Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of October 22, 1877

Overview

On her father’s birthday, the household receives mixed professional news: the Baden concert is praised artistically but disappointing financially. R. resumes work, takes a careful garden walk because of his foot, receives a young singer seeking admission to the school, and spends the evening on classical readings and correspondence before dreaming of extracting a tooth himself.

Content

Monday, October 22:

My father’s birthday.

Letter from friend Pohl, reporting that the concert in Baden was a great artistic success, but not a financial success. R. gets down to his work again.

In the afternoon we walk in the garden, slowly on account of his foot. A young singer stops him; she wants to join the school, and she sings “Elisabeth’s Prayer.” R. writes several letters and gives Baron Loen permission for Das Rheingold without any conditions.

In the evening, we read two of Demosthenes’s Corinthian speeches and parts of Pfaffe Lamprecht’s poem Alexander.

(R. dreamed of a large tooth, which he extracted himself.)