Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of November 13, 1881

Overview

A glorious morning led from breakfast on the landing to a walk, a visit to Rubinstein, and another half page of score, all under the spell of Palermo's scent and light. The afternoon drive to Punto Gallo and through the Favorita deepened Richard's contentment, though the real wonder of the day came at evening reading. In the first act of Henry IV Part II, characters and situations they might otherwise have found alien became irresistible through Shakespeare's language alone.

Content

Sunday, November 13:

A good night for R., and the morning air quite glorious; we enjoy it by having breakfast on the staircase landing. Some roses the landlord brings me seem to R. to have a quite special fragrance; he observes that at home they would no longer give off scent. We then go for a walk and visit friend Rub., and R. writes half a page.

In the afternoon we drive to Punto Gallo and are enchanted by the homeward journey through the Favorita. R. completes his page, and in the evening he reads aloud the first act of Faust II, during which we ask ourselves in amazement how it is possible to be so entranced by such alien relationships, which leave us cold, and such unsympathetic characters; yet every word grips us, even the children.