Monday, December 6:
Vicissitudes of the Lohengrin production. R. is utterly exhausted by the rehearsals, during which the newspapers continue to publish their nasty reports and Herr Fürstner starts legal proceedings! R. wants to leave after the dress rehearsal on the 13th, but Herr Jauner beseeches him to stay, whereupon the decision is altered.
On the 14th, christening at the Richters’; the little girl is named Richardis Cosima Eva. Herr Dobner, the parish priest at the Karlskirche, a very affable gentleman, is delighted beyond words at making R.’s acquaintance. In the evening, dinner at the Hohenlohes’; too many “witty people” to prove very pleasant.
On the 15th, a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts, magnificent impression of a Saint Francis of Assisi by Cano. Dinner with Herr Jauner; at half past six a wonderful performance of Lohengrin. R. watches it from the second circle with the children, I from a parterre box with the Donhoffs. A storm of applause from the audience after the first act; at the end, after the entire company has taken several curtain calls, R. goes down to thank them, the curtain rises while he is doing so, and audience and singers cheer him endlessly! Cheerful spirits in the evening; we stay up until two o’clock.
I made the acquaintance of Prof. Holtzendorf, who defended Count Arnim at his trial. After the newspapers have constantly reported that R. was at loggerheads with the management and the singers, it makes us all laugh heartily to see the entire company giving him this public ovation, followed by a speech of thanks. On the 16th, departure; farewell calls, and in the evening many friends at the station. A wretched night, but soon behind us. At 11 o’clock back here in Bayreuth. Brange, Marke, Putz, Ross, Rausch, Viktor - dogs and people in a real act of rejoicing! Found several things awaiting us, but above all we rested.