Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of October 19, 1872

Overview

R. is angered by the Grand Duke of Weimar's hypocrisy and by Princess Hohenlohe's false claims of money raised for Wagner, and he cannot shake his disgust at their dishonesty. Her father accompanies them on visits and to the Fantaisie, where he sees their summer residence, while the evening brings a moving reading of Parsifal. R. jokes that he would gladly surrender the Nibelungen if it meant financial freedom, revealing both his weariness and his determination.

Content

Saturday, October 19:

A remark of the Grand Duke of Weimar to my father, “Je ne donnerai pas le sou pour Bayreuth,” after he had enacted a complete comedy of enthusiasm to R. last winter, and another remark by Princess M. Hohenlohe, who told my father she had so far collected 18,000 florins for W., of which not a word is true, annoy R. extremely. He cannot get over the mendacity of these people.

Paid some visits with my father. In the afternoon visit the Fantaisie, since he wanted to see our summer residence. In the evening R. reads Parsifal to us, everyone extremely moved. It really is R.’s finest conception. “And all this time you are still romping about with singers and actors,” my father says to him; the pamphlet on Actors and Singers has just appeared.

R. says that if he were to be given the 300,000 thalers on condition that he never produce the Nibelungen, he would be blissful and happy and would start work at once.