Tuesday, August 29:
Richter writes from Pest, but he annoys R. because he has not been working for him and has not yet prepared the score of Das Rheingold for Schott. At eleven o’clock Baron Loen comes for a conference; he is taking Tausig’s place, and R. is very pleased with him and his enthusiasm. We are glad to have found him and believe that things will now go more smoothly.
Just as we are settling down to a siesta, Jakob announces Herr Bucher, and it really is our old friend, whom we welcome with joy to Tribschen. Then Louis Brassin, the doughty German musician from Brussels, also arrives. We talked about all sorts of things.
Lothar Bucher horrifies us with the news that Duke Ratibor, Duke von Ujest, and Count Lehndorff had allowed Herr Strousberg to put down their names for 100,000 thalers in the Rumanian shares, and this had induced the smaller capital-holders to part with their money. The aristocratic gentlemen, since they gave nothing but their names, have escaped without damage except to their honor, but the less well-to-do have lost everything.