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Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 1, "From Paris to Rome: Years of
Travel as a Virtuoso"
by Franz Liszt; letters collected by La Mara and translated by
Constance Bache
CONTENTS
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
DEDICATION
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION, BY CONSTANCE BACHE
TABLE OF LETTER CONTENTS
THE LETTERS OF FRANZ LISZT, VOL. 1
INFO ABOUT THIS E-TEXT EDITION
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
The Austrian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a pianistic
miracle. He could play anything on site and composed over 400
works centered around "his" instrument. Among his key works are
his Hungarian Rhapsodies, his Transcendental Etudes, his Concert
Etudes, his Etudes based on variations of Paganinini's Violin
Caprices and his Sonata, one of the most important of the
nineteenth century. He also wrote thousands of letters, of which
260 are translated into English in this first of a 2-volume set
of letters.
Those who knew him were also struck by his extremely
sophisticated personality. He was surely one of the most
civilized people of the nineteeth century, internalizing within
himself a complex conception of human civility, and attempting to
project it in his music and his communications with people. His
life was centered around people; he knew them, worked with them,
remembered them, thought about them, and wrote about them using
an almost poetic language, while pushing them to reflect the high
ideals he believed in. His personality was the embodiment of a
refined, idealized form of human civility. He was the consummate
musical artist, always looking for ways to communicate a new
civilized idea through music, and to work with other musicians in
organizing concerts and gatherings to perform the music publicly.
He also did as much as he could to promote and compliment those
whose music he believed in.
He was also a superlative musical critic, knowing, with few
mistakes, what music of his day was "artistic" and what was not.
But, although he was clearly a musical genius, he insisted on
projecting a tonal, romantic "beauty" in his music, confining his
music to a narrow range of moral values and ideals. He would have
rejected 20th-century music that entertained cynical notions of
any kind, or notions that obviated the concept of beauty in any
way. There is no Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Cage, Adams
and certainly no Schoenberg in Liszt's music. His music has an
ideological "ceiling," and that ceiling is "beauty." It never
goes beyond that. And perhaps it was never as "beautiful" as the
music of Mozart, Bach or Beethoven, nor quite as rational (Are
all the emotions in Liszt's music truly "controlled?"). But it
certainly was original and instructive, and it certainly will
linger.
DEDICATION
To the Memory of
MY BROTHER WALTER,
AND TO OUR
DEAR AND HONORED FRIEND
A.J. HIPKINS, ESQ.,
I DEDICATE THIS TRANSLATION.
--C.B.
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION, BY CONSTANCE BACHE
In writing a few words of Preface I wish to express, first and
foremost, my appreciation of the extreme care and
conscientiousness with which La Mara has prepared these volumes.
In a spirit of no less reverence I have endeavored, in the
English translation, to adhere as closely as possible to all the
minute characteristics that add expression to Liszt's letters:
punctuation has, of necessity, undergone alteration, but italics,
inverted commas, dashes and other marks have been strictly
observed. It may be objected that unnecessary particularity has
been shown in the translation of various titles, names of
Societies or newspapers, quotations, etc.; but there are many
people who, while understanding French, do not read German, and
vice versa, and therefore it has seemed better to translate
everything. Where anything has been omitted in the printed
letters I have adhered to the sign .--. employed by La Mara to
indicate the hiatus. It has seemed best to preserve the spelling
of all proper names as written by Liszt, and not to Anglicise
any, as it is impossible to do all; and therefore, even at the
risk of a seeming affectation, the original form of the name has
been preserved. In the same spirit I have adhered to the correct
form of the name of our adopted composer Handel, and trust I may
be pardoned for so doing on the strength of a little joke of
Liszt's own "The English," he said, "always talk about Gluck and
Handel!"
La Mara says in her Preface that this collection can by no means
be considered a complete one, as there must exist other letters--
to Liszt's mother, to Berlioz, Tausig, etc.--which it is hoped
may yet be some day forthcoming. In like manner might there not
also be letters to his daughter Madame Ollivier (not to mention
his still-living daughter Madame Wagner)? [Another volume of
Liszt's letters, of a still more intimate character, addressed to
a lady friend, will be published later on.]
The English edition is increased by four letters one to Peter
Cornelius, No. 256A in Vol. I., which is interesting in its
reference to the "Barbier"; and, in Vol. II., a kind letter of
introduction which the Master gave me for Madame Tardieu, in
Brussels; one letter to Walter Bache, and one to the London
Philharmonic Society (Nos. 370A and 370B); one of these, it is
true, is partially quoted in a footnote by La Mara, but at this
distance of time there is no reason why these letters should not
be inserted entire, and they will prove of rather particular
interest, both to my brother's friends, and also as having
reference to that never-to-be-forgotten episode--Liszt's last
visit to England.
This visit, which took place in 1886, a few months before the
Master's death, was for the purpose of his being present at the
performance of his Oratorio of St. Elizabeth (see Letter 370 and
subsequent letters).
More than forty years had elapsed since Liszt's previous visit to
our shores; times had changed, and the almost unknown, and wholly
unappreciated, had become the acknowledged King in a realm where
many were Princes. Some lines embodying in words England's
welcome to this king--headed by a design in which the Hungarian
and the English coats-of-arms unite above two clasped hands, and
a few bars of a leading theme from the St. Elizabeth--were
written by me and presented to Liszt with a basket of roses
(emblematic of the rose miracle in the Oratorio) tied with the
Hungarian colors, on his entrance into St. James's Hall on April
6th, 1886.
As a memento of that occasion it has been chosen as frontispiece
to the Second Volume.
