Category: Cosima Wagner Diaries

Today it is a Mime who introduces himself; R. is shocked by the unclear speech of these people, who all possess no consonants, particularly no S’s. — Visit from Franz Kolb, coming from the Rhine—curious repetition of the behaviour of the Brockhaus family, to whom he is related! —

A Rhinemaiden presents herself (Frau Pauli from Hanover), good voice, but no conception of enunciation. Richter attempts to accompany her, but cannot yet hold himself properly up right. Celebrations in Nürnberg for Hans Sachs, but nobody has the idea of inviting R. to them!… Speeches, music, all sorts of things,…

Correspondence of all kinds, R. has some difficult business arrangements, I think; I live in fear that our standard of living is far beyond our means! And I can find no way to reduce it, for R. wishes to have it this way.

Telegram from the Grand Duke of Weimar to R., expressing his emotion regarding the performances of Tristan. R. does not wish to thank him, so I do it for him. R. works, though very often asking himself whether he is not orchestrating too opulently!! Again worked a lot with Daniella.

Many things to catch up on, as always after visitors have been here. R. works. News of Tristan in Weimar, friend [Alwine] Frommann reports that the older people were in particular completely bewitched by it. Nice articles by Frau Merian in the Weimarische Zeitung. Great heat, we read nothing more…

Spoke a lot with Lenbach about a lot of things, discovered in him a noble, selfless, unusually talented person; R. is also coming to like him, about which I am glad. Departure at four o’clock, which does not come easily to any of the three of us. — Much with…