Category: Cosima Wagner Diaries

Long sleep, followed immediately by getting dressed for the second concert at 12 o'clock. Very pleasant, intimate atmosphere, better performance, familiar audience, Materna and Niemann in tears, R. cheered up afterward. Dinner at Poppenbergers’, with the Niemanns, Maternas, and Eckerts. In the evening at Helmholtzs’; made the acquaintance of Mommsen,[1]…

R. slept well, in a cheerful mood; I pay some visits with the friendliest company (Helmholtz, Luise Oriola, Princess Biron). At half-past seven, the concert; I am in Mimi’s box with Bonin Loë, Frau von Bülow[1] (Undersecretary of State), Prince Liechtenstein, and others. Great enthusiasm, according to Berlin’s standards, but…

General rehearsal: R. not feeling well; we go with Frau Wesendonck. Many friends are there, and there is great emotion (Prof. Helmholtz is constantly in tears listening to the divine things). I am indescribably shaken; the entire conclusion is essentially a paraphrase of the unwritten words [1]: “Not the glitter…

Rehearsal at 10 o'clock; the orchestra is getting more fiery and better, as usual after some interactions with R… He is, however, very tired. He lies down for a bit, and I pay some visits, taking care of the distribution of tickets for the general rehearsal. In the evening, we…

Day of Repentance, everything is closed, but I manage to get the museum opened with Prof. Doepler; great pleasure in the old pieces and the newly acquired ones, especially a head by van Eyck[1] and a portrait by Velázquez.[2] Returning home, I find R. in great distress, overwhelmed with visits,…

The first real rehearsal; Mr. Bilse gives a speech, and the orchestra seems to be ashamed. As always, there were some very competent people present who instilled a sense of duty in the others. It goes very well right from the start; R. jokes and teases the people about the…