Tuesday, October 28:
R. had a much better night and is also looking much better; as we embrace in the morning, he says to me, “We shall become quite young again.”
Before that we talked about the Bayreuther Blätter, and I told him what I had said to friend W. - that with every article a new category is introduced, and it is subsequently expanded by one or several other writers: with Semper’s obituary it was sculpture, with Dr. Dühring (Herr v. St. wants to write this), education. R. feels I am right, and we agree that the important thing is not adding to our community, but strengthening its outlook in all directions, by always keeping our artistic ideals in the forefront and observing everything from that point of view.
At lunch R. speaks of new members gained and tells Herr v. Stein about Kroppenstedt, Possneck, etc., places in which we have members! “Yes,” he says to the surprised young man, “we don’t know ourselves, we Germans.”
Telegram concerning the Götterdämmerung performance in Brunswick and its success; speaking of the Duke, R. says that in his experience it is precisely the frivolous, utterly uncultivated people on whom his works have the most powerful effect, as, for example, Tannhäuser on the Poles in Dresden at the beginning.
R. was able to do some work, he goes for a walk in the palace gardens and starts a new diet - at least he drinks no grog.
In the evening the quartet, Op. 74, which reminds R. of his uncle’s remark: “One thinks one has got hold of Beethoven, but constantly he eludes one’s grasp.” “That is right,” R. adds; “when one thinks a platitude is coming, something unexpected emerges, and one realizes he has been playing around with the platitude.”