about without any rhyme or reason beyond that of giving
expression to meaningless irritation. The question thus raised
regarding the significance of the modern Jew in music stimulated
me to make a closer examination of Jewish influence and the
characteristics peculiar to it. This I did in a lengthy treatise
on 'Judaism in Music.' Although I did not wish to hide my
identity, as its author, from all inquiries, yet I considered it
advisable to adopt a pseudonym, lest my very seriously intended
effort should be degraded to a purely personal matter, and its
real importance be thereby vitiated. The stir, nay, the genuine
consternation, created by this article defies comparison with any
other similar publication. The unparalleled animosity with which,
even up to the present day, I have been pursued by the entire
press of Europe can only be understood by those who have taken an
account of this article and of the dreadful commotion which it
caused at the time of its publication. It must also be remembered
that almost all the newspapers of Europe are in the hands of
Jews. Apart from these facts, it would be impossible to
understand the unqualified bitterness of this lasting
persecution, which cannot be adequately explained on the mere
ground of a theoretical or practical dislike for my opinions or
artistic works. The first outcome of the article was a storm
which broke over poor Brendel, who was entirely innocent, and,
indeed, hardly conscious of his offence. This erelong developed
into a savage persecution which aimed at nothing less than his
ruin. Another immediate result was that the few friends whom
Liszt had induced to declare themselves in my favour forthwith
took refuge in a discreet silence. As it soon seemed advisable,
in the interests of their own productions, to give direct
evidence of their estrangement from me, most of them passed over