The king had arrived during the night. From Bayreuth he went directly to the Eremitage. Wagner had been waiting for him at the station, traveled with him, and stayed with him until 3 a.m. without any court officials.
This morning, the city, adorned in its finest, saw the top officials and the mayor travel to the Hermitage to greet the king, but they were refused entry. The mayor asked the king’s entourage to ask him to accept the city’s homage and, after a rehearsal, to drive through the illuminated city. They refused this as well: “We cannot approach the king like that.” It was Sunday, and the streets were incredibly busy, also with country folk eager to greet their king.
I drove to the theater at 4 a.m. to inspect the stage and get dressed, so I could appear similar to Hill (Alberich), who had asked me to choreograph 24 bars for him so he could rest at the point: “Fing Eine diese Faust.” We didn’t say anything about it to Wagner; the double persona went unnoticed in the audience.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., Wagner was summoned by messenger to the Eremitage. The rehearsal was to begin at 7:00 a.m. Taking a circuitous route, over bad roads, uphill and downhill, the King arrived with Wagner, and the rehearsal commenced. How satisfied Wagner, who remained with the King in his box, and the King were, I will learn today. In my opinion, and by all accounts, everything went smoothly.
Was it the surroundings or Wagner himself who had peruaded the king? In short, the king traveled with Wagner to the illuminated city. I had finished earlier, and by chance, I was able to leave with Mrs. Lammert and Mrs. Jaide shortly after the performance. We drove close behind the king’s car and saw and heard the enthusiasm of the people. The king, however, had forbidden everything; he had insisted on it until he finally drove through Bayreuth, but in a closed car. He really is a peculiar king. On Saturday, the Emperor, our old, indestructible Wilhelm, is coming; then we will probably experience the opposite, something like nothing we’ve ever seen before.