From other sources I afterwards learned that the only kind of
opera Count Kuscelew recognised was Adam's. As for the operatic
company to be engaged to suit his taste, what he really wanted
was more a small harem than a company of artists.

So far I had not been able to arrange anything with the music
publisher Schlesinger. It was impossible to persuade him to
publish my little French songs. In order to do something,
however, towards making myself known in this direction, I decided
to have my Two Grenadiers engraved by him at my own expense.
Kietz was to lithograph a magnificent title-page for it.
Schlesinger ended by charging me fifty francs for the cost of
production. The story of this publication is curious from
beginning to end; the work bore Schlesinger's name, and as I had
defrayed all expenses, the proceeds were, of course, to be placed
to my account. I had afterwards to take the publisher's word for
it that not a single copy had been sold. Subsequently, when I had
made a quick reputation for myself in Dresden through my Rienzi,
Schott the publisher in Mainz, who dealt almost exclusively in
works translated from the French, thought it advisable to bring
out a German edition of the Two Grenadiers. Below the text of the
French translation he had the German original by Heine printed;
but as the French poem was a very free paraphrase, in quite a
different metre to the original, Heine's words fitted my
composition so badly that I was furious at the insult to my work,
and thought it necessary to protest against Schott's publication
as an entirely unauthorised reprint. Schott then threatened me
with an action for libel, as he said that, according to his
agreement, his edition was not a reprint (Nachdruck), but a
reimpression (Abdruck). In order to be spared further annoyance,