German opera composer of the Der Ring des Nibelungen. ALS in German, three pages on two adjoining sheets, 9 x 11.25, February 1, 1875. Letter to his business managers C. Voltz and Carl Batz. In full, “The draft for a definitive contract, which was recently sent to me by you, proves to me by its wording how you regard the value of the older contract which was prepared in Lucerne. You cannot seriously expect me to sign this new contract, and I feel that elaboration on this would be superfluous. Furthermore, now that I understand this matter, it seems to me that presently everything depends on my finding out whether you are interested in standing in my good graces or whether that is of no consequence to you. You now my reservations to the wording of that first contract, which have bothered me so much lately, as well as my doubts because of the inheritance matters, especially the issue of your contract commitment which has aroused well-founded skepticism in me. The fact that you were ready to accept the new draft for a contract because my doubts suggested to you that I needed some appeasement proves to me that, at the conclusions of the original contract you had intended something quite different from what your lyrical protestations assured me. However, this is not the issue, and I readily reiterate my appreciation of your practical intelligence and tremendous agility with which you have organized the once-neglected administration of my property and made it productive again. But since I now have been acquainted with the terms under which you condescend to exchange the inheritable estate of the accumulated property, on which you have a partial claim, with a share of only twenty year’s duration, I prefer to go back to the original contract, which also seems to be your wish. Here I address only those codicils which deal with my relationships with the Court theaters of Vienna, Dresden and Munich, that is, those relationships which were once upon a time absolute and unassailable, even though they were written to my disadvantage, but had seemed to be settled and in order and which had not been touched upon in that first contract. You know my present view about this condition, as well as my opinion that only in my latest works might there - - perhaps - - arise the capability which, even though I am willing to accept a position in regard to your suggestions, might bring me some advantage which could not be spoiled by any legal attempt on your prat. Your efforts, also in this regard, will help me in my evaluation of their real worth only when I discover the slightest inkling of a successful result, which, so far, has in no way been the case. Since at your last visit you agreed to the validity of the older contract together with the herewith designated codicils, I will accepts it in this form, which you yourselves gave it at that time and I ask you sign this codicil with your names and to send it to me so that I can sign it too; in return for which, moreover, the old contract may continue unchanged. I will agree to a legal bestowal of authorization for my new works which are not included in that contract, at a time in the future when I am convinced by your conduct that you are interested in returning to the appropriate relationship with me, which was painfully ignored, especially by your behavior against my authorized agents. I would like to hear about your decisions as soon as possible, since I intend to take a lengthy trip beginning on February 11th.” The end of 1874 was particularly stressful for the sixty-one-year-old Wagner. Having finally completed the Goetterdaemmerung in late November, he now resumed work on Parsifal. But incessant obligations at Bayreuth and difficulties with his concert schedule left him ever more fatigued and irritated. Voltz and Batz, the Mainz agents to whom Wagner had turned over his business affairs almost three years earlier were - - as hinted at in these lines - - “a firm...with whom...he was to have a good deal of trouble during the coming years...” (The Life of Richard Wagner, Volume IV, Newman). Nearly six years later, they demanded 100,000 marks’ compensation for releasing him from a contract “which , in his opinion, they had carried out far from efficiently.” (ibid.). On February 20th, not the 11th as indicated in this letter, Wagner and his wife, Cosima, left Bayreuth for Vienna. There, on March 1st, a concert of his works “ended with a demonstration of enthusiasm by the great audience that surpassed everything of the kind in Wagner’s previous experience of Vienna.” (ibid.). An interesting association, penned in Wagner’s flowing script. In fine condition, with several light blue pencil notations and lines, scattered light foxing and expected folds. COA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
