Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of January 1, 1883

Overview

On New Year's Day, despite his health problems and spasms, Richard Wagner joins Cosima at the Princess's house for a small ceremony and later attends a performance of Goldoni's Le Baruffe Chiozzotte, which delights them both. Though initially irritated that not everyone accompanied them to the theater, the performance restored his spirits entirely. Returning home, they read Goethe's account of the same play in his Italian Journey and found it surprisingly superficial.

Content

Monday, January 1:

R. felt yesterday that one should not exchange good wishes at the New Year but only on birthdays, but he is not against our little ceremony at the Princess's house, and although he has spasms, he comes there himself later.

At lunch he is somewhat vexed: he wants to go to the theater, where [Goldoni's] Le Baruffe Chiozzotte is being done, a play about which he has often talked; my father asks to be allowed to stay at home, where Lusch and Jouk. can keep him company. R. is annoyed that we do not all go, but the theater soon cheers him up, and we return home thoroughly pleased. Both play and acting delighted us.

Afterward we read Goethe's description of the play in his Italian Journey and find it rather trivial.