Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of September 22, 1873

Overview

On September 22, the writer reflects on R.'s resistance to enforcing a punishment for the children and notes his own heavy workload and poor health. They admire the seriousness and competence of certain Prussian statesmen, while finding the literary world shallow and ridiculous. The evening is spent with music from Die Meistersinger, leading R. to express deep gratitude and to remark that he feels as though he had composed the work in passing. The next day brings anxious thoughts about the children's education, little progress on R.'s score, and a long morning walk to St. Georgen.

Content

Monday, September 22:

R. cannot understand that I attach importance to upholding a punishment once imposed on the children; he is also not well, and has much writing to do besides.

An illustrated calendar with a picture of Herr Paul Lindau gives us food for thought! The Prussian men of state (Falk, Moller, Stosch) arouse confidence with their proficiency and earnestness, but everything that has to do with literature looks horrifying. “With the others one has nothing to do, they impress one with their sense of duty, but here we have an ape pure and simple, and people like Laube, etc., are competing for his favor!”

R. replies to Prof. Nietzsche, on whose pamphlet there is a nice article in the A.A.Z. In the evening we play music from Die Meistersinger, and R. says he always has the feeling that he wrote this work in parentheses. Before we went off to bed he said to me, “I have much to thank you for, I was just thinking about Die Meistersinger, and felt how much I owed to you.”

Tuesday, September 23:

Earnest reflections on the children's education, whether I can possibly carry it out in the present circumstances; much worry on this account. R. also does not get down to his score, and there is no reading in the evening, letters and a sitting. In the morning a long walk to St. Georgen.