Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of August 25, 1877

Overview

On their wedding anniversary, the day was divided between a shared meal, visitors, and domestic tidying, but the central focus was Richard’s progress on Parsifal. Later they read Lucian together and discussed how openness in treatment can make even bold material feel less offensive.

Content

Saturday, August 25:

Our wedding day. Lunch with friend Feustel and Dr. Harrer! In the afternoon I put away the sublimely magnificent work. In the morning R. tells me he is now fashioning the musical garb for his hero Parsifal.

Lucian in the evening; strangely enough, I am not offended by the very brazen things contained in it, though in a modern writer even a hint in this direction would be repugnant. R. feels it is on account of the openness with which everything is treated; it is secretiveness that makes things look improper. R. says that dialogue is without doubt the best, indeed the only form in which one can be objective.