their departure from the familiar home country, and a short orchestral piece by way of conclusion, I also dashed off an overture for my friend’s play.  I sketched out the complete draft of this one evening at Minna’s house, while Apel was left free to talk to her as much and as loudly as he liked.  The effect this composition was calculated to produce rested on a fundamental idea which was quite simple, yet startling in its development.  Unfortunately I worked it out rather hurriedly.  In not very carefully chosen phrasing the orchestra was to represent the ocean, and, as far as might be, the ship upon it.  A forcible, pathetically yearning and aspiring theme was the only comprehensible idea amid the swirl of enveloping sound.  When the whole had been repeated, there was a sudden jump to a different theme in extreme pianissimo, accompanied by the swelling vibrations of the first violins, which was intended to represent a Fata Morgana.  I had secured three pairs of trumpets in different keys, in order to produce this exquisite, gradually dawning and seductive theme with the utmost niceties of shade and variety of modulation.  This was intended to represent the land of desire towards which the hero’s eyes are turned, and whose shores seem continually to rise before him only to sink elusively beneath the waves, until at last they soar in very deed above the western horizon, the crown of all his toil and search, and stand clearly and unmistakably revealed to all the sailors, a vast continent of the future.  My six trumpets were now to combine in one key, in order that the theme assigned to them might re-echo in glorious jubilation.  Familiar as I was with the excellence of the Prussian regimental trumpeters, I could rely upon a startling effect, especially in this concluding passage.  My overture astonished every one, and was tumultuously applauded.  The play itself, however, was acted without dignity.  A conceited comedian, named Ludwig Meyer, completely ruined the title part, for which he excused himself on the ground that, having to act as stage manager also, he had been unable to commit his lines to memory.  Nevertheless, he managed to enrich his wardrobe with several splendid costumes at Apel’s expense, wearing them, as Columbus, one after the other.  At all events, Apel had lived to see a play of his own actually performed, and although this was never repeated, yet it afforded me an opportunity of increasing my personal popularity with the people of Magdeburg, as the overture was several times repeated at concerts by special request.

But the chief event of this theatrical season occurred towards its close.  I induced Mme. Schroder-Devrient, who was staying in Leipzig, to come to us for a few special performances, when, on two occasions, I had the great satisfaction and stimulating experience of myself conducting the operas in which she sang, and thus entering into immediate artistic collaboration with her.  She appeared as Desdemona and Romeo.