Every day I get business letters and many of them are still unanswered. The most depressing part is the invitations. Formerly no crow crowed after me, but now I can see no way out of it, particularly as my friends assure me I ought to go everywhere. In short I am "the mode" here. The demand for me has been brought to a still higher pitch by the sudden death of poor Rastrelli. All eyes at once looked to me as his successor in office. It has been spoken of at Court and Luttichau has had me sounded. I am still very much in two minds, as I would naturally like to remain free for the next few years. I am now at my prime, with my creative powers at their freshest. I have already drafted two new operatic subjects and could compose them within two years if I remained free. I assert that I would willingly buy this freedom at the price of a few pecuniary troubles, and, besides, I can now rely on making many a nice little sum out of my two finished operas. Really, things move very slowly and deliberately with us here in Germany. I am too great a surprise to all the theatres, and I shall have to wait a little longer before they find time to put me into their repertoires. Meanwhile, though I am already snapping up a bit here and there, my old debts hang about my neck, particularly the Magdeburg debts, and I can see that the time of freedom from money difficulties is still far ahead. Consequently, a few days ago, I spoke my mind to Luttichau and told him that while it had been my personal wish to remain free as yet, I found something very alluring in the prospect of having so exceptional an ensemble at my disposition for high artistic ventures as the Dresden Opera offered me, and so could the more easily abandon my previous resolution. Since, however, a subordinate standing, such as Rastrelli occupied, afforded no such prospect, I could not consider the vacant post. Hereupon Luttichau declared that he had no intention of making a fresh appointment upon the terms under which Rastrelli had held the post. He could no longer rely confidently upon Reissiger on account of his slackness and ineptitude, so he proposed to appoint a second kapellmeister, a colleague with at least equal privileges. So now I stand like Hercules at the parting of the ways. Everyone who has merely my material well-being in view will naturally say "Take it!" But is that really all there is to it? How are the children getting on? I often talk of you and Johanna here. Let me have Johanna's repertoire in writing. All kinds of people make their debuts and try their fortunes here. Why shouldn't a beginner, who promises so much under your tuition, attract notice? Well, time brings wisdom.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 78