It is splendid that you have finished "Faust," and you may
imagine that I am most anxious to see it; on the other hand, it
is a pity that you will not show it me sooner. At the same time,
I shall be glad to go through it WITH YOU at the piano, and to
make its acquaintance in that way, seeing that my attendance at a
good performance under your direction is for the present out of
the question. The vivid idea which you know how to convey cannot
even approximately be replaced by anything else; and I am more
than ever intent upon getting the right impression from the
first, for I greatly distrust acquaintances made by means of the
abstract notes.

It is an absurd coincidence that just at this time I have been
taken with a desire to remodel my old "Faust" overture. I have
made an entirely new score, have rewritten the instrumentation
throughout, have made many changes, and have given more expansion
and importance to the middle portion (second motive). I shall
give it in a few days at a concert here, under the title of "A
'Faust' Overture." The motto will be--

"Der Gott, der mir im Busen wohnt, Kann tief mein Innerstes
erregen; Der uber allen meinen Kraften thront, Er kann nach
aussen nichts bewegen; Und so ist mir das Dasein eine Last, Der
Tod erwunscht, das Leben mir verhasst!"

but I shall not publish it in any case.

I was at first startled at your new year's article, but soon
perceived that here again I am indebted to your ever-increasing
sympathy. If, however, you represent my work as something