Signficant DS, in German, signed “Richard Wagner” at the conclusion, four pages on two adjoining sheets, 9 x 13, August 30, 1873. An untranslated printed circular letter to the “Patrons of the Stage Festival at Bayreuth,” in which the composer outlines plans for the annual music festival that proved to be his most ambitious undertaking. Though Wagner’s reputation had grown steadily in the wake of his early successes, he never managed to achieve financial independence, relying instead on patronage—most notably, that of Ludwig II of Bavaria. He had long harbored visions of a spectacular music festival at which his own works would be the central attraction and had spent years in search of sponsorship and a suitable venue. After considering and rejecting Munich and Nuremburg, Wagner settled on Bayreuth after making an inspection of the town and its facilities in 1870. Though Bayreuth boasted a splendid opera house, it proved too modest to suit Wagner’s grand vision—not to mention the considerable and complex technical needs of his own operas. His solution was to build a brand-new facility, the finest of its kind. After his request for government funds was rebuffed by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Wagner embarked on an extensive and aggressive fund-raising campaign, crisscrossing Germany in search of subscribers. Though the festival was originally scheduled for an 1873 launch, fund-raising difficulties made the original schedule impossible to meet. Despite Wagner’s strained relations with his chief former patron, Ludwig II, Ludwig had never lost his enthusiasm for Wagner’s work, and it was he who saved the day with the funds necessary to build the new opera house. Construction began in 1874, and, after much delay, the festival opened in 1876, ensuring Wagner a prominent and permanent place at the center of German culture. The date of the present document, around the time when the festival was originally to have opened, suggests that Wagner issued it in a desperate attempt to reassure subscribers and to solicit their continued support in the face of an indefinite delay. A superb association! In fine condition, with folds with a few minor pinholes and edge separations, some minor wrinkles, and scattered faint spotting and soiling. COA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
