Category: Cosima Wagner Diaries

A new governess! May God give His blessing! R. teaches her the latest prayer for Fidi: “Dear God, tomorrow it would be nice if you could give me the largest slice!” —  R. goes to the house, I with him, he takes a bath but does not feel very well…

Consistorial visitors. R. works. Troubles with the ducal hens, which are suddenly proving difficult. Continued reading Wallenstein[1] to Lulu; R. rouses Wallenstein at Lietzen[2] with a loud Cock-a-doodle-doo,” suggested to him by the troubles with the hens. In the afternoon the children all unwell and put to bed. We read Schopenhauer (“On…

To church with the children; afterward hid the eggs in the house. R. takes another bath, after doing some work. ‘T shan’t be really healthy until I am rid of this ‘Kauder[1],’ ” he says. “By that I mean Der Ring des Nibelungen.” — Chatting from afternoon till evening with…

Some letters; governess affairs, and a very melancholy one from our friend Nietzsche, who is tormenting himself. R. exclaims, “He should either marry or write an opera, though doubt less the latter would be such that it would never get produced, and so would not bring him into contact with…

Good Friday. To church with the children; returning home, I suggest to R. that he walk to the theater with us. Since he feels too unwell to work, we ascend the hill which is also a Mount Calvary for us. In the afternoon drove to the Fantaisie to see the…