Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of December 25, 1869

Overview

On Christmas morning, Cosima receives from Richard manuscripts and printed biography pages, a gift that moves her to tears because of the trouble he took. Schure's parcel delights the children, and Cosima attributes the favorite dolls to their father before family lunch and Parzival with Nietzsche. Richard speaks sublimely about the philosophy of music, letters and biography passages follow, and fatigue closes the day.

Content

Saturday, December 25:

In the morning I sketched out the little poems. Then Loldi came to me; R. had sent her in with a little volume of manuscripts and 32 pages of the printed biography. Very moved, particularly by the former, for R. certainly must have gone to much trouble in acquiring them. Tears.

A very nice parcel for the children from Frau Schuré (all sorts of toys). I tell the children that the dolls which gave them the most pleasure came from their father. Family lunch; afterward read Parzival with Prof. Nietzsche, renewed feelings of awe.

Then some sublime words from R. on the philosophy of music, which, it is to be hoped, he will write down. Letter from Lenbach. In the evening, passages from the biography. R. still occupied with his essay on conducting. Great tiredness.