In 1895, Richard Bruno Heydrich sang the title role in the premiere of Hans Pfitzner's first opera, "Der arme Heinrich", based on the poem of the same name by Hartmann von Aue. More to the point, Heydrich "saved" the opera. Pfitzner's "magnum opus" was "Palestrina", which had its premiere in Munich on 12 June 1917 under the baton of Jewish conductor Bruno Walter. On the day before he died in February 1962, Walter dictated his last letter, which ended ""Despite all the dark experiences of today I am still confident that "Palestrina" will remain. The work has all the elements of immortality"".