The once notorious actress, who, after a series of adventures caused
some uproar at Munich, met Liszt during his travels in Germany, and her
biographer relates how they divided honours at Dresden in 1842.
"Through the management of influential friends an opening was made for
her at the Royal Theatre at Dresden, where she met the celebrated
pianist, Franz Liszt, who was then creating such a furore that when he
dropped his pocket handkerchief it was seized by the ladies and torn
into rags, which they divided among themselves--each being but too happy
to get so much as a scrap which had belonged to the great artist. The
furore created by Lola Montez' appearance at the theatre in Dresden was
quite as great among the gentlemen as was Liszt's among the ladies."
Lola Montez, during the last few years of her life, devoted herself to
lecturing in various European cities, and the following is extracted
from a published one entitled, "The Wits and Women of Paris":
"There was a gifted and fashionable lady (the Countess of Agoult),
herself an accomplished authoress, concerning whom and George Sand a
curious tale is told. They were great friends, and the celebrated
pianist Liszt was the admirer of both. Things went on smoothly for some
time, all couleur de rose, when one fine day Liszt and George Sand
disappeared suddenly from Paris, having taken it into their heads to
make the tour of Switzerland for the summer together. Great was the
indignation of the fair countess at this double desertion; and when they
returned to Paris Madame d'Agoult went to George Sand and immediately
challenged the great writer to a duel, the weapons to be finger-nails,
etc. Poor Liszt ran out of the room and locked himself up in a dark
closet till the deadly affray was ended, and then made his body over in
charge to a friend, to be preserved, as he said, for the remaining
assailant. Madame d'Agoult was married to a bookworm, who cared for
naught else but his library; he did not know even the number of children
he possessed, and so little the old philosopher cared about the matter
that when a stranger came to the house he invariably, at the appearance
of the family, said: 'Allow me to present to you my wife's children';
all this with the blandest smile and most contented air."
Lola Montez also says in her lecture:
"I once asked George Sand which she thought the greatest pianist, Liszt
or Thalberg. She replied, 'Liszt is the greatest, but there is only one
Thalberg. If I were to attempt to give an idea of the difference between
Liszt and Thalberg, I should say that Thalberg is like the clear, placid
flow of a deep, grand river; while Liszt is the same tide foaming and
bubbling and dashing on like a cataract.'"