from an important performance of my operas. This, then, is the only basis on which a performance, be it of Tannhäuser or of Lohengrin, will henceforth be possible in Berlin. Without your direction I should not consent to such a performance, even if you were to ask me. Our motto, therefore, must be Patience!
It is true that the hope of good receipts for next Easter had made me a little soft toward the Berlin project. Lord knows, I, poor devil, should have liked to have a few thousand francs in my pocket, so as to divert my thoughts and cure myself of my terrible melancholy by a journey to Paris or Italy. However, I must bear this and remain in my old state of resignation and want. For all that I thus remain in want of, the unspeakable joy of seeing you at last in the summer will compensate me; believe me, that will make up for all. But let us stick to the point. Time will be needed, but perhaps you will succeed in obtaining through the Prince and Princess for next winter the invitation and commission to perform my two last operas in Berlin. You will then probably begin with Tannhäuser. This would appear to me a more natural order of things: perhaps in the first half of the season Tannhäuser and soon afterwards Lohengrin. It is true that you cannot count upon my niece, who will be in Paris next winter. But there is little harm in this, for Elisabeth is not of the first importance, and as regards Lohengrin I am in a dilemma which it would perhaps be difficult to solve. Six years ago I intended Elsa for my niece; now she would have served me better as Ortrud. Therefore, just as you decide; I am content with everything.
From this day I shall have no further transactions with Berlin. The Leipzig people also have eaten humble pie; they have capitulated to me through Hartel. The performance there will probably take place soon. Could you occasionally look after it a little? At Frankfort they will begin next Saturday. The conductor writes to me that he hopes for a good success. We shall see. I have written to Luttichau and asked him not to perform Lohengrin at present, because I have not sufficient confidence in any of his conductors. I am sorry to say I cannot write to T. He is very angry with me on account of my instructions for the rendering of Tannhäuser.
Of course he cannot understand me. Do arrange that about the close of the overture to the Flying Dutchman. In case the one score should have been lost, a rather serious loss to me, let Fischer know, and he will send the new close to you; but do not give the overture without this change. Herewith I send you another alteration; you will see where it belongs. The effect of the brass and the kettledrums was too coarse, too material; the spectator should be terror-struck by the cry of Senta on seeing the Dutchman, not by kettledrum and brass.
Richard Wagner
Source: Project Gutenberg eBook #3835, Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt — Volume 1, No. 94