Along with all that has been mentioned thus far, and an increasingly expanding literary activity — I had supplied detailed articles to the Halle Yearbooks, Caecilia, the Lexicon of Music, etc. — there was yet another special activity that occupied my time and my lively interest, even though its intended goal would remain unachieved.

Already, over the course of several years it had been the intent of the Ministry of Culture to found a Conservatorium of music in Berlin. More than once I had had occasion, or taken the initiative to express my expert opinion on this situation. King Frederick William IV had striven, as soon as he had taken power, to surround himself with famed or beloved personalities from abroad. Thus, among others, the philosopher Schelling, the poet Friedrich Rückert, and the painter Cornelius were invited here.

Schelling already had the heights of his career behind him. He had spent the last few years in Munich without any further literary activity. People talked considerably about his mystical seclusion: how those assigned to him were lead through a shadowy set of gardens into a salon, and there had to wait for him for a long time, until finally other doors would open and the already old man, with long and flowing attire solemnly entered like a wizard.

In Berlin he was supposed to be the replacement for Hegel at the University; the immediate predecessor of Hegel's would thus now be his successor. Hegel had not just died; but the absolute value of absolute philosophy had suffered a notable blow in higher regions, as it appeared. For, while earlier, it was not easy for a philosopher who was not an acquaintance of Hegel to hope for advancement, now there was a considerable yearning to see new paths opened for speculative knowledge. People no longer trusted Hegel's teaching, or did not trust it enough.

Naturally I had already striven to become familiar with Schelling's thinking. Now I could have taken a spot among those listening to him speak. But I felt no yearning, and no express inclination for speculative philosophy generally; I, as former jurist and committed artist craved the reassuring ground of facts and experience.