Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of June 25, 1872

Overview

At breakfast R. complained about the deterioration of German speech and pronunciation, then spent the day at work and decided to rethink something from the ground up. In the afternoon the family visited the mayor, whose household proved friendly and kind, and the return home was cheerful. News also arrived that the Munich performance of Der Fliegende Holländer had made a strong impression, and there was talk of mesmerism as R. tried to learn it from a booklet in hopes of helping me.

Content

Tuesday, June 25:

At breakfast R. talks a lot about the German language, its neglect, its pronunciation: “We have turned into slatterns.” R. works and decides to recompose something.

In the afternoon a visit with the children to the mayor. Excellent people. R. joins us there; merry homeward journey. The mayor tells us that the performance of Der fliegende Holländer in Munich was a real event. M. M[uchanoff] writes that its reception made Hans very cheerful. Mesmerism: R. is learning it from a brochure, to cure me.