Brahms stayed an extra day to hear my [Fifth] Symphony and was very kind. . . I like his honesty and open-mindedness. Neither he nor the players liked the finale, which I also think rather horrible.
Hamburg will have a new and important attraction with which it can distinguish itself from other cities. But the important thing is that activities should not just be limited to the building, but that the concert hall should symbolize a general mood of creative rejuvenation.