d been wrought, Zelter began
to weaken, and at last gave in, and besides promised all the aid in
his power.

How this youth, not yet twenty, undertook the great task of preparing
this masterpiece, and what he accomplished is little short of the
marvelous. The public performance, conducted by Mendelssohn, took
place March 11, 1829, with every ticket sold and more than a thousand
persons turned away. A second performance was given on March 21, the
anniversary of Bach's birth, before a packed house. These performances
marked the beginning of a great Bach revival in Germany and England,
and the love for this music has never been lost, but increases each
year.

And now it seemed best for Felix to travel and see something of other
countries. He had long wished to visit England, and the present seemed
a favorable time, as his friends there assured him of a warm
welcome. The pleasure he felt on reaching London was increased by the
enthusiastic greeting he received at the hands of the musical public.
He first appeared at a Philharmonic concert on May 25, when his
Symphony in C minor was played. The next day he wrote to Fanny: "The
success of the concert last night was beyond all I had ever dreamed.
It began with my Symphony. I was led to the desk and received an
immense applause. The Adagio was encored, but I went on; the Scherzo
was so vigorously applauded that I had to repeat it. After the Finale
there was lots more applause, while I was thanking the orchestra and
shaking hands, till I left the room."

A continual round of functions interspersed with concerts at which he
played or conducted, filled the young composer's time. The overture to
"Midsummer Night's Dream" was played several times and always received
with enthusiasm. On one occasion a friend was so careless as to leave
the manuscript in a hackney coach on his way home and it was lost.
"Never mind, I will write another," said Mendelssohn, which he was
able to do, without making a single error.

When the London season closed, Mendelssohn and his friend Klingemann
went up to Scotland, where he was deeply impressed with the varied
beauty of the scenery. Perhaps the Hebrides enthralled him most, with
their lonely grandeur. His impressions have been preserved in the
Overture to "Fingal's Cave," while from the whole trip he gained
inspiration for the Scottish Symphony.

On his return to London and before he could set out for Berlin, Felix
injured his knee, which laid