The best of good-mornings ! Just skim a little Of this book [A. Schmid's biography of Gluck, 1852]. It is badly written, and one is compelled to skip all where the author thinks anywise needful to trot out an opinion of his own ; yet the facts, particularly from Gluck's Paris period, are highly interesting ; moreover, this passionate, yet entirely self-centred Gluck, with his calm vanity, large savings, and embroidered court-dress, has something quite amusing and refreshing about him in his old age. — Only, make a big skip at the beginning.
Richard Wagner
Source: Richard Wagner to Mathilde Wesendonck, translated by Ellis, No. 11