Annals for 1856:
Tannhäuser in Berlin. Illness: all the time fresh relapses of erysipelas. Evening at Ritters’: Golden Pot. — with difficulty complete ‘Valkyrie’ (with fair copy): last page. Scene with Wesendoncks. Minna mediates. — Scenes from Valkyrie with Fr. Heim: Kirchner piano. Buddhism: Introduction a l’histoire du B. — ‘Victors’ conceived, after Buddhist legend in Burnouf. Conceive new ending for Twilight of the Gods on sick bed. — Birthday morning with adagio from E minor Quartet. Tichatschek’s visit. (Lohengrin.) Excursion to Brunnen: fresh relapse; collodium. Föhn. — Change of air decided on: beginning June to Geneva via Neuenburg: Fips, Peps’ successor accompanies me. Dr Coindet. Mornex: conflict with church service in garden room. Dr. Vaillant: water-cure from 15 June to 15 August; first-rate treatment and successful. Isolated. Morning tea. Walter Scott. — Negotiations with Härtels for publication of The Nibelung’s Ring: first hopeful, then shattered. Ideas of building a house; plans. — Karl R. and wife on a visit from Lausanne where they are for the summer. — Also read Byron. — Return via Lausanne (Night at Ritters’) Bern (Wesendoncks from Thun to rendezvous). 20 August in Zürich again where I find my sister Clare (also Math. Schiffner). Outing with them to Brunnen: glorious sunset with milking of cows and yodelling. Serenade by Brunnen brass band on two boats. Colonel Auf-der-Mauer. Rough trip on Vierwaldstattersee. — Mid-September Wesendoncks back; good, peaceful family life; Clare very agreeable. (Scenes with Minna.) — 22 September composition of ‘Siegfried’ begun. Much troubled by nearby tinsmith: explode. musically: G minor. Siegfried. Clare happy. — 13 October Liszt arrives. Plays: ‘Dante’, ‘Faust’. Row with Karl Ritter: baboon. Jesuits. Académie. Much discord from this. Carolyne and Marie follow. Hotel Baur: plenty of life. ‘Child’s beauty gone. Professors (Moleschott). Evenings at my house. Tell of sketches for ‘Tristan’ and ‘Victors’. Pretty group: Clare. — Tannhäuser at Josephstadt Theatre in Vienna (J. Hoffman). Carolyne very popular. (Winterberger.) 22 Oct.: Liszt’s birthday (Herwegh’s bass-falsetto: Fallersleben.) Musical performance: Act I Valkyrie and scene of Act II with Frau Heim. Daube. Festive sounds. (Sulzer.) — Liszt ill. (Egmont.) Clare departs. Stirring, swelling moods. Work interrupted. Willes, Mariafeld. Mid-November: Wesendoncks to Paris. With my friends to St Gallen: Szadrowski. 23 November: joint concert. ‘Orpheus’, ‘Preludes’ — ‘Eroica’. Banquet with speeches. ‘Princess service’. — 24 Nov: 20th wedding anniversary: large gathering; bridal procession from Lohengrin performed. (Bourry.) — Suffer at night: Carolyne and Marie! — 27 accompany Liszt and ladies to Rorschach. Back to Zürich with Minna: cold weather, ill, low spirits. — 1 December: composition of ‘Siegfried’ resumed. Threat of trouble with Ritters over Karl: bad things legion. But no more erysipelas: swear by Vaillant.