Richard addresses Eduard Lassen and thanks him for the “four gentlemen from the crooked horn” that were made available to him, hoping that they are also “inclined towards the straight horn,” as Richard has had two tenor and two baryton tubas made. He further requests a violist, as “everyone wants to play the violin, but no one wants to play the viola…”. Hermann Levi is also tasked with searching for (good!) violists and a Sieglinde – Therese Vogl might be considered for this role, and Richard considers attending a performance.
A telegram to Josef Standthartner announces Richard and Cosima’s arrival in Vienna on February 21. Standthartner is a doctor (including being the personal physician of Empress Elisabeth) and lives with his family on the grounds of the General City Hospital. Originally, it was planned that Richter would lead the rehearsals for the concert on March 1 in Vienna, so Richard would only need to conduct the final rehearsal and the performance – however, this plan fell through (“No news from Richter”).