Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of January 10, 1878

Overview

Shared dreams, skating with the children, and Richard’s remark that they are living through their happiest time give the day an intimate, celebratory tone. He continues composing, revises the Siegfried Idyll proofs with special affection, and the evening’s reading of Coriolanus leaves the diarist profoundly shaken.

Content

Thursday, January 10:

Skating for the children, R.’s cold weather has arrived! Last night we dreamed more or less the same thing—that I was arranging concerts for somebody and R. was jealous. We laugh. “We are now enjoying the happiest time of our lives,” he said yesterday evening. At lunch he announces, “My Pharaohs are locked in battle,” and tells me I will be amazed to see what he has done with the words zu diesem Amt verdammt sein [“to be condemned to this office”].

With R. and the children on the ice. Correcting the proofs of the Siegfried Idyll; R. says, “It is my favorite composition.” In the evening the history of the Arabs and then the conclusion of Coriolanus. Never before has the scene between the women and C. had such an overwhelming effect on me! I can hardly contain my emotion. One must acknowledge that one can never really know these works; they are inexhaustible. And to hear them read by R.!