demanded solution, which, although definite enough to my own
mind, had scarcely as yet even entered into their heads. A
singularly favourable opportunity for so doing offered itself one
day when Sulzer showed me an article on 'Opera' in Brockhaus's
Modern Encyclopedia. The good man was fully convinced that in the
opinions expressed in this article I should find a preliminary
basis for my own theories. But a hasty glance sufficed to show me
at once how entirely erroneous they were, and I tried hard to
point out to Sulzer the fundamental difference between the
accepted views, even of very sensible people, and my own
conceptions of the heart of the matter. Finding it naturally
impossible, even with all the eloquence at my command, to
elucidate my ideas all at once, I set about preparing a
methodical plan for detailed treatment of the subject as soon as
I got home. In this way I was lead to write this book which was
published under the title of Oper und Drama, a task which kept me
fully occupied for several months, in fact until February, 1851.

But I had to pay heavily for the exhausting toil expended on the
conclusion of this work. According to my calculations, only a few
days of persevering industry were needed for the completion of my
manuscript, when my parrot, which usually watched me on my
writing-table, was taken seriously ill. As it had already
completely recovered from several similar attacks, I did not feel
very anxious. Although my wife begged me to fetch a veterinary
surgeon who lived in a village which was rather far off, I
preferred to stick to my desk, and I put off going from one day
to the next. At last one evening the all-important manuscript was
finished, and the next morning our poor Papo lay dead on the
floor. My inconsolable grief over this melancholy loss was fully