Ferdinand Ries, Brief an Franz Gerhard Wegeler in Koblenz, Frankfurt am Main, 26. September 1827, Autograph

Music lovers and the public are eager to see Ries's opera because "The robber's bride" has already been announced in several music magazines. But without Johann Joseph Reiff, who still defends his textbook and refuses his permission for another writer to adapt the libretto, nothing can be done. Ries encloses Reiff's angry reply in the letter addressed to Wegeler (not preserved). Wegeler shall negotiate with Reiff and explain the quandary Ries is in. As long as he himself has no theatre experience, he must trust the opinion of others. Besides Georg Döring another undefined text writer seems to be suitable to shorten and adapt the libretto. Döring, who according to Gottfried Weber has a lot of poetic sense and musical knowledge, is Ries's favourite choice for a "clandestine reviewer". Ries is hoping for support from Louis Spohr in Kassel and from Weber in Darmstadt who promised to review the whole matter with Ries. Ries's question concerning the meaning of Beethoviana in the postscript indicates that Wegeler had started collecting material for a Beethoven biography (initially for Schindler, see W 80). (FG)