n he came
to opera he found himself constantly hampered by new and untried
conditions. He soon found that opera has to do with something besides
music. Having once begun, however, he carried it through, perforce, by
almost superhuman efforts.

Wagner, poet that he was, builded better. He had the temperament for
opera. He was adapted to operatic composition as if he had been
specially created for the purpose. Here was the union of the poet and
the musician in the same individual. Knowing the importance of the
drama, and aided by his literary instinct, he was able to select
interesting subjects which were well adapted to musical treatment. It
was the spirit of romanticism pervading these dramas of Wagner's which
enabled him to weave such music about them. We cannot imagine him making
good music to a poor libretto,--with Wagner the libretto and the music
were of equal importance, the two usually having been produced
simultaneously; his music fits the words so well that no other would be
desired.

Early in the summer, Beethoven left his quarters in the theatre and went
into the country nearby, where he could work with more freedom than in
the city. No labor seems to have been too great for him in the
composition of this work. The opera was finished early in the fall of
1805, and as soon as he returned to town he began with the rehearsals.
Then he had almost as much work as in writing the opera, everything
possible having been done to worry him. His simplicity and want of tact
seem to have been very much in evidence at this time; he was like a
child compared with the astute men of affairs with whom he now came in
contact. His greatest difficulty, however, was with his singers. A man
following so faithfully the intimations of his genius as did Beethoven,
withal a man of such striking individuality and force of character,
would be sure to disregard to some extent the capacity of his
performers. His singers made no end of trouble, stating that their parts
were unsingable and asking for alterations. Some of the members of the
orchestra also complained about technical difficulties, but the master
was obdurate, refusing to make any changes. Instead of placating them,
by which means only, a good performance was possible as things went at
that time, he overrode their wishes and would make no concessions
whether in large or in small matters. To Beethoven, music as an art was
the most serious fact in his existence; to the others, it