Throughout the whole period during which I was fated to fill the post of conductor at Dresden, the effects of this dislike on the part of the court and the director continued to make themselves felt in everything.  The orchestral concerts, which had been organised by me in the previous winter, were this year placed under Reissiger’s control, and at once sank to the usual level of ordinary concerts.  Public interest quickly waned, and the undertaking could only with difficulty be kept alive.  In opera I was unable to carry out the proposed revival of the Fliegender Hollander, for which I had found in Mitterwurzer’s maturer talent an admirable and promising exponent.  My niece Johanna, whom I had destined for the part of Senta, did not like the role, because it offered little opportunity for splendid costumes.  She preferred Zampa and Favorita, partly to please her new protector, my erstwhile Rienzi enthusiast, Tichatschck, partly for the sake of three brilliant costumes which the management had to furnish for each of these parts.  In fact, these two ringleaders of the Dresden opera of that day had formed an alliance of rebellion against my vigorous rule in the matter of operatic repertoire.  Their opposition, to my great discomfiture, was crowned by success when they secured the production of this Favorita of Donizetti’s, the, arrangement of which I had once been obliged to undertake for Schlesinger in Paris.  I had at first emphatically refused to have anything to do with this opera, although its principal part suited my niece’s voice admirably, even in her father’s judgment.  But now that they knew of my feud with the director, and of my voluntary loss of influence, and finally of my evident disgrace, they thought the opportunity ripe for compelling me to conduct this tiresome work myself, as it happened to be my turn.

Besides this, my chief occupation at the royal theatre during this period consisted in conducting Flotow’s opera Martha, which, although it failed to attract the public, was nevertheless produced with excessive frequency, owing to its convenient cast.  On reviewing the results of my labours in Dresden—­where I had now been nearly seven years—­I could not help feeling humiliated when I considered the powerful and energetic impetus I knew I had given in many directions to the court theatre, and I found myself obliged to confess that, were I now to leave Dresden, not, the smallest trace of my influence would remain behind.  From various signs I also gathered that, if ever it should come to a trial before the King between the director and myself, even if his Majesty were in my favour, yet out of consideration for the courtier the verdict would go against me.