Constance Bache
London, December 1893
TABLE OF LETTER CONTENTS (LETTER NUMBER, FOLLOWED BY ADDRESSEE):
1. Carl Czerny in Vienna. December 23rd, 1828
2. De Mancy in Paris. December 23rd, 1829
3. Carl Czerny. August 26th, 1830
4. Alphonse Brot in Paris. Beginning of the 30th year
5. Pierre Wolff in Geneva. May 2nd, 1832
6. Ferdinand Hiller. June 20th, 1833
7. Abbe de Lamennais, La Chenaie. January 14th, 1835
8. Liszt's Mother 183-
9. Abbe de Lamennais. May 28th, 1836
10. Lydie Pavy in Lyons. August 22nd, 1836
11. Abbe de Lamennais. December 18th, 1837
12. Breitkopf and Hartel in Leipzig. April 5th, 1838
13. Robert Schumann in Leipzig. May, 1838
14. The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. June 1st, 1815
15. Simon Lowy in Vienna. September 22nd, 1838
16. Pacini in Paris. September 30th, 1838
17. Breitkopf and Hartel. January 3rd, 1839
18. Princess Christine Belgiojoso in Paris. June 4th, 1839
19. Robert Schumann. June 5th, 1820
20. Breitkopf and Hartel. June, 1839
21. The Beethoven Committee at Bonn. October 3rd, 1839
22. Count Leo Festetics in Pest. November 24th, 1839
23. Clara Wieck. December 25th, 1839
24. Robert Schumann. March 27th, 1841
25. Franz von Schober in Vienna. April 3rd, 1840
26. Maurice Schlesinger in Paris. May 14th, 1840
27. Franz von Schober. May or June, 1840
28. the same. August 29th, 1840
29. Buloz in Paris. October 26th, 1840
30. Franz von Schober. December 5th, 1840
31. Breitkopf and Hartel. May 7th, 1841
32. Simon Lowy. May 20th, 1841
33. Franz von Schober. March 3rd, 1842
34. The Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Konigsberg.
March 18th, 1842
35. Freiherr von Spiegel in Weimar. September 12th, 1842
36. Carl Filitsch2 or 1843
37. Franz von Schober. March 4th, 1844
38. Franz Kroll. June 11th, 1844
39. Freund. June 11th, 1844
40. Franz von Schober. March 3rd, 1845
41. Franz Kroll in Glogau. March 26th, 1845
42. Abbe de Lamennais. April 28th, 1845
43. Frederic Chopin. May 21st, 1845
44. George Sand. May 21st, 1845
45. Abbe de Lamennais. June 1st, 1845
46. Gaetano Belloni in Paris. July 23rd, 1845
47. Mme. Rondonneau in Sedan. February 11th, 1846
48. Grillparzer 1846 (?)
49. Franz von Schober in Weimar. April 11th, 1846
50. the same. May 28th, 1846
51. Alexander Seroff. September 14th, 1847
52. Carl Haslinger in Vienna. December 19th, 1847
53. Baron von Dornis in Jena. March 6th, 1848
54. Franz von Schober. April 22nd, 1848
55. Bernhard Cossmann in Baden-Baden. September 18th, 1848
56. Carl Reinecke. March 25th, 1849
57. Count Sandor Teleky(?) May 5th, 1849
58. Belloni(?). May 14th, 1849
59. Carl Reinecke. May 30th, 1849
60. Robert Schumann. June 5th, 1849
61. the same. July 27th, 1849
62. the same. August 1st, 1849
63. Carl Reinecke. September 7th, 1849
64. Breitkopf and Hartel. January 14th, 1850
65. the same. February 24th, 1850
66. J. C. Lobe in Leipzig. July 10th, 1850
67. Friedrich Wieck in Dresden. August 4th, 1850
68. Simon Lowy. August 5th, 1850
69. Mathilde Graumann. October 11th, 1850
70. Carl Reinecke. January 1st, 1851
71. Leon Escudier in Paris. February 4th, 1851
72. Carl Reinecke. March 19th, 1851
73. Dr. Eduard Liszt in Vienna1
74. Count Casimir Esterhazy. June 6th, 1851
75. Theodor Uhlig in Dresden. June 25th, 1851
76. Rosalie Spohr in Brunswick. July 3rd, 1851
77. the same. July 22nd, 1851
78. Breitkopf and Hartel. December 1st, 1851
79. Louis Kohler in Konigsberg. April 16th, 1852
80. Carl Reinecke. April 16th, 1852
81. Carl Czerny. April 19th, 1852
82. Gustav Schmidt in Frankfort-on-the-Maine. May 18th, 1852
83. Robert Schumann. June 8th, 1852 84.the same. June 26th, 1852
85. Peter Cornelius. September 4th, 1852
86. Clara Schumann. September 11th, 1852
87. Carl Czerny. September or October, 1852
88. Breitkopf and Hartel. October 30th, 1852
89. the same. November 10th, 1852
90. Julius Stern in Berlin. November 24th, 1852
91. Wilhelm von Lenz in St. Petersburg. December 2nd, 1852
92. Robert Radecke in Leipzig. December 9th, 1852
93. Bernhard Cossmann. December, 1852
94. Wilhelm Fischer in Dresden. January 13th, 1853
95. Edmund Singer. January 15th, 1853
96. To Frau Dr. Lidy Steche in Leipzig. February 14th, 1853
97. Gustav Schmidt. February 27th, 1853
98. Heinrich Brockhaus in Leipzig. March 22nd, 1853
99. Dr. Franz Brendel in Leipzig. April 3rd, 1853
100. the same. April 30th, 1853
101. Louis Kohler. May 6th, 1853
102. the same. May 24th, 1853
103. the same. August 1st, 1853
104. Richard Pohl in Dresden. November 5th, 1853
105. Wilhelm Fischer. January 4th, 1854
106. Escudier in Paris. January 21st, 1854
107. the same. January 28th, 1854
108. Dr. Franz Brendel. February 20th, 1854
109. Louis Kohler. March 2nd, 1854
110. Dr. Franz Brendel. March 18th, 1854
111. Louis Kohler. April or May, 1854
112. Dr. Franz Brendel. April 26th, 1854
113. Louis Kohler. June 8th, 1854
114. Dr. Franz Brendel. June 12th, 1854
115. Carl Klindworth in London. July 2nd, 1854
116. Dr. Franz Brendel. July 7th, 1854
117. Anton Rubinstein. July 31st, 1854
118. Dr. Franz Brendel. August 12th, 1854
119. Anton Rubinstein. August, 1854
