I finished the instrumentation, too, yesterday and to-day at least can rest from writing! I rehearsed the choral parts of my new composition [The Love-Feast of the Apostles] for the first time last Tuesday. It already goes better than I expected. As soon as it had been sung once through, there was an outburst of enthusiasm from the 200 singers present which they expressed by a long round of applause. We hold rehearsals in a large hall in the Brühlschen Gardens, so several of us went after rehearsal to the restaurant there, for a little refreshment. As I entered I was received with the "Peace" chorus out of Rienzi played by the orchestra. When it was over all the people present applauded quite alarmingly. I then discovered that it had just been given for the third time by request. Then came the overture from Rienzi again, which is becoming positively hackneyed, followed by another outburst of applause. Hartung told me afterwards that he had learned the overture to his cost; it is asked for so often that his orchestra are almost done to death playing it; it had just been called for the third time.
Richard Wagner
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner, Volume 1, ed. Altmann/Hull (London: Dent, 1927), No. 93