Wagner and Mendelssohn:

Wagner expressed his approval of the Dresden premiere of “Paulus”; and one year later, Mendelssohn voiced appreciation for the Berlin premiere of “Der fliegende Holländer”. The story of the aftermath, however, is long, its consequences far-reaching, and it can be summed up simply: Wagner laid into a dead man. But it would be too simple just to focus on Wagner’s poor character; we’re dealing with a multilayered phenomenon here that goes beyond the personal.