Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of January 16, 1870

Overview

Cosima’s spirits rise with the children’s recovery, and the day is filled with play and household sorting with Richard. A remembered performance of Beethoven’s Ninth leads her to think about the difference between naive faith and ordinary belief. The evening turns to Shakespeare as Richard reads King Lear aloud.

Content

Sunday, January 16:

In better spirits because of the children's improved health; games with them; in the afternoon sorted the files with R.

Yesterday R. played me the last movement of the Ninth Symphony, and we were once more quite overwhelmed by the naivete of the faith which blows through Schiller's poem as well as Beethoven's music. Who could teach himself that? Certainly my father, for instance, is a believer, but I do not call this faith.

In the evening R. read me King Lear.