Weymar, June 12th, 1857
Dear Sir and Friend,
On my return from the Aix-la-Chapelle Musical Festival--which may
be considered successful on the whole, from the very fact that
opponents do not conceal their dissatisfaction--I find here your
kind letter, for which I send you my warmest thanks. My excellent
cousin and friend, Dr. Eduard Liszt, had already informed me of
your kind willingness to undertake the instrumentation of my
Vocal Mass: I am entirely in accord with the various sketches you
so kindly lay before me in your letter, and only beg you, dear
sir, to complete this work according to your own best judgment,
without any small considerations. I certainly should not wish the
organ to be absent from it, but it is a perfectly correct idea to
give those passages in the Kyrie, Suscipe deprecationem,
Crucifixus, and others besides,
[A score appears here]
to the wind exclusively. When I expressed to my cousin my wish to
place the instrumentation of the Mass in your hands, it was
because I was convinced beforehand of the excellence of your
work. The examples which you have given me in your letter show me
that I was not wrong, and I shall rejoice most sincerely when the
moment arrives for us to go through the whole score together.
Eduard intends to visit me here towards the end of August, and if
it is possible for you to come to Weymar at the same time with
him, and to stay a few days in my house, it will be very
agreeable to me.
On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th September the Jubilee festivities of the
Grand Duke Carl August will take place here, on which occasion I
propose to perform several of my later orchestral compositions,
and also the chorus "An die Kiinstler." ["To Artists."] Eduard
will give you a more detailed programme of the Festival later on.
Should you, however, be prevented from being present at it, it
needs no special assurance to you that your visit will be very
welcome to me any day, and I will do my best that you shall not
suffer from ennui in Weymar. [Herbeck accepted the invitation.]
May I also beg you to send me, when you have an opportunity, and
if possible very soon, the parts of your Quartet, [D minor,
unpublished] which pleases me so much, and which, both in its
mood and in its writing of the different parts, is so eminently
noble and finely sustained. In case you have not been able to
arrange for the copying of the parts, it will be a pleasure to me
to get them copied here. Our Weymar quartet, Messrs. Singer,
Stor, Walbruhl, and Cossmann, is competent for this work, and you
will, I trust, be satisfied with the performance. Unfortunately
Cossmann's illness has prevented our usual quartet-productions
for some months past, and Cossmann was also unable to take part
in the Aix-la-Chapelle Musical Festival. But yesterday he told me
that in a few days he should be able to take up his bow again,
and therefore I want them to set to work on your Quartet at once.
To our speedy meeting then, and once more best thanks from yours
in all friendship,
F. Liszt
186. To Countess Rosalie Sauerma, nee Spohr
Your letter gave me great pleasure, dear Countess and admirable
artist, and, though still obliged to keep my bed (which I have
been able to leave so little during the whole winter), I hasten
to reassure you entirely about my state of health. As a fact, I
have never done my obstinate illness the honor of considering it
serious, and now less than ever, for I hope to have entirely got
over it by the end of the week. So do not let us talk about it
any more, and let me tell you at once how sincerely I rejoice in
your projects of being, so to say, in the neighborhood of
Dresden, for it seems to me that, among the towns of Germany, it
is the one in which you will find most charm. I shall certainly
come and pay you my visit there in the course of the winter, and
I hope also that you will not altogether forget your friends of
Weymar.
When you come back here, you will find very little change, but
simply three more Weymarers--Goethe, Schiller, and Wieland--whose
statues will be inaugurated next September, on the occasion of
the celebration of the Jubilee fetes of the Grand Duke Carl
August. They are also planning music for the occasion; and I
predict to you beforehand that you will be able to read all sorts
of unflattering things on this subject, as the music in question
will be in great part my composition. However that may be, I
shall try to have always something better to do than to trouble
myself with what is said or written about me.
