▁But ▁despite ▁lo bb ying ▁William ▁George ▁C us ins ▁( the ▁Master ▁of ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁Mus ick ) ▁to ▁conduct ▁his ▁other ▁orch est ral ▁works , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁ever ▁to ▁get ▁these ▁performed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁Pra eg er ▁agreed ▁a ▁contract ▁with ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁D ys art ▁to ▁send ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁his ▁compos itions , ▁for ▁a ▁rem un er ation ▁of ▁£ 2 0 0 ▁a ▁year . ▁The ▁Earl , ▁who ▁was ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁London ▁Wagner ▁Society , ▁also ▁commission ed ▁him ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁bi ography ▁of ▁Wagner . ▁Pra eg er ▁died ▁in ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁ ▁Pra eg er ▁and ▁Wagner ▁Pra eg er ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁early ▁advoc ate ▁of ▁Wagner ' s ▁music , ▁having ▁written ▁the ▁first ▁article ▁on ▁Wagner ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁press ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁after ▁hearing ▁the ▁over t ure ▁to ▁T ann hä user ▁in ▁Germany . ▁In ▁fact , ▁the ▁article ▁was ▁on ▁Wagner ' s ▁earlier ▁opera , ▁R ien zi . ▁Pra eg er ▁learned ▁much ▁about ▁Wagner ▁in ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁their ▁mut ual ▁friend ▁August ▁Rö ck el , ▁but ▁his ▁published ▁journal ism ▁shows ▁him ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁s cept ical ▁about ▁the ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁" New ▁German ▁School " ▁( which ▁included ▁Wagner , ▁H ector ▁Ber li oz ▁and ▁Franz ▁Lis zt )