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 have some friends over, including Frau Wesendonck.
Before that, R. and I went for a short walk in the Tiergarten, contemplating the peculiar Victory Column!! Recently, R. said that the best thing Germany has produced at the moment is the Prussian military constitution, but as for what this army was defending, he can see little sense in that.
Mr. Tappert gives us the most remarkable reports about the pressure the Academy of Music exerts on all those that do not come from it themselves. For example, when he (Tappert) praised Wilhelmj as the first violinist in a newspaper, the Ministry and everyone else came down hard on the editor of the paper, claiming that Joachim was the first violinist. The poor music teachers who do not swear allegiance to this god are gradually losing their students. No notes from Father may be played in this school; meanwhile, one enquires about the achievements of the head of this institution, and it turns out that he plays the violin well! However, the Ministry of Culture and the Crown Prince couple step in, and every independent movement is stifled.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins.