▁ ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁in ▁which ▁year ▁he ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁leader ▁amongst ▁those ▁who ▁persu aded ▁the ▁Phil harm onic ▁Society ▁to ▁inv ite ▁Wagner ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁conduct ▁their ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁season . ▁However , ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁just ▁before ▁Wagner ▁arrived ▁in ▁London , ▁Pra eg er ▁wrote ▁to ▁George ▁Hog arth ▁( the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Society ) ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁Wagner ite ▁and ▁had ▁never ▁heard ▁any ▁of ▁Wagner ' s ▁oper as . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁London ▁that ▁Pra eg er ▁and ▁Wagner ▁actually ▁met ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁In ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁Me in ▁Leben , ▁Wagner ▁explains ▁how ▁he ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Pra eg er , ▁via ▁correspond ence , ▁by ▁the ▁Rö ck el ▁family , ▁and ▁how ▁Pra eg er ▁put ▁him ▁up ▁on ▁his ▁first ▁night ▁in ▁London . ▁Pra eg er ▁later ▁accompanied ▁him ▁on ▁vis its ▁to ▁various ▁musical ▁not ables , ▁including ▁the ▁conduct or ▁Sir ▁Michael ▁Costa ▁and ▁the ▁viol in ist ▁Pro s per ▁Sain ton ▁( who ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁the ▁prime ▁m over ▁of ▁Wagner ' s ▁appointment ▁in ▁London ). ▁Wagner ▁describes ▁Pra eg er ▁patron ising ly ▁as ▁" an ▁unus ually ▁consider ate ▁fellow , ▁yet ▁a ▁bit ▁over - ex c ited ▁for ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁his ▁education ". ▁T ogether ▁they ▁visited ▁the ▁p antom ime ▁in ▁London ▁and