Diary Entry of March 12, 1881
Despite a difficult night of severe abdominal suffering, Wagner presses on with his composition, timing his new three-minute piece with watch in hand as if to impose order on his discomfort. His tenderness breaks through when he ventures into the garden and brings Cosima the season's first snowdrops, a small but deeply cherished gesture that she preserves between the diary's pages. The evening with their friend Wolzogen ranges freely across cosmogony, Indian philosophy, and Christian wisdom.
Saturday, March 12:
Not a good night for R.; he has severe abdominal troubles. But he works on his 3-minute music, literally with his watch in hand. At lunch he complains about his state of health. But he goes out and brings me the first snowdrops from the garden - a touching, cherished greeting! [Some dried snowdrops pressed between the pages.]
In the evening friend Wokogen, with whom everything is discussed - cosmogony, Indian and Christian wisdom, everything!