Thursday, February 17:
R. under much pressure on his composition; but we celebrate Evchen very merrily. In the afternoon R. goes through several things by Handel and is astonished at their banality; no depth, no Christianity, a proper Jehovah worship. The only excellent thing he remembers is the “Ode to Saint Cecilia.” R. persists in saying he himself is no musician!
A letter from Countess Danckelmann makes us despondent: she wants to know whether she should bring her cook with her, and inquires about the apartments here! Are we not facing a complete catastrophe in this respect, even if everything else succeeds? . . .