In  the  fall  of  this  year  came  another  concert  tour,
beginning  at  Carlsruhe,  where  he  played  his  Piano
Concerto,  and  was  recalled;  then  Basle,
Oldenburg  Zurich,  Mannheim,  Cologne  and  Olden-
again  burg.     This  tour  was  most  successful.     The

Christmas  holidays  were  spent  at  Detmold,
the  Oldenburg  concert  following  early  in  January  1863.
The  night  before  the  concert,  after  the  rehearsal,  Brahms
played  the  "  Handel  Variations "  for  the  members  of
the  orchestra,  who  were  delighted  with  it.  **  The  fugue,"
one  writes,  "is  perfectly  fascinating."  At  the  concert
the  Concerto  and  the  Horn  Trio  (Op.  40)  were  received
with  enthusiasm,  largely  due,  no  doubt,  to  Dietrich's
"  campaign  of  education  "  and  known  partisanship.
Brahms   remained  for  a  short  visit   with   the   Diet-

richs,  by  whom  he  was  very  much  loved  and

Affaire  du    honoured.     Dietrich  calls  him  "  the  pleas-

Cceur  antest    visitor   imaginable — always   amiable

and  unassuming,  always  in  good  spirits."    Ic

was  during  this  visit  that  he  was  very  much  attracted

32


Biographical


by  a  young  lady  who  frequented  the  Dietrichs'  house.
