[37] A few words that occur in a letter of Mendelssohn to his sister Fanny Hensel are of interest here. 'Yesterday I read "Nausikaa" to Cécile in Voss' translation.... This poem is really irresistible when it becomes sentimental. I always felt an inclination to set it to music, of course not for the theatre, only as an epic, and this whole day I feel renewed pleasure in the idea' (p. 148 of Lady Wallace's translation of Mendelssohn's letters, 1833-1847).
[38] The entire letter is published by Richard Heuberger in the supplement to the Allgemeine Musikzeitung, 1899, No. 260.
[39] 'Franz Liszt's Briefe an Carl Gille,' with a biographical introduction by Adolph Stern.
[40] Numbers 1, 3, 10, were published in 1874 as arranged by the composer for orchestra, and were frequently conducted by him about that date.
[41] The full programme was as follows:
A German Requiem (under Reinthaler's direction).
Arie from Handel's 'Messiah' and Graun's 'Der Tod Jesu.'
'Hallelujah, Heil and Preis sei Gott.' A song of Triumph for eight-part Chorus and Orchestra lately composed by Johannes Brahms (under the composer's direction).
Soprano, Frau Wilt from Vienna, Imperial chamber singer.
Baritone, Herr Schelper, of the Berlin Court Opera.