Category: January 1875

In the morning, R. tells me about the strangely malicious traits he recently read in an autobiography of Felix Mendelssohn by Meinardus, how he had entertained himself and the other examiners with him by caricaturing the students performing before them, one of whom was deformed. —  Ludwig Siegfried Meinardus (1827-1896)…

A charming letter from Bon Augusz [1], containing a word from my father, who recounts that when Rubini was asked in Petersburg if he would sing at a concert of my father’s, he replied that he would even dance for Liszt, if he so desired, and thus, my father believes,…

Hansen's birthday! ––– “Lohengrin” had a tremendous success in Boston, I write across the seas in an attempt to see whether the Elsa there (Miss Albany)[1] might be won over for the part of Sieglinde.  In Lucerne, “Tannhäuser” has been performed, and the conductor writes about it enthusiastically. I have…

R. busy on business, in the morning a visit from the Swedish ladies who are singing here this evening. We also go to their concert in the evening and are extremely satisfied. R. calls the deep bass the Dalecarlian, from the province where the farmers supported Gustaf Vasa. They come to…

R. always tells me a lot from Gfrörer's book, which interests him endlessly; e.g., among other things, the definition of the Trinity, which was established shortly before Christ's birth – God the Father, masculine; the Holy spirit, feminine; the Saviour of the world from which the world came into being;…

Spent the whole day in bed with a severe headache, much hilarity over the fact that I was Schopenhauer's first victim as an educator; he recommends going out for two hours every day, which I did on a cold day, and as a result of which I am now suffering….