Annals for 1868:
Annals continued
First hour of the year. Omens. C.’s ring lost and found again. Great apprehension. — Hans back. His birthday (8 Jan.) at Queroy’s. Toast: “joyless successes!’ Lonely walk through the town. Good spirits. — Perfall: (speaks when I speak.) — Draeseke. (doesn’t listen.) — Concert programmes. (Schumann:) Manfred. — Lachner’s farewell (Armide.) — Tenor Bachmann. (Chorus for “Die Stumme’.) Mastersingers fixed for March. (Beck-and Betz-confusion.) Much that is hard and full of suffering. — Very often unwell. (Schanzenbach.) Also Prince Hohenlohe. Temporary return to Tribschen decided on: week’s postponement. Low spirits. (also Grandma B.) Second week February leave by night train. — Eva. — 17 Feb.: Ist birthday. — Annals. — March: — ‘David Strauss’. Publication of Art and Politics, with Foreword, attended to. (Schiller. Goethe.) Buddha. Letter from King in the old language. My refusal. Enthusiastic answer on his part. C. warns against re-visiting Munich. About 20 March: travel to Munich. Confused, uncertain memories. (My arrival seems to take K. by surprise. Allows nothing to be seen or heard of him.) Heart heavily overcast. Children-mornings: three with Loldi (Franz and Anna!), ‘Water Carrier’. (Lachner’s cordiality.) Arrest-visit: Lawyer Simmer]. (Old Klepperbein debt.) Düffl. — Soon after: Schauss about Semper; about to travel to Zürich to bring S. round. Talks with Schauss. (Lawyer: he, too, Swabian!) and Difflipp. King’s break with Semper. Theatre scrapped. — Mastersingers, baritone Stagemann from Hannover. (Concert.) Not even a seat at concert. (Also Overture to Vestal.) Perfall to Dresden (needlessly for tenor Bachmann). Necessary to postpone to mid-June. (Betz. Nachbaur.) Richter to Gotha (for tenor: — Wurst.) Hans rushes out of room one evening because of photograph on title page of draft manuscript of Mastersinger imprints. — Conservatoire (Freischütz rehearsal: Christen. — Perfall’s behaviour. My uncertainty.) Lohengrin (Prince of Prussia!) (Stayed at home.) — C Lila. — Gloomy: half-light. Impossibility of Munich attempt already clearly recognized. Result: wait and see what comes of Mastersingers. — Negotiations with J. J. Weber.) Return to Tribschen repeatedly resolved upon and mid-April carried out. (King not seen.) Night train: Augsburg; Town Hall. 3 Moors. — Eva! — 26 April: preface to second edition of ‘Opera and Drama’ sent to C. Frantz. — Arrange complete edition of my works in 10 volumes. May: ‘My Recollections of Schnorr.’ — Buddhism: Victors re-thought. Dhyana regions: music. Mournfully tender mood. — Mérimée: Alfr. Musset.) Liszt’s letter to Cotta!) Violence: confusion. Most impassioned misunderstandings. Extreme tension. — Mid-May Cos arrives evening with children and mother-in-law: cannot receive; they take tea alone in dining-room. Great confusion of feelings: all the time fresh difficulties. Unspeakable love-torment. Inclined to run away and disappear. Harz. Frigid existence! — All the time rapid change: most sublime appeasements. Deliverance needed. — On 20th C. back to Munich. (Previously: Jacob as bringer of horror!) Myself follow on 21 May. Good arrival. C. steps out from door-curtain. 