Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of September 24, 1881

Overview

Improved weather and steady work on the proofs of his article gave the day a promising start, though Richard failed in a playful attempt to surprise Cosima and Liszt in Joukowsky's studio. The evening then soured into a tense, disorderly scene involving a drunken servant, awkward music-making, and an upsetting exchange with Forges that sent the guests away uneasy. What restored Cosima was overhearing Richard turn back to the practical consolation of his unfinished score, after which the two of them spoke intimately and found some relief together.

Content

Saturday, September 24:

The weather has taken a turn for the better, the barometer has risen. R. works on the proofs of his article, and he tries to surprise my father and me in Jouk.’s studio, but he misses us.

The Wolzs lunch with us; that always provides some good etymological conversation between him and R., but at table he is already somewhat out of humor.

Then in the evening all sorts of things arise-our manservant drunk, for R. bad luck at cards, which he then abandons, but above all, I fear, the Mephisto-Walzer, played by my father, along with a conversation with Forges while the rest of us are playing whist-quite an appalling atmosphere. He flares up, and everybody goes away in some alarm. I stand at the top of his spiral staircase listening to him in order to decide what to do, and to my joy I hear him say: “Still so-and-so many pages to do! I shall be glad when I have finished my score.”

I then go to him, and together we pour out our hearts over, oh, so many things, among which the tête-à-tête with Forges and the tipsy Georg with the guitar (Pepino had been singing) provide the moments of light relief. (Before supper I inspected a strapontin.)