Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of December 31, 1878

Overview

The year closes with another difficult night, but R. stays indoors, writing his introduction and reviewing Wolzogen’s text with her while the children cast lead and the tree candles burn again. Their talk repeatedly returns to the divine concert, as if the event still dominates everything they think and feel. When they part near eleven, the bells sound in silence, and the writer turns inward with gratitude and blessing for Richard.

Content

Tuesday, December 31:

Not a good night for R. . . . He writes his “introduction” and reads it to me; I then also read parts of the Wolzogen manuscript, and in the evening, while the children are casting lead and the candles on the tree are burning again, together we go through the points which struck me. R. did not go out today, either, and when we are not working, our conversation continually returns to the divine concert. We part around eleven o’clock, but we do not immediately go to sleep; each of us hears the bells, without remarking on them - everything in my soul changes into a blessing upon Richard and thanks!...