Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of February 18, 1875

Overview

The worries keep multiplying: I visit Elisabeth N., speak with Karl Kolb about guesthouses, and hear alarming warnings about the Luisenstift’s severe piety. Frl. Brandt sends back the Waltraute part without answering, there is still no sign of a Sieglinde or Siegfried, and household irritations add to the strain. In the evening Kolb is at first as impractical as the mayor, but after R.’s sharp reaction and my steadier insistence, he finally promises help.

Content

Thursday, February 18:

Paid further calls with Elisabeth N. Resolved to have a word with Karl Kolb about the question of guesthouses; R. busy with, and, I fear, perturbed by, all sorts of things. Feustel visits him again for a talk. A further ground for worry is that I have suddenly been advised very strongly against the Luisenstift; its pietism is said to be quite frightening!

I do not have the courage to catalogue all the difficult questions now hovering about our heads, and then the exertion on top of all these worries! It is said that the day on which the concert was first advertised brought in 4,000 florins. Frl. Brandt sends the part of Waltraute back, does not reply to my letter. Nowhere a Sieglinde. Or a Siegfried. — On top of that, domestic annoyances.

Karl Kolb in the evening, we explain the position to him; at first he gives us the same overconfident answers as the mayor — the people here have their parlors, the guests are coming on R.’s account and are not interested in comfort, etc. To this R. reacts very violently, I calmly but insistently, and in the end Kolb declares himself convinced and promises to help.