Annals for 1846:
Easter. — Petition to King of Saxony. — Sponsored by Lüttichau. Advance from Theatre Pension Fund (5000 thalers) at 4% against life assurance. Latter procured with great trouble. Doubts about my health. Certificate from Pusinelli.
So to Leipzig. Much tormented. Settlement: have to pay 300 thalers annually just for interest and assurance, which always deducted from salary at source: ~ accordingly draw only 1200 thaler still, and remain owing the 5000 thaler. — 3 months summer holiday. May to Gross-Graupen, 1 hour above Pillnitz. Must immediately to Leipzig again (because of life assur.): there meet Spohr, by whom invited: at Mendelssohn’s and Hauptmann’s. Back in country: (last opera was Tell; lingers disagreeably; dispelled by 1st theme of 9th Symph.). Finally to work on composition sketches of Lohengrin: very rough. Outings: Borsberg, Liebetalergrund. Pirna — to bathe. (Pilgrims’ Chorus whistled.) Visits. H. von Bülow with Lipinsky. Fr. Schmitt. Röckel with father. Heines with Müller. Sketches completed. — August back to Dresden. Trouble: question of debts not fully settled; opera publishers still demanding sacrifices: must try anew to help myself. — Begin more detailed composition of Lohengr. with Act III, don’t get far: break off to recast Gluck’s Iphigenia in Aulis. Complete this by end of year. —