The year 1874 was unusually full of movement and varied excitement for our composer. From January onwards he was besieged with invitations, many of which he accepted, to conduct his works at concerts and festivals in North Germany, the Rhine, Switzerland, and was obliged to reply in the negative to Dietrich's request, received in the beginning of spring, that he would include Oldenburg in his arrangements. 'DEAR FRIEND, 'I am more than sorry, but you are too late! I have already promised so much, and shall not be coming to your neighbourhood! 'If you had written earlier I could have arranged with Hanover, Bremen, etc., for, _seriously_, I should be too glad to go to you again....' The third Gesellschaft concert of the season (1873-74) took place on January 25. That the performances under Brahms would be above criticism had become by this time almost a foregone conclusion, and, beyond recording the great success achieved by Goldmark's 'Hymn of Spring,' it is only necessary to give the programme of the occasion: 1. Rheinberger: Prelude to the Opera 'The Seven Ravens.' 2. Goldmark: 'Frühlings Hymne' (May musings, from the Swedish of Geijer), for Contralto solo, Chorus, and Orchestra. (First performance, under the composer's direction.) 3. Mozart: 'Davidde Penitente,' Cantata for Soli, Chorus, and Orchestra. A few days later Brahms left Vienna to fulfil a group of engagements in Leipzig, a circumstance which in itself affords some indication of the rapid strides by which his career had lately been advancing towards the full sunshine of success that was to flood the latter portion of his path through life.