The weather has turned mild again. Worked much with Lusch. — A lot of bills are coming in; I remark to R. how curious it is that I, who have never known real financial need, should be in a constant state of worry, whereas he, who has suffered so much from it, never feels any alarm. — Dr. Haase has won his lawsuit. —
Some articles about Andreas Hofer affect me greatly, and I observe that he was a tragic figure. R. says he once worked out a libretto for Röckel on the subject, and as usual he immediately saw it in three acts, of which the first would be the gathering of the people in the mountains. But Röckel did nothing about it! . . .
Our conversation led us to La Juive, and R. says that, after his taste had been completely ruined, it was this score which gave him back his feeling for pure music.
We talk about Mozart’s instrumentation, and R. mentions the introduction of a clarinet in Gluck’s Armide which makes one wonder where he got it from, so lovely and moving is it. —
Richter goes to see Don Giovanni and thinks he has discovered a Walküre in the Elvira.