120. Alexander Ritter in Dresden. September 6th, 1854
121. Bernhard Cossmann. September 8th, 1854
122. Gaetano Belloni. September 9th, 1854
123. Dr. Eduard Liszt October 10th, 1854
124. Anton Rubinstein. October 19th, 1854
125. Dr. Franz Brendel. Beginning of November, 1854
126. Anton Rubinstein. November 19th, 1854 215
127. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 1st, 1854
128. J. W. von Wasielecvski in Bonn. December 14th, 1854
129. William Mason in New York. December 14th, 1854
130. Rosalie Spohr. January 4th, 1855
131. To Alfred Dorffel in Leipzig. January 17th, 1855
132. Anton Rubinstein. February 1st, 1855
133. Louis Kohler. March 16th, 1855
134. Dr. Franz Brendel. March 18th, 1855
135. the same. April 1st, 1855
136. Anton Rubinstein. April 3rd, 1855
137. Freiherr Beaulieu-Marconnay. May 21st, 1855
138. Anton Rubinstein. June 3rd, 1855
139. Dr. Franz Brendel. June, 1855
140. the same. June 16th, 1855
141. Edmund Singer. August 1st, 1855
142. Bernhard Cossmann. August 15th, 1855
143. August Kiel in Detmold. September 8th, 1855
144. Moritz Hauptmann. September 28th, 1855
145. Dr. Eduard Liszt December 3rd, 1855
146. Frau Meyerbeer in Berlin. December 14th, 1855
147. Dr. Ritter von Seiler in Vienna. December 26th, 1855
148. Dr. Eduard Liszt February 9th, 1856
149. Dr. von Seiler. February loth, 1856
150. Dr. Franz Brendel. February 19th, 1856
151. Dionys Pruckner in Vienna. March 17th, 1856
152. Breitkopf and Hartel. May 15th, 1856
153. Louis Kohler. May 24th, 1856
154. the same. July 9th, 1856
155. Hoffmann von Fallersleben. July 14th, 1856
156. Wilhelm Wieprecht. July 18th, 1856
157. Edmund Singer. July 28th, 1856
158. Joachim Raff. July 31st, 1856
159. Anton Rubinstein. August 6th, 1856
160. Joachim Raff. August 7th, 1856
161. Anton Rubinstein. August 21st, 1856
162. Dr. Eduard Liszt September 5th, 1856
163. Louis Kohler. October 8th, 1856
164. Dr. Gille in Jena. November 14th, 1856
165. Dr. Adolf Stern in Dresden. November 14th, 18293
166. Louis Kohler. November 21st, 1856
167. Dr. Eduard Liszt November 24th, 1856
168. Alexander Ritter in Stettin. December 4th, 1856
169. L. A. Zellner in Vienna. January 2nd, 1857 299
170. Von Turanyi in Aix-la-Chapelle. January 3rd, 1830
171. J. W. von Wasielewski. January 9th, 1857
172. Alexis von Lwoff in St. Petersburg. January 10th, 1857
173. Johann von Herbeck in Vienna. January 12th, 1857
174. Franz Gotze in Leipzig. February 1st, 1857
175. Dionys Pruckner. February 11th, 1857
176. Joachim Raff. February, 1857
177. Ferdinand David. February 26th, 1857
178. Wladimir Stassoff in St. Petersburg. March 17th, 1857
179. Wilhelm von Lenz in St. Petersburg. March 24th, 1857
180. Dr. Eduard Liszt March 26th, 1857
181. Georg Schariezer in Pressburg. April 25th, 1857
182. Dr. Eduard Liszt April 27th, 1857
183. Frau von Kaulbach. May 1st, 1857
184. Fedor von Milde in Weimar. June 3rd, 1857
185. Johann von Herbeck. June 12th, 1857
186. Countess Rosalie Sauerma. June 22nd, 1857
187. Ludmilla Schestakoff in St. Petersburg. October 7th, 1857
188. Carl Haslinger. December 5th, 1857
189. Stein in Sondershausen. December 6th, 1857
190. Alexander Ritter. December 7th, 1857
191. Max Seifriz in Lowenberg. December 24th, 1857
192. Alexander Seroff. January 8th, 1858
193. Basil von Engelhardt. January 8th, 1858
194. Felix Draseke. January Loth, 1858
195. Louis Kohler. February 1st, 1858
196. L.A. Zellner. February 8th, 1858
197. Peter Cornelius. February 19th, 1858
198. Dionys Pruckner. March 9th, 1858
199. Dr. Eduard Liszt March Loth, 1858
200. Fran Dr. Steche. March 20th, 1858
201. L. A. Zellner. April 6th, 1858
202. Dr. Eduard Liszt April 7th, 1858
203. Adolf Reubke in Hausneinsdorf. June 10th, 1858
204. Prince Constantin von Hohenzollern-Hechingen. August 18th,
1858
205. Frau Rosa von Milde. August 25th, 1858
206. Dr. Franz Brendel. November 2nd, 1858
207. Johann von Herbeck. November 22nd, 1858
208. Felix Draseke. January 12th, 1859
209. Heinrich Porges. March loth, 18379
210. Max Seifriz. March 22nd, 1859
211. Dr. Eduard Liszt April 5th, 1859
212. Music-Director N. N. April 17th, 1859
213. Peter Cornelius. May 23rd, 1859
214. Dr. Franz Brendel. May 23rd, 1859
215. Felix Draseke. July 19th, 1859
216. Peter Cornelius. August 23rd, 1859
217. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 2nd, 1859
218. Louis Kohler. September 3rd, 1859
219. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 8th, 1859
220. Johann von Herbeck. October 11th, 1859
221. Felix Draseke. October 20th, 1859
222. Heinrich Porges. October 30th, 1859
223. Ingeborg Stark. November 2nd, 1859
224. Johann von Herbeck. November 18th, 1859
225. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 1st, 1859
226. Anton Rubinstein. December 3rd, 1859
227. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 6th, 1859
228. Dr. Eduard Liszt December 28th, 1859
229. Josef Dessauer. December 30th, 1859
230. Wilkoszewski in Munich. January 15th, 1860
231. Johann von Herbeck. January 26th, 1860
232. Dr. Franz Brendel. January 25th, 1860
233. Friedrich Hebbel. February 5th, 1860
