Adorno - Dream notes

In my dream, I was travelling with G. in a large, very comfortable bus down from Pontresina to the Lower Engadine. The bus was quite full and there was no lack of people I knew: the much travelled illustrator Miss P. and an old professor in industry and his wife were among them. However, the bus did not travel along the Engadine road, but went somewhere and will then turn over and we shall all be dead. That same moment the bus plunged over the side. Suddenly, I came to and found myself standing up, facing G.; both of us were unharmed. I realized I was crying as I said, I would so like to have kept on being alive with you. Only then did I notice that my body was completely smashed up. At the moment of death, I awoke.

Dream: appeared to me and said in a sorrowful voice: My child, I always used to say to you that we shall meet again after our death. Today, I can only tell you: I dont know.

I found myself in Paris without any money, but wanted to visit a particularly elegant brothel, the Maison Drouot (in reality, Htel Drouot is the best-known auction house for antiques). I asked Friedel to lend me some money: 200 francs. To my great astonishment he gave them to me, saying, however: I only give them you because the food in the Htel Drouot is so outstanding. In fact, without even catching a glimpse of a girl, I did eat in the bar a beefsteak that made me so happy that I forgot about everything else. It was served with a white sauce.

In another dream, earlier the same night, I saw Agathe. She said: My child, you mustnt be cross with me, but if I owned two genuine valleys, I would give up all of Schuberts music in exchange.

(while he was working on In Search of Wagner)

My dream had a title: Siegfrieds last adventure or Siegfrieds last death. It took place on a vast stage which did not just represent a landscape but actually was one: small rocks and a lot of vegetation, rather like in the mountains leading up to the Alpine pastures. Siegfried was striding through this theatrical landscape toward the rear, accompanied by someone, I cannot remember who. He was dressed half in mythological, half in modern clothes, a little bit like for a rehearsal. Finally, he discovered his adversary, a figure in riding dress: grey-green linen suit, riding breeches and brown riding boots. He started to fight with him, but their struggle was plainly all in fun. It mainly consisted of his wrestling with his opponent, who was already on the ground and who seemed happy to let this happen. Siegfried soon succeeded in forcing him onto his back until his shoulders touched the ground, and he was either declared the loser or he admitted as much. Unexpectedly, however, Siegfried drew a small dagger from his jacket pocket, where he kept it on a small clip, as if it were a fountain pen. He hurled the knife at his opponents chest from close to, as if in play. The latter groaned aloud and it became clear that it was a woman. She quickly made her escape, saying that she would now have to die alone in her little house, that was the hardest thing of all. She disappeared into a building that looked like the ones belonging to the Darmstadt artist colony. Siegfried sent his companion after her with instructions to take possession of her treasures. Brnnhilde then appeared in the background in the shape of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Sounding like a nagging wife, she screamed, I want a ring, I want a beautiful ring, dont forget to take her ring from her. This was how Siegfried obtained the ring of the Nibelung.