Category: February 1876

Poor Brange is ill; yesterday she gave birth to three young, which are already dead! A silent, suffering creature—how exalted above discontented, complaining mankind! … [“All right, I hear you!!”][1] This jest of R.’s makes us laugh, otherwise there is little cheerfulness; preparations for departure.

R. had a bad night; during it he read two essays by a certain Herr Löffler on Götterdämmerung in the Fritzsch Newspaper, which are very good. — —  R. lately related at the dinner table how, in Vienna, he again encountered at dusk the poor man to whom he had…

Frau von Schl. writes that the Emperor has ordered the performance of Tristan for the benefit of our theatre—a circumstance which does not give R. excessive pleasure; he forfeits his royalties thereby, and the small proceeds are of little use. He works, I teach and make preparations for the journey. In the evening we while away the time in talk.

R. had a bad night, he believes to be on account of the newly arisen uncertainty with regard to Vienna; he works on the score; yet, as he has received no reply from America, he resolves not to drive himself. He feels as though he were once more in the…

R. had a good night, doubtless as a consequence of the resolve not to go to Vienna. Now, however, Director Jauner telegraphs that only the daily expenses are to be deducted from the chorus, and that he himself will discuss everything with R. R. telegraphs in the evening to ask…

Correspondence with the Aachen Music Festival Committee, which boasts that in the year ’57 it performed compositions by R. and thereby incurred many inconveniences; in recompense they now desire Herr Vogl at the beginning of June!! … R. out of humour with Vienna; a journey there seems improbable. He begins…

R. writes to Dr. Jauner to ask whether the performance might not be postponed to another time, since circumstances are now so grievous. — Germany is said to have lost one and a half milliards, and that chiefly among the working classes; the wealthy bankers merely make a show of…

I am occupied with the draft for R.’s birthday, besides the lessons. R. is greatly vexed by a dispatch from Jauner, reporting that half of the receipts, together with the daily expenses, are to fall to the theatre, so that the chorus will receive only about 2,000 florins from the…