kyrie. This second opera is awfully long. However,
it has two good entre-acts, when you can walk around and talk to
everybody; and I can assure you we have plenty to say after having been
kept quiet for over an hour in the dark theatre. The chairs are so
uncomfortable, and if you move somebody hisses. There is not much
politeness in Bayreuth. We don't get as good a view of the stage as
some people, but we have splendid places; the Countess of ---- is in
front of us, her sister right beside me, and behind are the ----s, and
near by Lady ----. So you see we couldn't possibly have better seats.

For the Valkyrie I wore a new mauve and pale green frock. I don't think
you've seen it. The bill was atrocious. I sha'n't pay it; but the
costume is a great success. Portions of this second opera are awfully
tiresome, first one couple and then another, going on for hours about
nothing, but there are some exquisite clouds that move and grow and
scatter exactly like nature, only more so, and make up a little for the
dull people. I notice one thing: _all_ the gods and goddesses have
always such troubles. There isn't a single happy creature among them,
not even Wotan, who is god of them all, and wears a silly gold curl
over one eye. I think it lowers his whole dignity; but they make a
great many mistakes like that. Of course, one oughtn't to think of
these things, but should simply listen to and enjoy the beautiful
music, but my nature is so sensitive I can't help it. There are a lot
of Valkyrie, you know, who wear a sort of antique dress-reform costume,
not pretty, and ride through the air on deliciously funny-looking
horses. And Brunhilde, the leader of them, a rather nice person,
behaves quite like a human being in "Siegfried," the next opera, which
I will tell you about later. In "Valkyrie" you think she is going to be
burnt up, but in "Siegfried" she is saved after all. I suppose there is
some sort of Biblical idea about hell. You recognized the Bible very
often in "Parsifal." I much prefer Siegfried as a person to Parsifal.
He's not such a _very_ good boy. There's more an air of athletics,
football, rowing, and all that about Siegfried, while Parsifal smacks
just a little, I think, of the Young Men's Christian Association. You
can _kiss_ Siegfried with impunity, too; in fact, it saved Brunhilde's
life, and I wouldn't mind running a few risks myself to be saved in the
same way! You get perfectly drunk with this music of the last ac