234. Dr. Franz Brendel. February, 1860
235. the same March or April, 1860
236. Louis Kohler. July 5th, 1860
237. Dr. Eduard Liszt July 9th, 1860
238. Ingeborg Stark. Summer, 1860
239. Dr. Franz Brendel. August 9th, 1860
240. Princess C. Sayn-Wittgenstein. September 14th, 1860
241. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 20th, 1860
242. Dr. Eduard Liszt September 20th, 1860
243. Hoffmann von Fallersleben. October 3oth, 1860
244. Franz Gotze. November 4th, 1860
245. Dr. Franz Brendel. November 16th, 1860
246. the same. December 2nd, 1860
247. C.F. Kahnt in Leipzig. December 2nd, 1860
248. the same. December 19th, 1860
249. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 19th, 1860
250. Felix Draseke. December 3oth, 1860
251. Dr. Franz Brendel. Beginning of January, 1861
252. the same. January 20th, 1861
253. the same. March 4th, 1861
254. Peter Cornelius. April 18th, 1861.
255. Hoffmann von Fallersleben. April 18th, 1861
256. Peter Cornelius. July 12th, 1861
256A. the same. July 14th, 1861
257. Alfred Dorffel. July 18th, 1861
258. Edmund Singer in Stuttgart. August 17th, 1861
259. C.F. Kahnt. August 27th, 1861
260. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 16th, 1861
THE LETTERS OF FRANZ LISZT, VOL. 1
1. To Carl Czerny in Vienna.
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.--
The addressee was Liszt's former teacher, the celebrated Viennese
teacher of music and composer of innumerable instructive works
(1791-1857).]
My very dear Master,
When I think of all the immense obligations under which I am
placed towards you, and at the same time consider how long I have
left you without a sign of remembrance, I am perfectly ashamed
and miserable, and in despair of ever being forgiven by you!
"Yes," I said to myself with a deep feeling of bitterness, "I am
an ungrateful fellow; I have forgotten my benefactor, I have
forgotten that good master to whom I owe both my talent and my
success."...At these words a tear starts to my eyes, and I assure
you that no repentant tear was ever more sincere! Receive it as
an expiation, and pardon me, for I cannot any longer bear the
idea that you have any ill-feeling towards me. You will pardon
me, my dear Master, won't you? Embrace me then...good! Now my
heart is light.
You have doubtless heard that I have been playing your admirable
works here with the greatest success, and all the glory ought to
be given to you. I intended to have played your variations on the
"Pirate" the day after tomorrow at a very brilliant concert that
I was to have given at the theater of H.R.H. Madame, who was to
have been present as well as the Duchess of Orleans; but man
proposes and God disposes. I have suddenly caught the measles,
and have been obliged to say farewell to the concert; but it is
not given up because it is put off, and I hope, as soon as ever I
am well again, to have the pleasure of making these beautiful
variations known to a large public.
Pixis [a notable pianist (1788-1874)--lived a long time in Paris]
and several other people have spoken much to me of four concertos
that you have lately finished, and the reputation of which is
already making a stir in Paris. I should be very much pleased, my
dear Master, if you would commission me to get them sold. This
would be quite easy for me to do, and I should also have the
pleasure of playing them FROM FIRST HAND, either at the opera or
at some big concerts. If my proposition pleases you, send them to
me by the Austrian Embassy, marking the price that you would like
to have for them. As regards any passages to be altered, if there
are any, you need only mark them with a red pencil, according to
your plan which I know so well, and I will point them out to the
editor with the utmost care. Give me at the same time some news
about music and pianists in Vienna; and finally tell me, dear
Master, which of your compositions you think would make the best
effect in society.
I close by sending you my heartfelt greetings, and begging you
once more to pardon the shameful silence I have kept towards you:
be assured that it has given me as much pain as yourself!
Your very affectionate and grateful pupil,
F. Liszt
December 23rd, 1828
P.S.--Please answer me as soon as possible, for I am longing for
a letter from you; and please embrace your excellent parents from
me. I add my address (Rue Montholon, No. 7bis).
2. To De Mancy in Paris
[Autograph in the possession of M. Etienne Charavay in Paris.]
December 23rd, 1829
My Dear M. de Mancy,
I am so full of lessons that each day, from half-past eight in
the morning till 10 at night, I have scarcely breathing time.
Please excuse me therefore for not coming, as I should have liked
to do, to lunch with Madame de Mancy, but it is quite impossible.
The only thing I could do would be to come about 10 o'clock, if
that would not be too late for a wedding day, and in that case I
will beg M. Ebner [Carl Ebner, a Hungarian, a talented violinist
(1812-1836)] to come with me. I don't write you a longer letter,
for there is a pupil who has been waiting for me for an hour.
