Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of June 27, 1881

Overview

A letter from Daniela triggers melancholy reflection on the painful entanglement with her father Hans von Bülow, who speaks of Cosima but will not acknowledge Wagner. Over lunch, Wagner makes a striking declaration about love, distinguishing ordinary infatuation from the consuming, unending force he feels for Cosima. The evening features Bach and a sharp dismissal of Schumann and Brahms as emblems of cultural decline.

Content

Monday, June 27:

Letter from Lusch: dismal reflections. R. mentions how difficult his position has become through the attitude taken by Hans, who talks about me but avoids mentioning him. At lunch, a discussion about finding a cast for the chorus.

Then various things from R. about his life, with this remark: "I was never in love. When the great demon gets going," he says, turning to me, "that is a different matter - that is not being in love, and it doesn't stop, either."

Herr Kohler comes to us in the evening, but in spite of all my efforts we cannot establish any sort of contact with him. The conductor plays us some Bach, including the final chorus from the Passion. R. then speaks of how much he likes the chorus in Mendelssohn's Saint Paul following the stoning of Saint Stephen. He remarks that we live in an age of decadence: Mendelssohn still had some ideas, then Schumann, a foolish brooder, and now Brahms with nothing at all!