Category: November 1875

R. holds separate rehearsals and returns home ever more out of humour. — In the evening, a quartet soirée by Hellmesberger; I make the acquaintance of Mr Brahms, who performs therein a piano quartet of his own composition — a rough, ruddy-looking man, his work very dry and affected. Traduzione…

Third orchestral rehearsal! — The impression of the work upon me beyond all words. — Numerous visits; in the evening Lenbach and Makart, taking leave (they are departing for Egypt), and Semper — the latter very weary and aged, yet wonderfully vivid when we came to speak of Michelangelo, who,…

Second orchestral rehearsal (Act II) — a most moving impression! Yet R. has much trouble with it. Surely, only in Bayreuth will he be able to achieve a truly good performance of “Tannhäuser”. — Dinner with the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen; R. finds in him the very type of the old House…

R. had a wretched night! Drew up his protest against Mr Fürstner [1] — such is the reward of his labours! … In the evening a few friends. Earlier, had been with the children to “The Magic Flute”. — In the morning, first orchestral rehearsal. [1] Adolph Fürstner (1833 – 1908)…

R. goes early to rehearsal; I to the concert conducted by Herbeck — a pleasant and fine impression from a Haydn symphony in G minor, but Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang” is enough to make one want to flee! … R. returns home and reports that Mr Fürstner has lodged a protest against the…

R. in die Probe, hat Not mit Frau Grahn, kommt sehr angegriffen heim, legt sich zu Bett. Ich besuche die Harrach'sche Galerie (vor allem zwei Dürer; ein Cranach, ein Potter [1], zwei Velasquez, ein Murillo, ein Volterra [2] und ein lieblichster Canaletto [3]). Darauf zu Marie Dönhoff; abends die Broschüre…