Besides, we are not standing on ceremony. Ever yours,
F. Liszt
3. To Carl Czerny
[Autograph in the Musical Society's Archives in Vienna. Printed
in a German translation: "La Mara, Letters of Musicians extending
over Five Centuries." II. Leipzig, B. and H. 1887.]
My dear and beloved Master,
It would be impossible to explain to you the why and wherefore of
my leaving you so long without news of me. Moreover, I have now
only five minutes in which to write to you, for Mr. Luden, a
pianist from Copenhagen, is starting shortly, and for fear of
delaying his journey I must be brief; but what is postponed is
not lost, so cheer up, for very soon you will get a great thick
letter from me, which I will take care to prepay, as I should not
like to ruin you.
Among all the circles of artists where I go in this country I
plead your cause tremendously: we all want you to come and stay
some time in Paris; it would certainly do you a great deal of
good, and you are so widely esteemed that you will doubtless be
well satisfied with the reception you will meet with here. If you
ever entertain this idea, write to me, I entreat you, for I will
do for you what I would do for my father. I have been making a
special study of your admirable sonata (Op. 7), and have since
played it at several reunions of connoisseurs (or would-be
connoisseurs): you cannot imagine what an effect it made; I was
quite overcome by it. It was in a burst of enthusiasm caused by
the Prestissimo, that Mr. Luden begged for a few words of
introduction to you; I know your kindness, indeed I could never
forget it. I therefore commend him in all confidence of your
goodness, until the time when I am so happy as to embrace you
myself and to show you (however feebly) all the gratitude and
admiration which fill me.
F. Liszt
Paris, August 26th, 1830
4. To Alphonse Brot in Paris
[Autograph in the possession of M. Etienne Charavay in Paris.]
(Paris, Beginning of the 30th year.)
It would give us great pleasure, my dear M. Brot, if you would
come and dine with us without ceremony tomorrow, Monday, about 6
o'clock; I do not promise you a good dinner,--that is not the
business of us poor artists; but the good company you will meet
will, I trust, make up for that. Monsieur Hugo [the poet] and
Edgard Quinet [French writer and philosopher] have promised to
come. So do try not to disappoint us, for we should miss you
much. My good mother told me to press you to come, for she is
very fond of you. Till tomorrow then! Kind regards and thanks.
F. Liszt
I have been at least six times to you without having the pleasure
of seeing you.
61, Rue de Provence.
5. Monsieur Pierre Wolff (Junior), Rue de la Tertasse, Geneva,
Switzerland
[Autograph in the possession of M. Gaston Calmann-Levy in Paris.]
Nous disons: "Il est temps. Executons, c'est l'heure." Alors nous
retournons les yeux--La Mort est la! Ainsi de mes projets.--Quand
vous verrai-je, Espagne, Et Venise et son golfe, et Rome et sa
campagne,
Toi, Sicile, que ronge un volcan souterrain, Grece qu'on connait
trop, Sardaigne qu'on ignore, Cites de l'Aquilon, du Couchant, de
l'Aurore, Pyramides du Nil, Cathedrales du Rhin! Qui sait?--
jamais peut-etre!
[We say: "Now it is time. Let's act, for 'tis the hour." Then
turn we but our eyes--lo! death is there! Thus with my plans.
When shall I see thee, Espagna, And Venice with her gulf, and
Rome with her Campagna; Thou, Sicily, whom volcanoes undermine;
Greece, whom we know too well, Sardinia, unknown one, Lands of
the north, the west, the rising sun, Pyramids of the Nile,
Cathedrals of the Rhine! Who knows? Never perchance!]
Earthly life is but a malady of the soul, an excitement which is
kept up by the passions. The natural state of the soul is rest!
Paris, May 2nd [1832]
Here is a whole fortnight that my mind and fingers have been
working like two lost spirits, Homer, the Bible, Plato, Locke,
Byron, Hugo, Lamartine, Chateaubriand, Beethoven, Bach, Hummel,
Mozart, Weber, are all around me. I study them, meditate on them,
devour them with fury; besides this I practice four to five hours
of exercises (3rds, 6ths, 8ths, tremolos, repetition of notes,
cadences, etc., etc.). Ah! provided I don't go mad, you will find
an artist in me! Yes, an artist such as you desire, such as is
required nowadays!
"And I too am a painter!" cried Michael Angelo the first time he
beheld a chef d'oeuvre...Though insignificant and poor, your
friend cannot leave off repeating those words of the great man
ever since Paganini's last performance. Rene, what a man, what a
violin, what an artist! Heavens! what sufferings, what misery,
what tortures in those four strings!
Here are a few of his characteristics:--
[Figure: Liszt here writes down several tiny excerpts from
musical scores of Paganini's violin music, such as his famous
"Caprices"]
As to his expression, his manner of phrasing, his very soul in
fact!----
May 8th [1832]
My good friend, it was in a paroxysm of madness that I wrote you
the above lines; a strain of work, wakefulness, and those violent
desires (for which you know me) had set my poor head aflame; I
went from right to left, then from left to right (like a sentinel
in the winter, freezing), singing, declaiming, gesticulating,
crying out; in a word, I was delirious. Today the spiritual and
the animal (to use the witty language of M. de Maistre) are a
little more evenly balanced; for the volcano of the heart is not
extinguished, but is working silently.--Until when?--
Address your letters to Monsieur Reidet, the receiver-general at
the port of Rouen.
A thousand kind messages to the ladies Boissier. I will tell you
some day the reasons which prevented me from starting for Geneva.
On this subject I shall call you in evidence.
Bertini is in London; Madame Malibran is making her round of
Germany; Messemaecker (how is he getting on?) is resting on his
laurels at Brussels; Aguado has the illustrious maestro Rossini
in tow.--Ah--Hi--Oh--Hu!!!
