Wednesday, May 15:
Rehearsal with the children. At lunchtime R. complains of making things too difficult for himself with his composing. Josef Rubinstein, on a visit, has lunch with us, and R. observes, “Jews like him behave quite differently from us Germans, they know the world belongs to them, we are desherites [outcasts of fortune]!”
In the afternoon I am with R. in the summerhouse, delighted in the blackbirds; one very fat one flew past us: “It knew you were there.” Wandering in the garden with R. in a mood of blissful tranquillity.
In the evening Herr Rub. plays his piano arrangement, The Awakening of Brünnhilde, and it gives us great delight to hear these sounds again. R. says he enjoys its joyful pagan flavor and adds, “How different from Parsifal!” After that the Prelude to Parsifal and the piano-duet arrangement of the lively Overture to Die Feen. R. says it is well orchestrated; he was always good at orchestration.