visit to the Museum of Art and Industry; a magnificent impression made by a “Francis of Assisi” by Cano.[1] Dinner at Director Jauner’s; at half-past six, a wondrous performance of “Lohengrin”—R. attended it in the second tier with the children; I in a ground-floor box with the Dönhoffs. After the first act, a tempest of applause from the public; but at the close, after the entire company had shown itself again and again, R. went forth to thank them. The curtain rose as he did so, and both audience and singers acclaimed him without end! … A cheerful mood in the evening; we sat up until two o’clock. — (Made the acquaintance of Prof. Holtzendorf,[2] defender of Count Arnim.) We were all much amused that, after the newspapers had ceaselessly reported that R. had quarrelled with the management and with the singers, the whole company should offer him this public ovation, to which there followed an address of thanks.
[1] Alonso Cano (1601–1667), known as el Granadino, Spanish painter, sculptor, and architect, works of his in Granada Cathedral.
[2] Franz von Holtzendorf (1829–1889), German criminologist, professor of constitutional and international law, taught in Berlin and Munich from 1857, opposed the death penalty and advocated for criminal law reform; defended Count Harry von Arnim.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins.