Tuesday, November 26:
“Some people are never aware of their good fortune in having you, and that is why they torment you,” R. exclaims to me today, and so everything is all right again.
He has applied to the Grand Duke and has been granted an audience at 12 o’clock. He was received in the most cordial manner, “in the old style,” in the Grand Duke’s study, and there he put forward his request, which is that the Grand Duke support the Bayreuth undertaking, now that it is so far advanced. When he told the Grand Duke that he was the first German prince whom he had approached, the Duke thanked him and said he could well understand how difficult R. must find it to apply for help, and he was very grateful to him.
R. made the company, the Grand Duchess was also there, laugh a lot when he said he was now traveling around like the Marquis in Le Postillon de Longjumeau. The Grand Duke spoke of the complete transformation of taste that had taken place since the appearance of Wagner’s works, and how the influence of these was still spreading. Finally they talked about a performance for the benefit of Bayreuth, and R. left with a very favorable impression of the Duke’s cordiality and integrity, as also of his friendly modesty.
We miss the one o’clock train and leave at half past two, traveling to Mainz via Mannheim, where the Heckels and Dr. Zeroni come to greet us. In Mainz we are met by Mathilde Maier. In place of the advertised Fidelio, the opera house is doing Stradella. We stay in our hotel and in the evening merely accompany our friend home, through the narrow and confusing little lanes.