Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of October 11, 1871

Overview

Cosima writes letters about Rothschild, Marie Schleinitz, and the abusive Munich articles, asking Duflipp to urge the King to withdraw Rheingold and Walküre. Wagner works and shares new music before lunching with Pohl and walking with him and the children. Evening readings and music from Tristan and Siegfried deepen a shared melancholy, with silence after music striking Cosima as almost unbearable.

Content

Wednesday, October 11:

I write to Eduard Liszt about the Rothschild matter; to Marie Schleinitz, who had written to us, and to Councilor Duefflipp, sending him the abusive articles, with a humble request to the King now at last to withdraw Rheingold and Walkuere.

R. works and plays me what he has written. R. Pohl to lunch, and then a walk with him and the children. In the evening R. reads passages from the biography and plays from Tristan and Siegfried.

Both R. and I in melancholy mood; the cessation of music in particular is for me like the death blow which returns me to life!