Tuesday, July 11:
After a good night R. and I go to a rehearsal of the 2nd act, orchestra and singers. R. willingly gives an explanation of Kundry's character to Herr Scaria, who requested it. We eat by ourselves with Stein. R. reads the two drafts, Wolz.'s and Stein's, about the new Society of Patrons and accepts Stein's draft. He also receives a copy of Herr Oesterlein's R. Wagner catalogue and remarks jokingly, "I am now enjoying myself 15 years after my death; how things will look then." A German translation of the Oupnekhat pleases him greatly. Yesterday he received an honorary diploma from St. Petersburg. He also tells us that Alexandria is being blockaded and that General Skobeleff is implicated with the nihilists.
At 5 o'clock we have a scenery rehearsal of the 2nd act with piano. In the morning R. said he was not staging an old work of his youth, but a youthful work of his old age. However, he is very tired in the evening, and a visit from the Feustels, whom he does not receive, keeps us shut up in the dining room, which greatly annoys him. They do not leave until quite late, but we then spend a little time in the salon, where R. discusses with Stein Bismarck's politics, which are precisely that: just politics.