6. To Ferdinand Hiller
[This letter, published by F. Niecks ("F. Chopin, Man and
Musician," Vol. 1. German by Langhans. Leipzig, Leuckart, 1890),
was written by Liszt and Chopin jointly, and was also signed by
Chopin's friend Franchomme, the violoncellist. The part written
by Chopin is indicated here by parentheses ().--Addressed to the
well-known composer and author, afterwards Director of the
Conservatorium and Concert Society at Cologne (1811-1885).]
This is the twentieth time, at least, that we have tried to meet,
first at my house, then here, with the intention of writing to
you, and always some visit, or some other unforeseen hindrance,
has occurred. I don't know whether Chopin will be strong enough
to make excuses to you; for my part, it seems to me that we have
been so unmannerly and impertinent that no excuses are now
permissible or possible.
We sympathized most deeply in your bereavement, and more deeply
did we wish that we could be with you in order to soften, as far
as possible, the grief of your heart. [Hiller had lost his
father.]
(He has said it all so well that I have nothing to add to excuse
me specially for my negligence or idleness, or whim or
distraction, or--or--or--You know that I can explain myself
better in person, and, this autumn, when I take you home late by
the boulevards to your mother, I shall try to obtain your pardon.
I am writing to you without knowing what my pen is scribbling, as
Liszt is at this moment playing my Studies, and transporting me
away from all suitable ideas. I wish I could steal his manner of
rendering my own works. With regard to your friends who are
staying in Paris, I have often seen, during this winter and
spring, the Leo family [August Leo, banker in Paris], and all
that follows. There have been evenings at certain ambassadresses'
houses, and there was not a single one at which somebody living
at Frankfort was not mentioned. Madame Eichthal sends you many
kind messages--Plater [Count Plater, Chopin's countryman, and a
friend also of Liszt], the whole family were very sorry for your
departure, and begged me to give you their condolences.) Madame
d'Apponyi [Apponyi, the Austrian ambassador in Paris] was very
much vexed with me for not having taken you there before your
departure; she hopes that when you come back you will be sure to
remember the promise you made me. I will say as much of a certain
lady who is not an ambassadress.
Do you know Chopin's wonderful Studies?--(They are admirable! and
moreover they will last only until yours appear) = an author's
little piece of modesty!!! (A little piece of rudeness on the
part of the regent, for--to explain the matter fully--he is
correcting my spelling) according to the method of Monsieur
Marlet.
You will come back in the month of (September, isn't it? tr)y
[Tach]ez] to let us know the day; we have determined to give you
a serenade or charivari [mock serenade]. The company of the most
distinguished artists of the capital = M. Franchomme (present),
Madame Petzold, and the Abbe Bardin [passionate lover of music,
who had a great many artists to see him], the leaders of the Rue
d'Amboise (and my neighbors), Maurice Schlesinger [music
publisher], uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law,
sisters-in-law, and--and ("en plan du troisienae," etc.). ["in
the third row--i.e. less important people]. The responsible
editors,
F. Liszt
(F. Chopin) (Aug. Franchomme.)
(By-the-bye, I met Heine yesterday, who begged me to grussen you
herzlich and herzlich.) [to send you his warmest and most
heartfelt greetings]
(By-the-bye, also, please excuse all the "you's" [Instead of the
more familiar "thee" and "thou."]--I do beg you to excuse them.
If you have a moment to spare, give us news of yourself, which
would be most welcome. Paris, Rue de la Chaussee d'Antin, No. 5.
At present I am occupying Franck's lodging [Dr. Hermann Franck,
author, friend of Chopin and of many other celebrities; editor
also for a short time, in the forties, of Brockhaus's "Deutsche
Allgemeine Zeitung"]--he is gone to London and Berlin. I am most
happy in the rooms which were so often our meeting-place. Berlioz
sends greetings.
As to pere Baillot, he is in Switzerland, at Geneva. So now you
can guess that I can't send you the Bach concerto.
June 20th, 1833)
7. To Abbe F. de Lamennais
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.--
Addressed to the celebrated French author (1782-1854), who
followed his brilliant apology of Catholicism, "Essai sur
l'Indifference en Matiere de Religion" (Essay on Indifference in
Matters of Religion, 1817-1823), by the "Paroles d'un Croyant"
(Words of a Believer, 1834), a veritable "Ode to revolution in
the sublimest biblical style," and sought to bring religious and
political liberty into accord with true religiousness. The latter
work made an unheard-of sensation, but brought upon him the
anathema of the Church. He obtained a great influence over Liszt,
who was on intimate terms with him.]
Four months have actually passed, dear Father, since we parted,
and I feel very sad at not getting a word from you!--at the same
time I do not wish to complain, for it seems to me that you can
never doubt my deep and filial affection...Much more, I even know
that you have been willing to accept it, and, however humble it
may be, to count it for something...What more then can I
desire?...
Eugene, whose brotherly friendship becomes dearer to me day by
day, has often given me good tidings of you. The last time I saw
him he told me confidentially that you were working at a sort of
Introduction, or developed Preface to your works.--Although I
know perfectly well that my interest counts for nothing in this
matter, I may be permitted nevertheless to tell you how glad I am
to know that you are occupied with this work. To yourself, first
of all, I think you owe it--your name and glory will shine out
all the more powerfully for it. And, secondly, for the public it
will be a work of art the more (and this commodity becomes rather
rare as time goes on), and which will besides have the double
advantage of aiding and fixing them in the understanding of your
past works, whilst at the same time preparing them for, and
initiating them into, your future thoughts.
And, lastly, for us who love you, and who would glory and be
proud to be one day called your disciples, we rejoice in it
because the world will learn to know you better by this means,
and because it will probably be another opportunity for us to
show our sympathetic admiration as well as our unalterable
devotion for you.
