I take great pains with the instruction—will it succeed? … Herr von Hülsen writes most kindly that Tristan und Isolde cannot take place until the 15th of March, owing to the difficulty of the work. This suits R. well. After dinner he shows me the newest album-leaf, “Wanting to be American,” and says that it is the women’s chorus for Parzival, “komm schöner Knabe!” … He thinks much of Parzival and is saddened that so many things intervene. Among them also a letter from Herr Simson,[1] who demands all manner of dates, and so forth, and so forth. — The children celebrate the eve of Eva’s birthday; I write to Marie Hohenlohe on her birthday (the 18th). In the evening “Don Quixote”, the beautiful episode with the lions.[2]
[1] Lawyer in Berlin, Justice Councillor, represented RW in the dispute with Fürstner, cf. September 4, 1875 and March 5, 1876.
[2] “Don Quixote”, Part II, Chapter 17.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins [© Jo Cousins | WAGNER Salon]