Sunday, April 28:
R. had a good night. Ah, that is what I need! I become quite superstitious when he lacks anything; yesterday his eyes were somewhat inflamed, and that was enough to put me in torments, even the fact that he had a little rash on his leg disquieted me. But he is cheerful, and at lunchtime he shows me the completed Flower Maidens’ scene. Joyful spirits during the meal as a result. After lunch he talks of continuing his article, dealing with what is bad, the folklike quality which is allied to genius, the mediocre, what it is that distinguishes the “bad” from the sublime. I quote examples: Gozzi bad, Goldoni mediocre, Rossini bad, Brahms, Schumann mediocre, and appear to have understood R. He says he will only indicate the theme, and others can work it out in detail. The military band today played some dreadful things: “Even Haydn was coarse now and again, but it has all changed so greatly, there is no longer any sensitive coarseness.”
A walk in the afternoon; the W.’s, the children, and I wait for R. in Birken; he comes with the three dogs. The children, catching sight of him from afar, run to meet him; in the beautiful air to the Students’ Wood, a complete caravanserai, festival of the Flower Maidens, the green meadow blooming, the children reveling, the young birch trees bursting into bud among the dark firs, the sun smiling down on dark and light, the dogs running wild. Brangäne-Kundry, passionate, mysterious, gets lost, finds us again, renewed rejoicing, the birds try to tempt us into the woods: “Stay here, stay here,” says one of them to me as we walk along the edge, heading for home; and above the field, lost in the blueness, a lark flutters, intoxicating the heart. “It is like the scent of violets,” says R., plucking the little flower for me. We return home filled with happiness, and it is he whom I have to thank for all this light, this air, these sounds, this greeting from both Heaven and earth: “We shall enjoy many more such days,” says R., “with one good work behind us, and another before us!”