Interest in the year 1885 is focused on England, though at this time Richter served four organisations in Vienna. The five remaining concerts of the Philharmonic series between January and April 1885 produced only one work new to the city, Dvořák's Slavonic Rhapsody No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45. Though the composer was grateful when he saw his name in the programmes for the 1884–85 season, he nevertheless had doubts which he aired:

Though Dvořák suggested his Hussite Overture (which could be renamed Dramatic Overture to avoid a similar Czech association), the Scherzo capriccioso or the Sixth Symphony, the conductor left the programme as it stood for 1 March 1885. Dvořák wrote again after the concert to remind him of the two new works as well as asking for a performance of his Stabat Mater in Vienna. It was performed in April 1886 by the Wiener Singakademie, but not under Richter. Dvořák also hoped they would meet at Birmingham later in the year, when he would conduct his own newly-commissioned Spectre's Bride.

Richter engaged d'Albert as soloist in Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto for the concert for the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde on 4 January 1885. D'Albert had now Germanicised his Christian name from Eugène to Eugen and alienated his English friends by claiming he had never learnt a thing in the land of his birth. This behaviour distressed such supporters as Mrs Joshua, despite reassurances from her friend Sir George Grove that the young man was only going through a Sturm und Drang period in his life. He reminded her that it was only because d'Albert was so good when she introduced him to Richter that the famous conductor took him to Vienna and, within a very short time, presented him at a Philharmonic concert, all of which could have only reflected well upon his training in London.