Unless something very unforeseen occurs, I shall come again and
beg you to receive me for a few days towards the middle of July;
I trust sufficiently to your sincerity to tell me that you would
rather not have me if my individuality would trouble or bother
you too much.--Before that, I shall have the honor of sending you
a little work, to which I have had the audacity to tack a great
name--yours.--It is an instrumental De profundis. The plain-song
that you like so much is preserved in it with the Faburden.
Perhaps this may give you a little pleasure, at any rate, I have
done it in remembrance of some hours passed (I should say
"lived") at La Chenaie.
Farewell, dear Father. I don't give you any news of Paris,--you
know all that. You know that Ballanche wants to be an
Academician, and accepts Salvandy and Dupaty as competitors,--you
know the little check of January,--the miserable petty intrigues
of court and newspaper and vestry;--in a word, you know how men
are wanting in noble and generous sentiments, and how they make
the most of their own ignoble ends and interests, to which their
words and actions yet give the lie.
Farewell once more, dear Father. Think as often as possible of
all the good you have done, and of that which men have a right to
expect of you. Think sometimes also of the help and the wealth of
affection that you have showered on me in particular, and may the
remembrance of this be sweet to you!...
Yours ever, for life--from heart and soul,
F. Liszt
January 14th, 1835
Tomorrow morning I have to leave for two months. If you should be
so good as to write to me before my return, please address
always, 61, Rue de Provence. My mother will take care that I have
your kind letter.
8. To his Mother
[From a copy, by Mr. Vladimir Stassoff of St. Petersburg, the
original of which is in Russia. The letter in itself is
unimportant, but it is the only one to Liszt's mother which the
editor could get, and gives a fresh proof of the devotion of the
artist to his mother.]
Dear Mother,
Please send me at once, without any delay, the Pianist's
Glossary, which you will get at Lemonier's, Rue de l'Echelle.
Simply put it in a cover, and put it in the post (General
Office), and I shall get it, at latest, by Monday or Tuesday.--
Address to Mr. Hermann Cohen, Grande Rue, No. 8.
[Cohen was a frequently mentioned pupil and favorite of Liszt's
who was born at Hamburg in 1820, much thought of as a pianist in
Paris, and immortalised as "Puzzi" by George Sand ("Lettres d'un
Voyageur"); he followed Liszt to Geneva, and gave lessons there.
In 1850 he entered the order of Carmelites, and, under the name
of Pater Augustin, died in Berlin in January 1871, whither he had
gone with French prisoners.]
I have an immense deal to do this morning, so that I have barely
time to tell you that I love you with all my heart, and that I
rejoice above everything at the prospect of seeing you again
soon--that is to say, in six or eight months.
F. Liszt
You will hear of me from Mr. Pinondel, who passed a day with us.
9. To the Abbe F. de Lamennais, La Chenaie
[Autograph in the possession of Mr. Marshall in London.]
[Paris, May 28th, 1836--according to the stamp of the post
office]
Dear and venerable Father,
I shall expect you. Whatever sorrow there is in the depth of my
soul, it will be sweet and consoling to me to see you again.
You are so wonderfully good to me! and I should suffer so much by
being so long away from you!--
Au revoir then, once more--in eight days at latest it will be,
will it not? I do nothing else than keep expecting you.
Yours, with the deepest respect and most sincere devotion,
F. Liszt
10. To Mademoiselle Lydie Pavy, of La Glaciere, Lyons
[Autograph in the possession of M. Etienne Charavay in Paris.]
St. Gervais, August 22nd [1836].
Your postscript deserves a punishment, and here it comes dated
from St. Gervais. I do not know whether your charming sister-in-
law, Madame Pavy, will consider this stamp of St. Gervais worthy
to appear in her collection; be that as it may, it gives me no
less a pleasure to converse a little with you who are always so
charming, so versatile, so excellent, and, permit me to say, so
kind to me.
Mademoiselle Merienne, whom I saw only quite lately (for you must
know that during the whole month of July, of glorious memory, I
have barely condescended to go down once or twice to Geneva; I
was living in a little bit of a house on the mountain, whence,
let me say parenthetically, it would have been quite easy for me
to hurl sermons and letters at you); Mademoiselle Merienne (what
shall I say to you after such an enormous parenthesis?), somewhat
like (by way of a new parenthesis) those declaimed discourses of
Plantade or Lhuillier, which put a stop to music whilst
nevertheless admitting that there is such a thing, whether at the
beginning or at the end--Mademoiselle Merienne--au diable
Mademoiselle Merienne! You guess by this time that she gave me
tidings of you, that she is a delightful and enchanting person,
that she makes admirable portraits, and that mine, amongst
others, has been a wonderful success. Etc., etc., and always
etc...
And yet I do wish to talk to you about this good Mademoiselle
Merienne, for she said a heap of charming things to me for your
sake, which will certainly not astonish you. But how to set about
it after all this preamble of parentheses? Ah, I have it!--In
three or four weeks I shall come and knock at your door.--And
then? Well, then we will chatter away at our ease. So much the
worse for you if you are not satisfied with my cunning stratagem.
Now let us talk business; yes, seriously, let us talk business!
Has your brother returned from his journey? And is he well? And
has no accident happened to him on the way? You are surprised,
perhaps, at my anxiety; but by-and-bye you will understand it
without difficulty, when I have explained to you how terribly
interested I am in the fact of his journey being safely
accomplished.