How delighted I shall be to hear you again, and to rock myself as
in a hammock to the sound of your arpeggi. You have not, I am
sure, broken off your good habits of work, and your talent is
certain to be more magnificent than ever. Quite lately Madame
Pohl, who played Parish Alvars' Oberon Fantaisie charmingly,
recalled most vividly the remembrance of the delightful hours at
Eilsen and Weymar, which I hope soon to resume at Dresden...Be so
kind as to present my best compliments to your husband and all
your dear ones, and pray accept, dear Countess, the expression of
most affectionate homage from yours very sincerely,
F. Liszt
Weymar, June 22nd, 1857
The Princess W. has been very seriously ill for more than two
months; she is only just convalescent, and bids me give her best
remembrances to you.
187. To Ludmilla Schestakoff, nee Glinka, in St. Petersburg
[sister of the celebrated Russian composer Glinka]
Madame,
I wish I were able to tell you how much I have been touched by
the letter you have done me the honor to address to me. Thank you
for having thought of me as one of the most sincere and zealous
admirers of the fine genius of your brother, so worthy of a noble
glory for the very reason that it was above vulgar successes. And
again thank you for the grace which prompts you to wish to
inscribe my name on one of his orchestral works, which are
certain to be valued and to obtain a sympathetic preference from
people of taste.
I accept with a real gratitude the dedication with which you
honor me, and it will be at once my pleasure and duty to do my
best towards the propagation of Glinka's works, for which I have
always professed the most open and admiring sympathy. Of this I
beg you, Madame, to receive anew my assurance, and to accept the
most respectful homage of
Yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, October 7th, 1857
I am writing by the same post to Mr. Engelhardt in Berlin to
thank him for his letter, and to tell him that I feel quite
flattered at seeing my name attached to a score of Glinka's.
188. To Carl Haslinger
[autograph without address in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet
in Valentigney--The above was presumably the addressee.]
Dear Friend,
The writing of notes [music] draws me more and more away from the
writing of letters, and my friends have already much to pardon me
in this respect. With the best will in the world to fulfill my
obligations, it is nevertheless impossible for me, owing to the
countless claims that are made on me, to find time to do so. So
do not scold me, dear friend, for having left your last letter
unanswered. I had given myself a great deal to do with some
manuscripts; the final proofs of the Faust and Dante Symphonies,
in particular, which will now soon be engraved, had occupied me
much longer than I expected. The two works are now as well
finished as I am in a position to make them, and will, I hope,
hold their POSITION.
I congratulate you most warmly on the performance of your opera.
You may safely expect various disagreeables in connection
therewith, which are inseparable from musical work. The great
thing is to remain cheerful, and to do something worth doing. The
cuckoo take the rest!--
Let me have a talk with you about the Zellner matter in Vienna,
if, as seems likely, I have to go there at the end of May for the
performance of my Mass. Meanwhile thank you very much for the
pains you have taken over the proof-sheets of this long-
protracted work, and I should be glad if the whole were ready to
come out by the time I reach Vienna.
Tausig, who is to come out in Berlin at the beginning of January,
will probably come with me. There is again a real "bravo,"
[Literally, iron-eater.] as Hummel said of me when he heard me in
Paris in the twenties.
Will you be so kind as to give the enclosed letters to
Winterberger and Rubinstein? How is our friend Winterberger
getting on in the not very suitable atmosphere of Vienna? Let me
know something about him soon. Yours ever,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 5th, 1857.
189. To Hofcapellmeister Stein In Sondershausen.
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.--
The addressee, a first-rate conductor (born 1818), lived from
1853 in Sondershausen; died 1864.]
Let me give you once more my hearty thanks, dear friend, for the
delightful day you gave me at Sondershausen, which continues so
brightly and pleasantly in my recollection. The rare consummation
with which your orchestra solved one of the most difficult tasks,
and brought "what one hears on the mountains" [Liszt's Mountain
Symphony] to the impressive understanding of the ears in the
valley (if not indeed under the water and worse still),
strengthens me in my higher endeavors,--and you, dear friend,
will have to bear some of the responsibility if I go on writing
more such "confused," "formless," and, for the every-day critic,
quite "fathomless" things.
