Departure at half past one; spirits good, the weather mild; at Eger we receive the news that there is no connection and that we must pass the night here; this proves positively cheering to us, since we had made inquiries on all sides in Bayreuth. Much talk about the Arabs, then about the trio of the Scherzo in the A major Symphony; that, had Beethoven known the trumpets of our own day, he would surely have had the theme repeated by them, instead of altering his rhythm.
Revised English translation by Jo Cousins [© Jo Cousins | WAGNER Salon]