It is true that the vocal part of the Ninth [Ninth Symphony] is difficult to perform and that the way in which the voices are treated calls for an aptitude and knowledge of music well above that of the average singer and chorus. However, I might say that, contrary to the assertions advanced by the critic, with whom I disagree, in 1842, at Vienna in Austria, I heard Otto Nicolai conduct the Choral Symphony with 1,200 musicians (450 instrumentalists and 750 voices) and it was admirable from every point of view: ensemble, solidity, precision of attack, rhythm, perfect intonation, and observation of nuance even in the highest notes and the most ticklish passages.