My sole object is to safeguard my copyright in my operas. As operas, the ostensible reason for my journey, I must naturally take advantage of what comes my way, and that seems quite definitely to be the director of the Theatre Lyrique, Carvalho. I have seen his theatre; it pleased me quite tolerably. If the manager makes quite special efforts, I might be able to let him have Rienzi, always supposing that I should succeed in the exceptional task of carrying through an opera here without dialogue.
Ollivier, whom I did not meet till yesterday and with whom I am to dine to-day en garcon, received me with such affectionate readiness that I thought for a moment that I had arrived at Altenburg. I had got so far yesterday when Berlioz came to see me. I had then to go out and discovered that I was not well, probably from a chill, which is particularly exhausting now because, as I suddenly remembered, I have been eating very little for some time and have grown weak and very thin.
It is a shame indeed that I should take money from you again, but quite definitely this time I have only borrowed it. Next to you and Calderon, a glance at the completed first act of Tristan, which I have brought with me, has raised my spirits wonderfully to-day. It will be a remarkable piece of music. I feel a violent need to tell someone about it, which I fear may betray me one day into playing parts of it to Berlioz, regardless of whether my beautiful strummings arouse terror or disgust in him. Good God, if only I were with you!
Hartel's have replied to my offer of Tristan. It was very amusing! Whatever I do will always seem more or less impossible to that Philistine. Well, I am used to that and must trust in the success which has attended my impossible conceptions hitherto. In short, Hartel's undertake to publish despite their grave misgivings, but on condition of the reduction of my demand to 200 louis d'or. While they are conscious of making a great sacrifice on my behalf, they declare their readiness to print the full score, etc., forthwith, and I believe I cannot do better than accept. Bülow will have to arrange it.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 347