Monday, July 15:
Recently Herr Heckel sent us a newspaper report which suggested that Hans was going to Mannheim; since we cannot at all understand this, we avoid talking about it; Heaven forbid that it should mean anything bad for Hans!
In the garden with the children, Loldi indoors on account of her eyes. R. works. In the afternoon Herr R. plays our piano while we walk to the Schweizerei with the children. Lovely atmosphere after some thundery rain; we watch a salamander making its laborious way into the meadow, birds warbling, the sound of church bells!
Beside a stone Fidi suddenly asks, “Mama, what stands written here?” which makes us laugh a lot. R. says the sight of his head is real bliss to him; he can understand why the Greeks took such delight in male beauty, the strength and intelligence which emanate from it, whereas in feminine beauty there is only longing.
In the evening went through the third act of Siegfried with Herr R. It is curious how Siegfried seems to be so completely unknown and misunderstood, even among devoted Wagnerians; I should have expected it to be seen as a thoroughly popular work. Wrote to Fritz.