Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of September 16, 1869

Overview

Cosima continues caring for Siegfried as news arrives of Lohengrin in Bologna and Italian publicity. A note in the Augsburg paper suggesting Wagner's reply may be too vehement looks like an attempt to suppress it, leaving Richard downcast and weaponless. Schott, Marie Muchanoff, the Parzival draft, the Mendeses, uneasy conversation, and the third act of Siegfried fill the rest of the day.

Content

Thursday, September 16:

Still looking after Siegfried. Yesterday a letter came from Italy: Lohengrin is to be performed in Bologna, and an Italian newspaper wants to start doing publicity there.

At midday R. reads me a note in the A.A.Z., which states that R.’s reply is so vehement that they hesitate to print it. We immediately guess that this is aimed at getting an order from the King to suppress the article. Great annoyance. What to do? Not a single weapon in our hands. R. very downcast.

Visit from Schott, his publisher, then M. Muchanoff; I read her the Parsifal draft. In the evening the Mendeses. Uneasy conversation, but afterward the third act of Siegfried.