Just imagine that at this moment I have only 200 fr. in my purse
(a ridiculously small sum for a traveler), and that it is M. Pavy
who is to be my financial Providence, considering that it is to
him that my mother has confided my little quarterly income of a
thousand francs. Now at this point I must entrust you with a
little secret, which at present is only known to two individuals,
Messrs. Paccard and Roger (charming names for confidants, are not
they?), and which I beg you to make known as quickly as possible
to your brother. It concerns a little scrap of paper (which these
rogues of bankers call a draft, I believe), for a thousand
francs, by which Messrs. Paccard and Roger are authorized by my
signature, which is at the bottom, to demand the above sum of a
thousand francs (which my mother entrusted to M. Pavy in Paris)
from M. Pavy, junior, living at La Glaciere at Lyons, after the
22nd of August, 1836.
A thousand pardons for troubling you with these details, but I
should never have had the courage to write direct to your
brother, on account of my profound ignorance in money matters.
You tell me that you passed part of the fine season in the
country--why did not you arrange so as to tour for a little among
the mountains of Switzerland? I should have had such pleasure in
doing the honors, and Mademoiselle Merienne also...but don't let
us speak any more of Mademoiselle Merienne (who, be it observed
in parenthesis, must have already appeared a dozen times in this
letter), for fear of again falling into inextricable parentheses.
Au revoir then; in five weeks at latest I shall come and warm
myself at your "glacier."
F. Liszt
11. To Abbe de Lamennais
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.]
My friend Louis de Ronchaud writes me word that he has had the
honor of seeing you, dear Father, and that you were kind enough
to give him a message of affectionate remembrance for me. I am
very happy to know that you continue to keep this precious and
friendly feeling for me, of which you have already given me so
many proofs, and which I shall endeavour always to deserve as far
as is in my power.
I am still not very far advanced in my Italian journey. The
beauty of these parts, the necessity of writing with some little
continuance, and also, if all be said, some altogether unexpected
successes, have kept me in Milan and the neighborhood (Como and
the delicious shores of the lake) much longer than I had
foreseen. As regards musical matters, the presence of Rossini,
whom I frequently see, gives a certain impetus to this country. I
have been singularly well received here, so I shall probably pass
the greater part of the winter here, and shall not start for
Venice till towards the beginning of March. Thence I shall go to
Florence and Rome, where I expect I shall stay a good long time.
D. has no doubt talked to you of our stay at Nohant last summer.
I think that he got rid there of a good many old prejudices about
me. It was a sweet satisfaction to me to learn through him how
good and indulgent you have been towards me on several occasions,
even so far as to contradict and defend me warmly against him and
against others who knew me still less. I had charged our secret
friend to defend me in his turn from a slight wrong which I had,
only apparently, committed, but even "apparently" is too much,
and I think I have entirely justified myself with regard to it. I
don't know whether in his noble carelessness he will have thought
of it. However that may be, I shall always count on your paternal
affection more than all the rest.
What can I say to you of Italy that you do not know, and that you
have not said in such manner as to cause despair for ever to the
makers of observations!--It is always the same status quo, the
excellent and perfectly happy government that you know.--I am
hoping and longing ardently for your next book [probably "Le
Livre du Peuple": Paris, 1837], which I shall read with my whole
heart and soul, as I have read all that you have written for four
years. I shall owe you just so many more good and noble emotions.
Will they remain for ever sterile? Will my life be for ever
tainted with this idle uselessness which weighs upon me? Will the
hour of devotion and of manly action never come? Am I condemned
without respite to this trade of a Merry Andrew and to amuse in
drawing-rooms?
Whatever may be my poor and humble destiny, do not ever doubt my
heart. Do not ever doubt the deep respect and unalterable
devotion with which you have inspired me.
Yours for ever,
F. Liszt
Como, December 18th, 1837
12. To Breitkopf and Hartel in Leipzig
[Autograph in the possession of Herr Hermann Scholtz,
Kammervirtuoso in Dresden.]
I thank you much, gentlemen, for the obliging letter that you
have written me. Up to the present time I have had none but the
most pleasant business relations with Mr. Hofmeister, who has the
kindness to publish the greater part of my works in Germany. As I
do not know very much of the laws which regulate literary and
musical proprietorship in Saxony, I had spoken to him about the
Beethoven Symphonies, of which I have undertaken the arrangement,
or, more correctly speaking, the pianoforte score. To tell the
truth, this work has, nevertheless, cost me some trouble; whether
I am right or wrong, I think it sufficiently different from, not
to say superior to, those of the same kind which have hitherto
appeared. The recent publication of the same Symphonies, arranged
by Mr. Kalkbrenner, makes me anxious that mine should not remain
any longer in a portfolio. I intend also to finger them
carefully, which, in addition to the indication of the different
instruments (which is important in this kind of work), will most
certainly make this edition much more complete. If, then, as I
imagine, it is impossible for Mr. Hofmeister to publish them, I
shall be very grateful if you will undertake it. The reputation
of your house is European, and I perfectly remember having had
the pleasure of seeing Mr. Raymond Hartel in Paris. It will be a
pleasure to me to conclude this little business with you, at the
rate of eight francs a page. Up to the present time I have only
finished three Symphonies (that in A major), but I could promise
to let you have the others successively, according as you might
wish, or I could limit my work to the four most important
Symphonies (if I may express my opinion), namely, the Pastoral, C
minor, A major, and the Eroica. I think those are the ones which
are most effective on the piano.
I start tomorrow for Vienna, where I expect to remain till the
end of April. Please address to me to the care of Mr. Tobias
Haslinger till the 25th of April, and after that to Mr. Ricordi,
Milan, who has undertaken to forward me all my letters while I am
in Italy. My compliments and affectionate thanks.
F. Liszt
13. To Robert Schumann
[Addressed to the celebrated German Tone-poet (1810-1856). Liszt
had spoken of Schumann's Op. 5, 11, and 14 in the Gazette
Musicale, 1837, with equal enthusiasm and understanding, which
soon brought the two together.]
[Without a date; received by R. S. May 5th, 1838.]
My dear Monsieur Schumann,