asking him insistently whether he can count on the participation of the Weimar orchestra on the 22nd of May, stating that he has not sent out an actual invitation but only given von Loën to understand that he is counting on their support, explaining that he will not need everyone, but probably enough that it would not be possible to perform an opera with the remaining performers, asking, if this should prove very difficult, whether the orchestra in Sondershausen might be able to supply any musicians, listing the places which have already to send committed musicians, and concluding by noting that the occasion will be a nice one and that he and Loën must be there  

"...Berlin u. Wien sind herrlich vorangegangen: sie stellen mir ihre Eliten zur Verfügung...Also! - Sie verstehen mich? - Die Sache wird übrigens schön, und - Sie müssen mit Loën dabei sein!..."



2 pages, 8vo (22 x 14.3cm), integral blank, Lucerne, 15 March 1872, splitting along folds, slightly affecting text, browned, creasing

Richard Wagner. Sämtliche Briefe, xxiv (2015), pp.113-114 and 479; Ernest Newman, The Life of Richard Wagner, iv, pp.356ff.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The concert celebrating the laying of the foundation stone of the Bayreuth theatre was given in the old theatre on the day of Wagner's fifty-ninth birthday, 22 May 1872. In the event, the orchestra contained more than a hundred musicians, the cream of German players, with August Wilhelmj as leader. Eduard Lassen (1830-1904), Wagner's correspondent, was music director at Weimar between 1858 and 1895. Only a very small part of this letter in the original German has hitherto been published, and the bulk is known only in an English summary.