How you poor folk are always immersed in difficulties! You may be sure I wish with all my soul to see you speedily released from that martyrdom.
My chief concern is and always will be Johanna. I see more and more clearly that she will soon be very welcome here. In any case I shall hold to the agreement, but it may come even sooner! You see our women singers and our opera are in a really pitiful way, and when Devrient is not here, the most brilliant repertoire runs to waste! And now there is the uncertainty as to whether Devrient, for instance, will be here next winter.
The fear that Johanna would be overtaxed here too early loses good roles and, furthermore, singers' force, for she shall sing few but do not wear themselves out with singing here!
My wife has been twenty days now at the baths at Teplitz. Before she went away we had a great pleasure. On my birthday sixty singers of the local choral society solemnly serenaded me with coloured lanterns, etc., and presented me with a poem about myself which was sung to a melody by Weber. A thing of that kind really does touch one very much. I have very nearly finished my composition for the Choral Festival, and promise myself it will produce a great effect. You are most warmly invited on July 5th and 6th for the performance.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 91