Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of June 23, 1881

Overview

After a night broken by thunder, the day centers on letters and literary conversation — Richard reads Cosima a passage from Gobineau's reflections on theater, and news arrives of mounting requests from Frankfurt and Prague for Ring performance rights. The final evening with Lusch is spent at the Bürgerreuth, where they find Brandt at work on the stage and share a simple outdoor meal in his company. The theater itself strikes them as something close to miraculous, a fitting close to the visit before Lusch's departure.

Content

Thursday, June 23:

Heavy thunderstorm during the night, then off to sleep again. Letter from Hans Wolz., to whom last night R. sent another note, for fear of not having said enough. Yesterday he told me that, hardly had he made the arrangement we long ago discussed, when a request for the Ring came from Frankfurt; today Herr N. also requests rights for Frankfurt and Prague.

Around 5 R. comes to my room and reads to me what he has just been reading in Gobineau's book about the theater. My idea of spending the last evening with Lusch and friend Brandt on the Bürgerreuth is accepted by R. We surprise the doughty man working on the stage and join forces for a simple meal on the Bürgerreuth. The theater seems like a miracle!