Singer [A letter from this first-rate violinist is on the same
sheet with Liszt's.] needs no further recommendation from me, as
he is already known to you as an eminent virtuoso. Especially at
Court concerts his own refined and brilliant qualities are placed
in their most favorable light.
If it is possible for you to take an opportunity of bringing out
my dear and extraordinary budding genius Carl Tausig ["The last
of the virtuosi;" as Weitzmann called him; born at Warsaw 1841;
died at Leipzig 1871.] at the Court, I promise you that he will
do honor to your recommendation.
In all esteem and devotion, yours ever,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 6th, 1857
190. To Alexander Ritter in Stettin.
Dear friend,
Your tidings sound as incredible as they are pleasant. And I must
admit, what has long been proved to me, that you are a valiant
and excellent friend, and prove your friendship splendidly by the
success of your venturesome undertaking. Specially do I give you
my best thanks for the pregnant and poetic form which you gave to
the Tasso programme. Later on, as you have broken the ice in so
happy a fashion, we can push on with
[Here, Liszt illustrates with a musical score excerpt of the
beginning of the Symphonic Poem "Festklange."
and other such corrupt things in Stettin!--
I was not able to attend to your letter about the matter of the
parts of the Flying Dutchman until after my return to Weymar.
Herr von Dingelstedt spoke to me about the idea in regard to the
fee for Wagner (from the Stettin Directors), and the reply to you
from the Secretary Jacobi will be to that effect. If, as I
presume, you can so arrange that this idea is carried out, and
that Wagner receives his fee, the parts shall be sent you from
here.
I visited your dear sisters many times in Dresden, and had some
delightful chats with them.
In Carl's Sonatas [Carl Ritter], which I have read with much
interest, there is a decidedly musical germ; only I hope that by
degrees more juicy fruit may spring from it.
Cornelius is bringing his completed opera back to Weymar at the
end of this month. [Doubtless "Der Barbier von Baghdad."] Lassen,
who is getting on splendidly with his ("Frauenlob "), has
composed several exquisite songs between whiles. "Landgraf
Ludwig's Brautfahrt" ["Landgrave Ludwig's Bridal Journey," an
unpublished opera of Lassen's.] will again be given next Sunday,
and from New Year (1858) Lassen will act as Grand Ducal Music
Conductor of Weymar. Gotze is retiring from work, and your friend
Stor undertakes his post as First Music Conductor. Damrosch, your
successor, has composed a quite remarkable Violin Concerto with a
Polonaise Finale, with which you will be pleased.
Recall me most kindly to your wife's remembrance, as one who
remains ever
Yours in all affection and devotion,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 7th, 1857
191. To Capellmeister Max Seifriz At Lowenberg
[Autograph in the possession of Herr Alexander Meyer Cohn in
Berlin. The addressee (1827-85) was, after 1854, conductor to
Prince Hohenzollern-Hechingen at Lowenberg in Silesia, until the
latter's death in 1869, when he became Court Conductor in
Stuttgart.]
Dear Herr Capellmeister,
With my very best thanks for your friendly letter I send you,
according to your wish, the score of the "Prometheus" choruses.
For the present I am not requiring it, and send it you with great
pleasure, so that you may be able to read it through at your
ease. I fear, alas! that the difficulty of some of the intonation
in the first choruses may make the studying of it a rather
detailed matter to you. Such irksomeness unfortunately attaches
to all my works, not excepting the Ave Maria, which I might
nevertheless venture to recommend to you next, if you have any
intention of performing a vocal work of my composition. It was
published by Breitkopf & Hartel (score and parts), and has been
pretty favorably received at various performances of it.
I wrote yesterday to His Royal Highness, and expressed my special
thanks for the kind attention in inviting Herr von Bulow during
my stay at L. I rejoice immensely at the thought of these days,
in which musical matter will by no means be wanting to us.
