Dining at the Horn

Tuesday, July 28th., Salzburg.

Kommer came at 6.45 and we were to have gone to a rehearsal of "The Miracle", but there was to be no choir that night, he found, so we didn't go. I was determined to dine one night at the Horn Hotel with the golden sign, and we went there last night. The food was excellent and cheap and the wine excellent. We talked about the organisation of the people's pleasure. Kommer quoted Chesterton as saying that since Dickens no one in England had cared for the people's pleasure because the Tories hated the people and the Liberals hated pleasure. Kommer pointed out how in Continental cities a young man could get decent civilised pleasure for almost nothing, especially in Berlin, Paris, and also in the smaller cities such as Salzburg. But not in London. When he was young in London there was nothing. Everything closed earlier (it closes earlier now) and there are only the night clubs even now, and they are not for the poor. We have the loveliest river, and it is not organised. The restaurants and cafes are rotten, and not accueillants, no choice of food and the food bad, little music, and it is so difficult to get to the places - you have to change and do all sorts of things. In places like Vienna, Berlin and Paris, all such places are easy to get to (especially in Teutonic countries) and the entire population goes out to them on Sundays.

See also, 'Adrift in Austria' - July 17th., http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/friday-july-17th.html

As regards the stage, Kommer said that young actors were not supposed to live on their salaries. Parents tried to stop their children going on the stage, because of the hazardous nature of the career; but once children were there they helped them to make a start. The profession had a good social standing. He said that Geman (not Austrian) actors were impossible creatures to live and work with. Outrageous. He said they had twelve German actors in the "Miracle" at New York, and they caused far more trouble than all the rest of the 350 to 400 in the company put together.

I wrote another 1,000 words of "Lord Raingo" yesterday morning.