We had now come to the point of rehearsing for the concert.  The Royal Opera had supplied me with the singers needed for the selections from Rheingold, the Walkure, and Siegfried (’Schmiede-Lieder’), and also for Pogner’s Anrede from the Meistersinger.  I had only to fall back on amateurs for the three Rhine maidens.  The concert director Hellmesberger was a great help to me in this matter as in every other way, and his fine playing and enthusiastic demonstrations when leading the orchestra never failed in any circumstances.  After the deafening preliminary rehearsals in a small music-room in the opera house, which had perplexed Cornelius by the great noise they made, we arrived at the stage itself.  In addition to the expense of hiring the place, I had to bear the cost of the requisite extension of the orchestra.  The room, which was lined all round with theatrical scenery, was still extraordinarily unfavourable for sound.  I hardly felt like running the risk of providing an acoustic wall and ceiling on my own account, however.  Although the first performance on 26th December drew a large audience, it brought me in nothing but outrageously heavy expenses and great distress at the dismal effect of the orchestra owing to the bad acoustics.  In spite of the dark outlook I decided to bear the cost of building a sound-screen, in order to enhance the effect of the two following concerts, when I flattered myself I might count on the success of the efforts that were being made to arouse interest in the highest circles.

My friend Prince Liechtenstein thought this was by no means impossible, and believed he might manage to interest the Imperial Court through Countess Zamoiska, one of the ladies-in-waiting, and he one day accompanied me through the interminable corridors of the Imperial Castle on a visit to this lady.  I afterwards learned that Mme. Kalergis had also been at work here on my behalf, but she had apparently only succeeded in winning over the young Empress, for she alone was present at the performance, and without any retinue.  But at the second concert I had to endure all kinds of disillusionment.  In spite of all warnings to the contrary, I had fixed it for the New Year’s Day of 1863.  The hall was exceedingly badly filled, and my sole satisfaction was to know that by improving the acoustic properties of the place the orchestra sounded extremely well.  In consequence of this the reception of the various pieces was so favourable that at the third concert, on 8th January, I was able to perform before an overflowing house, and thus obtained very gratifying testimony to the fine musical taste of the Viennese public.  The by no means startling prelude to Pogner’s Anrede from the Meistersinger was enthusiastically encored, in spite of the fact that the singer had already risen to his feet for the next part.  At this moment I chanced to see in one of the boxes a most comforting omen for my present position; for I recognised Mme. Kalergis,