PREFACE

T he following book must not be offered to the public without a distinct statement of the materials of which it is composed. A portion of it appeared in “ Music and Manners in France and North Germany” which was published in the year 1841. Since that work was prepared, I have again and again visited North and South Germany, always, in such visits, looking to one and the same object of interest—always endeavouring to complete my knowledge of the state of musical creation, performance, and artistic life, as they existed previous to the year of confusion, 1848.—In more senses than one, the recent European revolution marks the close of a period;—and I have fancied that, by throwing together my earlier and my later recollections and criticisms, some small contribution might possibly be made to the history of a favourite Art during the earlier half of the present century. With this view, the chapters on the Brunswick Festival, those on Music in Berlin, Leipsic, and Dresden, which made part of my former work, have been revised with great care. Many portions of them have been altogether re-written, and large additions made: it being inevitable that in a record which aspired (within its own conditions) at completeness, certain prominent subjects should be touched upon, certain changes noted, certain reputations discussed. But though the revision has been sedulous, and though the new matter introduced is considerable, there has been no modification of judgment—no restatement of original impressions.