Meanwhile remember me most kindly to your orchestra, which
preserves so well its high renown, and accept, my dear sir, the
assurance of high esteem with which I remain
Yours in all friendship,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 24th, 1857
In the early part of April you shall hear when I am coming to
Lowenberg.
192. To Alexander Seroff
My dear Sir,
By what I said in the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik, [1858, No. 1,
in the article "Oulibicheff and Seroff."] on New Year's Day, of
your remarkable articles on Oulibicheff, you will have seen to
what point I take your ideas into consideration, and how closely
we meet in our musical convictions. To the sincere eulogies which
I have had much pleasure in addressing to you in public, it
remains to me to add those which I owe you for the conscientious
work that you have had the kindness to communicate to me by
sending me the pianoforte score of Beethoven's Quartet in C sharp
minor. Without the least exaggeration, I don't think anything of
its kind could have been better done, as much on account of the
intelligent division of the parts between the two pianos, as by
the skill with which you have appropriated to the piano the style
of this Quartet, without forcing or disfiguring anything.
In this latter task there are without doubt some impossibilities
which one cannot fail to recognize, and, whatever effort we may
make, we shall never succeed in rendering on our instrument
either the intensity or the delicacy of the violin bow. In the
same manner the coloring, and the fine nuances of the violin,
viola, and violoncello will always escape us--but in spite of
this it is due to you in justice to recognize that your work
identifies itself as far as possible with the sentiment and
thought of the original, and that you have frequently succeeded
in supplementing the poverty and defects inherent in such an
arrangement.
About six weeks ago I sent your manuscript to Mr. Schott, the
editor, at Mainz, recommending him to publish your arrangement.
Up to the present time I have received no reply, which, however,
seems to me a good sign. As soon as ever I hear his determination
I will let you know. Possibly in the course of the summer you
will find a few weeks' leisure to make a journey into these parts
and to bring us the complete collection of your arrangements of
Beethoven's latter instrumental works. In that case let me beg of
you, my dear sir, not to forget me, and to rest assured
beforehand of the lively interest that I shall take in your work,
which it would be doubly interesting to me to go through with
you. Bearing in mind the original, we should probably find,
between us, some details to modify previous to a definite
publication.
For today allow me to thank you once more, my dear sir, very
cordially for having associated me in thought with your beautiful
work, and pray accept the expression of very sincere and
affectionate regard of
Yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 8th, 1858
193. To Basil von Engelhardt
[A very intelligent musical amateur, a friend of Glinka's, and
publisher of several of his works]
Sir,
Whilst giving you my very sincere thanks for so kindly sending me
the Glinka scores published by your friends, I am much pleased to
be able at the same time to inform you that the Capriccio on the
melody of the "Jota Aragonese" has just been performed (on New
Year's Day) at a grand Court concert with most complete success.
Even at the rehearsal the intelligent musicians whom I am proud
to count among the members of our orchestra had been both struck
and delighted by the lively and piquant originality of this
charming piece, so delicately cut and proportioned, and finished
with such taste and art! What delicious episodes, cleverly joined
to the principal subject (Letters A and B)! What fine nuances and
coloring divided among the different timbres of the orchestration
(Letters C to D)! What animation in the rhythmic movement from
one end to the other! How the happiest surprises spring
constantly out of the logical developments! and how everything is
in its right place, keeping the mind constantly on the watch,
caressing and tickling the ear by turns, without a single moment
of heaviness or fatigue! This is what we all felt at this
rehearsal; and the day after the performance we promised
ourselves to hear it again speedily, and to make acquaintance, as
speedily as possible, with Glinka's other works.
