Annals for 1858:
Neighbourly embarrassment. January: trip to Paris decided on: development there over Tannhäuser (Carvalho). Money difficulty: Müller. Semper. — Liszt: dismay at Altenburg. 14 depart. 15 Strassburg: at theatre Tannhäuser Overture. (Conductor Hasselmann.) Orsini’s attempt. 16 Paris: Hotel du Louvre. — Concerned about money: urge Rienzi at German theatres; arrangement with Härtels for Tristan. — Emile Ollivier. Blandine. (Liszt: Carolyne.) Conservatoire: Seasons. Herolds. Erards. Théatre Lyrique. Dame d’honneur: de Charnal. Concerts Arbau: Tannhäuser Overture; rehearsal: performance with Blandine. Gounod’s: Médecin malgre lui. (Zychlinsky. Lindemann.) Power of attorney for Ollivier for protection of my copyrights: Palais de Justice; Tannhäuser and Crémieux. — Berlioz: reading of his ‘Aeneas’ (Trojan Women.) Blandine: two hours of Tristan. — 2 February to Epernay. Kietz. Paul Chandon and wife. 2 days. Strassburg (Hasselmann). 5 February: back in Zürich. Evening party: best of bad job: Herwegh; Semper — grumpy at things going so well with me! — After a week: Otto Wesendonck’s visit. Low spirits. Thought much of leaving Zürich. Business bad: Orsini as pretext against Rienzi. Feb. Mar. Orchestration of Tristan Act I. Poems composed. — Easter: house concert at Wesendoncks: movements from Beethoven symphonies. Baton after Semper. (Fr. von Muralt.) 3 April: Tristan Act I ready and sent to Härtels. — Letter on Faust to Mathilde Wesendonck. — intercepted by Minna. Much confusion; propose going away for my sake, against which, promise of silence. Minna at Frau W’s. — 15 April: Minna taken to Brestenberg for cure. Bad state of affairs: to Wille’s 2 days. Tolerable order achieved by Wille. Beginning May: Erard piano arrives. Soft tone of instrument invites composition of Act II. Wesendoncks go away. More frequent trips to Brestenberg and to Mariafeld to Willes. 20 May: Karl Tausig’s arrival. 30: Minna for 2 days on visit. Bad night: my explanations; she humble and beseeching: kisses hand; compassion decisive. — Breakfast morning: hope to get on top of the trouble, and be able to stay. Continue composition sketches for Act II. Compromise, reconciliation in way. — June: Hülsen (Berlin) negotiations over Lohengrin. — Esser (from Vienna) comes about Lohengrin: Contract (Eckert). Dresden: Tannh; again received with enthusiasm. Friendly, hopeful situation: summer ardour. Act II. (Tausig. — quartet etc.) — Beginning July: sketches ready; begin composition. Tichatschek’s visit (very burdensome). Philistine: “You will never find peace!’ Also Niemann (with Fraulein Seebach). 15 July: fetch Minna from Brestenberg. At same time Bülows arrive: three days later dreadful scenes (Friedrich: garlands). Visit to M.W. with Cos: — Departure from Zürich decided on and announced. Bülows in house: little music. Klindworth too. Also Karl Ritter for a week. Constraint and agony. Countess d’Agoult. National Song Festival: Franz Lachner. — August: Cosima to Geneva. Many leave-takings: also of Klindworth and Tausig. 16 August: Bülows away. 17 5 a.m. take leave of Minna: clear cheerful sky; no tears. Evening in Geneva. 18 Maison Fazy. Passport difficulties cause delay. — 24 Karl Ritter at Lausanne: takes leave of wife. Travel via Simplon: Lake Maggiore. Isola Bella (beautiful morning). Karl’s confidences. — Sesto Calende: Milan. Venice. 29 August. 30. Apartment: Palazzo Giustiniani. — Eliza Wille. Diary. Calm. (2 September: Minna leaves Zürich; noisily, with evil consequences.) News of Lohengrin in Vienna. (28 August.) Karl closer. Gondola trips. Albergo St Marco: Lido. Comet. (Schopenhauer.) Piano: drawing-room, furnishing. Money worries. (Rienzi rejected Karlsruhe and Munich.) Prince Dolgoruki. (also Count Zichy.) Winterberger. — October: resume composition sketch of Act II. Dysentery. 18 Guido Wesendonck dead: letter from his father with news; my reply. Decide to make winter visit to Mariafeld. Ardent wish to know all at peace: wholly undemanding. Solely to make it possible to work. November: bad dysentery; difficulties with apartment. Bad letters from Minna. Dr Wille’s letter re Christmas visit: answered. — Book of Tristan printed. Write to Cosima. 21 November: Karl to Dresden and Berlin. — Tessarini. — Violent illness: leg ulcer. Suffer much for three weeks: Pietro carries me to bed. Dr Minitzch. In addition: money worries; but Minna grateful. Very alone: dreamy. No work. Daru: Histoire de Ven. — Schopenhauer. Parzival much in mind: shepherd’s melody in F minor. Cosima’s letters, diaries. December: again by gondola to the Piazetta; difficulty walking. Dolgoruki: Albergo St Marco. Lonely Christmas: work troublesome. Push Rienzi at Weimar so as to have money: — lonely New Year’s Eve. — Good sleep. — Addendum: Princess Galitsin (not visited). Gr. Wimpfen. — Painter Rahl from Vienna. Architect with him. News of Karl R. —