CHAPTER IV.

LEIPZIC, 1827-1831.

Return to Leipzic--The Stadttheater; Rosalie and Louise--Jews, their treatment by Leipzic townspeople--Wagner’s attitude towards them--His first love a Jewess--At the St. Nicolas school three years, St. Thomas school and the University a few months each--Describes himself during his Leipzic school-days as “wild, negligent, and idle”--Reprehensible gambling of his mother’s pension--Crisis of his life--Haydn’s symphonies at the theatres and Beethoven’s symphonies in the concert-room--Beethoven a pessimist--Haydn and Mozart optimists--Resolve to become a musician--Private study of theory--His first overture, 1830, laughed at--His marvellously neat penmanship--Takes lessons from Cantor Weinlig--Writes a sonata without one original idea or one phrase of more than common interest--Beethoven his daily study--Weber and Beethoven his models--Combines in himself the special gifts of both, the idealism of the former and the reasoned working of the latter.....26