Will you, my dear musician, be so kind as to renew the expression
of my gratitude to Madame Schestakoff for the honor she has done
me in dedicating this work to me? And when you have time, do come
and hear it with your own ears at Weymar. I can assure you that
you will not have occasion to regret the troubles of a little
journey; and were it only the rhythm
[FIGURE: Music example in 2 staves, the upper 'wind and brass',
the lower 'string quartet']
that would be enough to make ample amends for them. I beg you,
sir, to accept the assurance of my sincere regard.
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 8th, 1858
P.S.--I shall be much obliged if you will send me two
supplementary parts of the quartet (first and second violin,
viola, and bass) of each of Glinka's works.
194. To Felix Draseke
[Now professor at the Dresden Conservatorium, a well-known
composer of importance, also a writer on music (born 1835)]
Your articles [Published in the paper started by Brendel, "Hints"
(or "Suggestions")], which were so universally suggestive, my
dear and valiant friend, have given great pleasure to us on the
Altenburg. I hope to have an opportunity of showing you my
gratitude in a lasting and abiding fashion. Meanwhile be
satisfied with a good conscience in having strengthened and
sustained an honest man in his better purpose.
I have received through Brendel an invitation to Prague, which I
shall probably accept for the beginning of March. I am delighted
to think of seeing you again, dear friend, in passing through
Dresden, and perhaps you might make it possible to accompany me
to Prague. The "Dante Symphony" and the "Ideale" are again to be
given there, and, if I am not mistaken, you will rather like the
former work in its present shape. The Dresden performance was a
necessity to me, in order to realize its effect. As long as one
has only to do with lifeless paper one can easily make a slip of
the pen. Music requires tone and resonance!--I cannot at first
lay claim to effectual results, because I have to meet too much
opposition. The chief thing is that my present works should prove
themselves to be taking a firm footing in musical matters, and
should contribute something towards doing away with what is
corrupt...
What is Reubke [A pupil of Liszt's.] doing, and how does he like
Dresden?--Take him most friendly greetings from me. By-the-by ask
him also to give me tidings as soon as possible (through Herr
Menert) about the copying of the orchestral parts of the
Rubinstein Oratorio "Paradise Lost," and to get Herr Menert to
send me these parts to Weymar by the end of this month at latest.
It is to be hoped that Reubke won't have left the score in his
box like Pohl! But if by chance he has committed such a
transgression I beg that he will make amends as speedily as
possible.
Fischer (the organist) wrote to me lately, to ask me for a
testimonial to his musical ability, as he wants to have one to
show in Chemnitz. Please to make my friendly excuses to him for
not fulfilling his wish--possibly, in view of the enmity which I
have to bear on all sides, such a document would do him more harm
than good; apart from the fact that I very unwillingly set about
drawing up such testimonials. He must not, however, misconstrue
this disinclination on my part, and may rest assured of my
readiness to be of use to him.--
I would still draw your attention to Bronsart's concert in
Leipzig. It will take place in a few days, and if you can get
free I invite you to it. Bronsart is a very dear friend of mine;
I value him as a character and as a musician. If you go to
Leipzig go and see him; he will please you, and will receive you
in the most friendly manner. He is a friend of Bulow's. Both
names have the same initials, and for a long time Bronsart signed
himself "Hans II." in his letters to me.--
In the virtuoso line we have lately been hearing Sivori and
Bazzini here several times. The latter is now in Dresden; I told
him that Reubke would perhaps call on him. Get Reubke to do so,
and assure him that he will be most friendlily received. A well-
known piece of Bazzini's, "La Ronde des Lutins," was, by a
printer's error, called "Ronde des Cretins!" ["Rondo of Idiots."]
What an immeasurably large public for such a "Rondo"! If only
half of them would become subscribers to the Anregungen (Hints)!
Once more a thousand thanks, dear friend, for your courageous
battling; I on my side will endeavour not to let us have to
acquiesce with too overpowering a modesty! [An untranslatable pun
on the words "beseheiden" and "Bescheidenheit."
Yours ever,
F. Liszt
[Weimar,] Sunday, January 10th, 1858
195. To Louis Koehler
My very dear friend,