22nd. Birthday morning: (‘not 10 horses!’), Presents: Mother’s picture! A great, deep source of happiness! — Mastersingers coming on. (Perfall already found to be complete backslider. All recognized.) — Lunch (Birthday) with King on Roseninsel. (Tristan journey.) — Betz, Nachbaur. (Richter’s miracle) Hölzel. Piano rehearsals: heavy, oppressive feeling from Hans’ deep hostility and estrangement. Direction, all restrained. Singers good: Schlosser (David.) — Costume designer Seitz. Perfall’s anxiety-chicanery: rehearsal on Corpus Christi! In between: Beck’s guest performance with Fly. Dutch. (wretched. — Pecht.) Richter in glory. Drives with Cos. — Weissheimer: Korner trouble; his estrangement. Cornelius still foolish and in depths of soul ill at ease. — June: Orchestral rehearsals: serious trouble with H. — Perfall chicaning wherever possible. Apparent rebellion by orchestra. (Horn-player Strauss) Stage-Manager Hallwachs. My arrangement of rehearsals. — Esser from Vienna. Growing number of people arriving. — Malw. Meysenbug with Fräulein Herzen from Florence. Invitation of sister Clara with daughter. — Good rehearsals with Esser and Cos. — Pleased with Betz. — Many visitors: also Clare. Frau Laussot: spectacles; no one else does it like me; K. and P. write to her from their hearts. Franzi Ritter. Math. Maier (reserved!) Cosima likes Mastersingers. — Dress rehearsal: again anger at — everything. No pleasure any more. (Final words to company.) 21 June: Ist performance (Hofbräuhaus!) Secretly join C. in box. During prelude summoned to King: obliged to listen to Mastersingers at his side in public. Very weary and exhausted. C. unhappy at my not remaining at her side. Take leave of Parz. after performance. — French: Pasdeloup, Leroy, Chandon etc. Schott. Clare. (Dinner before at Hotel Bellevue.) (‘Ami de Weissheimer’.) C. promises to follow in a week. 24th return to Triebschen early. Children alone. Vreneli pregnant. - Gloomy depressed mood. — Few days later, cold: ill. Doctor every day: nerves, sweats, weakness. Great clarity dawning as to my condition and the state of things. Profoundest lack of spirits for any kind of movement: reason for total incapacity of will seen in fate of relationship with Cos. and Hans. Everything futile; complete failure of Munich attempts. Thought imperative never ever to return there. — Dealings with Schott. With Dresden and Vienna re mutilations of Mastersingers. Powerless against them. Give way. Appalling reviews: must, on account of my needs, be glad to salvage Mastersingers as vulgar theatrical success. After ten days’ debility, slow recovery. (Children no pleasure without mother.) Surrender to most wretched fate seems inevitable: really foreseen by Cos. since our last year’s separation: believing in nothing, she consequently could not help doubting me. — King’s letter to Cos.: Röckel gossiping about my relationship with C. — Letter to the K. — Decision immediately taken for C. to leave M. Her delayed arrival. Tension. Comes on 20 July.'7? Children’s reception. Difficult communications re decision: Plutonic and Neptunian solutions! — Agreed about main thing. — Cornelius for five days in August. (Gunlöd: also Suttung!) Lucerne society to dinner. Eva — Loldi. Sad and impassioned days. (Mirror frame; also Fugger chair.) Bath. Robber-park. — Comedy. Much correspondence. Lucca. (Giovanna!) Sale of my operas to him for Italy. In between Pasdeloup: Paris contract for Rienzi. Much Paris confusion: Truinet, Perrin. (Also Eckert.) Trip to Interlaken: Jungfrau. (3 days.) Sept.: trip to upper Italy. Depart 14th. Twilight of gods on Gotthard. (Piroscafo.) Stresa and Borromean Islands.'73 (Cablasatoni!) 17th Genoa. Much joy. Cos. full of life. ‘I mille palazzi’. Van Dyck. Pianella. Angelo peccatore. (Maria Stuart: Duke of Lerma.) Liphort junior and senior: annoying. (Cafe and market.) Lake trip. Villa Pallavicini. (Mi. Vannenes.) To Milan. (Coupé trouble for journey back.) Luccas, (Mme. Chaillot) cirque. 28 Sept. leave via Como. News of floods: stay Lugano. 