Yesterday I had to write to Herr Vitzthum[i] in Hanover: he had notified us of the visit of his wife (a singer) and she did not arrive—due, we suspect, to the maliciousness of the theatre manager’s wife, the composer [Ingeborg] von Bronsart[ii]. — Betz writes from Berlin and seems to have settled the matter concerning Der FI. Hollander. — Still reading about the Battle of Spichern[iii].
News of the death of Herr Wolfram[iv], R.’s brother-in-law; R. writes a fine letter to his sister. —
“Much despised and much acclaimed,” R. called out to me in the early morning; yesterday evening he had reproached me for the little economies by means of which I am trying to keep our domestic budget from rising unduly. … —
Our sgraffito is costing us more than 400 thalers; I would rather have left our house unadorned, but I say nothing about this to R., who is pleased with the ornament.
Early to bed—R. is tired.
[i] Oboist in Hanover, member of the festival orchestra in 1876.
[ii] Ingeborg B. von Schellendorff (1840-1913), née Stark, a student of Liszt, married since 1862 to the director of the court theatre of Weimar, then Hanover, Hans B. von Schellendorff (1830-1913).
[iii] General Steinmetz’s disobedience to Moltke’s orders in the war between Germany and France resulted in a battle with enormous losses, which was described as “the greatest catastrophe of the campaign of 1870/71”.
[iv] RW’s brother-in-law Heinrich W. died on October 25th in Chemnitz.