What a surprise this Rhine climate has been – the people say it hardly ever snows. Not being myself, I saw Dr., and he has given me orders to starve and keep quiet. I have been treated to a delicious draught of castor oil, and have a box of pills for future reference.
9 p.m. Back from the Flying Dutchman. Being seedy and sitting next to a Canadian ass who made long remarks in the midst of the performance, I could not give it my best attention. The scenery in the first and third acts was amazing and, the music was no means behind it; tremendous bursts and crashings upon the unready ear, weird winding undercurrents of meaningful harmony – delightful and unexpected melodies – all Wagnerian, yet with an element of immaturity. One requires several hearings to properly appreciate these works.
Walk March 
How much opera could Lee have possibly heard in New Zealand before the war? He seems to know and appreciate a wide variety of music.
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I am not sure. There were gramophones of course, and likely Wellington and Auckland had Opera performances, as well as general classical concerts. It is not something I know anything about – although come to think of it, there is someone I know who probably does. I’ll ask.
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I would not want to suffer through a Wagnerian opera on an early gramophone. At a couple of minutes per disc side or cylinder that is a lot of flipping!
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