29 Bellinzona. Wait or turn back? Thursday Ist to Biasca. Thence on foot (Bodio, Ciornico etc.) to Faido. (March out from Ciornico, dreadful thunderstorm: one hour of most terrifying sort: Cos keeps jumping from her seat. Lavorno — muddy marsh. Lantern! Bridge broken: by waters. Faido — Hotel de Poste! With C. in one room. Flood continues: impossible to proceed by carriage. Three bad but deep days. 3 Oct.: (Saturday): lowest spirits. Cos. writes. Nearness of death. Jacob wanting to return home for wife’s confinement. Sunday: 4 Oct. all the time pouring rain. (Deceptive stars: dars (as Loldi would say.)) Indecision: increased difficulties concerning route. Post caravan. Midday, decision to depart. 1.30 off. Cos. in oilskin coat. Pouring rain. Dreadful march: four post miles in four hours. Arrive Airolo. (Coupé!) Spend night. Sth by early post via Gotthard (with difficulty). Andermatt, Amsteg. — to Flüelen. 6th (Tuesday) home again. What did fate desire! — Vreneli gives birth. Children good. 7th morning Cos. into cold bath! Packing: to Munich. Great anguish. Bad night. — 8th calmer. 9th Understanding and agreement. Sad, vitally important days. C.’s promise. 14th C. leaves for Munich with 4 children: accompany them to Augsburg, whence at midday on 15th return to Tribschen alone. — Fearful expectations. — Only letters. (Aladdin. Luther. Derniers abbes.) C.’s report: promise to change faith. (Goethe and Knebel.) To Rome? — Confusion and burning sorrow: write to Cl. Charnacé — to Munich. C. beside herself. Great depression: decide to make trip calling at Arcostrasse. C. calmer. 1 Nov. to Munich: (moonlight on Lake Constance). C. at Mrazeck’s: Eva. (2nd Nov.:) Afternoon to Leipzig. (3rd Nov.) Clemens. Herm. and Ottil, (—Anna and Doris). Write to King about interview. (Family?) Marbach. (Portrait of Schiller.) Dr Nietzsche. Dr Ritschel with wife. Empress of Russia impeding requested interview: write to Düfflip). 9 Nov. to Augsburg: railway hold-up: obliged to wait; telegraph. 3 Moors. Evening 3 children from Munich (Loldi fourth Moor!) 9 p.m. on Lindau train: jump off again; children delayed by obstruction on railway. Back to hotel: all to bed. — 10 Nov. up early: children to Munich five minutes before me. Late to Tribschen. (Much misfortune in world: railway deaths, floods, blizzards on St Gotthard. Earthquakes everywhere!) C.’s letter (reminiscences of Liszt through Nohl: sketch book). Anxiety about Hans. (Lower appartment moved into permanently. — Fate?) French enthusiasts: German vileness. (Geibel. Heyse catastrophe.) Awaiting C. — 16 Nov. Cos. arrives with Loldi and Eva alone. (Delayed decision explained.) My part of the house occupied by C. and the children. — Little from without. Within: dictation of biography, Siegfried score. Beginning December, Swabian parlour maid: nursery furnished. (Judith Mendes.) Write to Porges about book he is to write. (Nohl: trouble over sketches.) Many deaths: start register. ‘Reminiscences of Rossini’. Hans writes. Negotiations with Vienna. (Dingelstedt.) Berlin — Mimi Buch: Eckert engaged. (Caviar and herring: Leipzig.) Marbach: Medea evening. Otherwise much Körner and some Schiller. Finish fair copy of Siegfried Act I. Consider Judaism again. Claire Charnace: something Mathilda-ish. — Abdominal trouble with serenity of heart. Cos: suffering mostly. Genellit. His Outlines to Homer. 1 black and 4 white songs from old times: birthday Christmas, children as butterfly angels. 25 Dec.: ‘Schiller and Chaillot’. Dictation up to Schopenhauer. Nothing external: great regularity; work machinery. Piece of Düfflipp: Munich University Treasurer and daughter (reportedly made pregnant by King through my agency!) Fresh confirmation of decision to have nothing more to do with Munich. Good Christmas under Büchi’s agency in Zürich. Sulzer. Gentle, somewhat relaxed New Year’s Eve. Up and down: triple-tiered happiness!