I then came home and by eight o'clock was back in the theatre. Up till now the opera performances had been in the afternoon, but today is an evening show, and there was more of an atmosphere, people were dressed up, Glazunov in evening dress. 

At the beginning of Aida there was a small contretemps: the harps got confused and went wrong, but quickly recovered and after that all went well. There were several small slips, but nothing to worry about, and the performance generally went smoothly enough. At the end of the opera, as I was going out from the orchestra, I caught sight of Belokurova standing in the box about the orchestra pit and smiling at me. As I walked past the penitent harps I pulled a disapproving face*.

Glazunov said to me, 'Bravo, bravo, Kapellmeister!'

And so, Aida is off my shoulders, and I have done a decent job of work. I felt as though I was walking on air.