R. wakes with a loud whistle; he had dreamt of a festival performance here, but of the Dutchman and Tannhäuser, and these he conducted from the piano in an adjoining room with the aid of a mirror; Schröder-Devrient and several others, who preferred to be about him rather than at the performance itself, surrounded him, so that, amid wreaths and flowers, he could not even open the piano; suddenly he hears strange sounds, he rushes in and sees “The Sea Waves”, a ballet by Servais inserted into the Dutchman, so his singers tell him. “And you allowed yourselves to be pleased by that!” he cries out, rushes in once more, and whistles mightily! …
A dispatch from Madrid[1] reports that Rienzi has been performed there with great success. — Herr Hoffmann is travelling about with Walküre and Götterdämmerung, and cannot be prevented from doing so! … A bailiff announces himself, and we rack our brains as to his purpose; all manner of possible and impossible things occur to R. Then, to our amusement, it turns out that a woman from Vienna has laid claim to Scaria’s receipts here; he is said to owe her 25,800 thalers and to have pledged himself to her. At least we rejoice in having found an explanation for Scaria’s incredible conduct! — In the evening “Don Quixote”.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins [© Jo Cousins | WAGNER Salon]
[1] Dispatch from Madrid: posted 6 February 1876, dispatched 7 February 1876, text in French, translation: “Yesterday, the first performance of Rienzi at the Royal Theatre was a great success for the opera and the artists, especially for Tamberlick and Madame Pouzzoni. I congratulate the great master. Theodore Robles, Director.”