Then it was that the Vienna Musical Union (Musik-Verein), with its mighty orchestra of two hundred and fifty first-class instrumentalists, had just attained its maximuim of effectiveness under Hans Eichter's gifted predecessor, Johann von Herbeck. Until it became my privilege to attend the Concerts of the Musik-Verein, I had never even dreamed of such an executant corporation or conceived such performances to be possible. All the leading artists — all the recognised “soloists" of Vienna served in its ranks.