Letters of Franz Liszt Volume I Part 31

Meanwhile your "Cha.s.seurs de Siberie" will be given again on Wednesday next (the 22nd). I will tell Cornelius to give you tidings of it, unless the fancy takes you to come and hear it, in order to make a diversion from your "Voix interieures" [internal voices] of Leipzig.

Write to me soon, my dear Van II., and believe me wholly your very affectionate and devoted friend,

F. Liszt

November 19th, 1854

127. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

Kahnt [The subsequent publisher, for many years, of the Neue Zeitschrift.] is only known to me by name, as an active and not too moderately Philistine publisher. Personally I have never met him, and therefore I cannot give a decided opinion as to his fitness and suitability for the post of publisher of the Neue Zeitschrift--yet, on the grounds you give me, it seems quite right. Nothing is to be expected from Bussenius until he has made a firm footing at Gotha, which can only come to pa.s.s in the course of the next months; besides this, he has such gigantic plans for his new establishment in Gotha that the affairs of the Neue Zeitschrift might be left somewhat in the background. I entirely agree with you on this point, that you cannot put the Neue Zeitschrift in the market and offer it to just any publisher who has shown himself up to now hostile to our tendencies. To do such a thing as that could never lead to a satisfactory result. I would, however, remark that the next few years will probably set our party more firmly on their legs; the invalidity of our opponents vouches pretty surely for that, apart from the fact, which is nevertheless the princ.i.p.al point, that powerful talent is developing in our midst, and many others who formerly stood aloof from us are drawing near to us and agreeing with us.

Consequently it seems to me that it is not to your interest to conclude at once a contract for too many years with Kahnt, unless, which is scarcely likely, he were to make you such an offer that you would be satisfied with it under the most favorable conditions. If Kahnt shows the necessary perception and will for the matter, try to get him to have a consultation with me about it at Weymar. As he is also a music publisher I could tell him some things, and make others plainer, which would not be without interest to him. He need not be afraid that I shall belabor him with ma.n.u.scripts or urge him to untimely or useless sacrifices...(I need not waste more words over the purity of my intentions!) But I think it is desirable that, if Kahnt consents to become editor of the Neue Zeitschrift, I should put him on his guard about several things beforehand which do not come exactly within the sphere of your activity, but which may essentially help to the better success of the undertaking. A couple of hours will be ample for it, and as I shall not be absent from Weymar during the coming weeks Kahnt will find me any day. Perhaps it could be arranged for you to come to Weymar with him for a day, and then we three can make matters perfectly clear and satisfactory.

Although it is very difficult to me to make time for the more necessary things, yet I am quite at your service with a short article for the trial-number on Wagner's "Rheingold." I had arranged the article so as to do for the New Year's number--you shall have it in four to five days. Dispose of it as suits you best. In case the "Clara Schumann" article does not appear in the next number of the paper, and we do not have to wait too long for the trial-number, it would be well perhaps to put it in there.

Possibly it might also be reprinted in the trial-number.

I am glad that you, dear friend, after some "jerks and wrenches,"

have come together again with the pseudo-Musician of the Future, Rubinstein. He is a clever fellow, possessed of talent and character in an exceptional degree, and therefore no one can be more just to him than I have been for years. Still I do not want to preach to him--he may sow his wild oats and fish deeper in the Mendelssohn waters, and even swim away if he likes. But sooner or later I am certain he will give up the apparent and the formalistic for the organically Real, if he does not want to stand still. Give him my most friendly greetings; as soon as our concert affairs are settled here I shall write and invite him to give one of his orchestral works here.

Do not let yourself be grieved at the ever-widening schism in Leipzig about which you write to me. We have nothing to lose by it; we must only understand how to a.s.sert our full rights in order to attain them. That is the task, which will not be accomplished in a day nor in a year. Indeed, it is as it is written in the Gospel, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few!" Therefore we are not to make ourselves over- anxious--only to remain firm, again to remain firm--the rest will come of itself!--

I will do my utmost for Fraulein Riese, [Pianoforte teacher in Leipzig, who for years went every Sunday to Weimar to study with Liszt; died 1860] that she may not repent the somewhat trying journey. It is a splendid and plucky determination of hers to come regularly to Weymar, and I hope she will gain thereby much pleasure and satisfaction.

Nauenburg's proposal of a Tonkunstler-Versammlung (meeting of musicians) in Weymar is very flattering to me; the same was written to me from several other sides. Hitherto I have always abstained from it, because I thought it was more prudent not to sell the bear's skin before the bear is shot. Moreover the ordinary fine talk without deeds ["much cry and little wool"] is very distasteful to me: let friend Kuhmstedt [Professor at a school, and Music Director at Eisenach; died 1858] sing that kind of philosophical fiortures in Eisenach; I have no talent for it.

None the less we can return to the Nauenburg proposition at a convenient opportunity, and see how it could be best carried out.

According to my opinion, Leipzig would be the most suitable place--and the summer a good time for it.

I consider Raff's polemic entirely harmless. Your readers will get a lesson in history from it, for which they can but be grateful to you--and we need not be anxious about Pohl. It will not puzzle him to eat his way out suitably and wittily.

Yours ever,

F. Liszt December 1st, 1854

128. To J.W. von Wasielewski in Bonn

[Formerly Conductor of the Town Vocal-Union at Bonn (born 1822), afterwards at Dresden; then again in Bonn as Music Director, and living since 1884 in Sondershausen. Widely known as a literary man through his biographies of Schumann and Beethoven, and also through his book "The Violin and its Masters," etc.]

Dear Friend,

Owing to the somewhat long detour of the "Pesther Lloyd," in which the friendly lines of remembrance have been reprinted which you dedicated to the "Altenburg" in the Cologne paper, I only heard of these a few days ago. [Written on the occasion of a week's visit to Liszt at the Altenburg at Weimar, at which time A. Rubinstein was also the Master's guest.] Please therefore to excuse the delay in my thanks, which are none the less sincere and heartfelt.

I have heard many accounts of your most successful concert performances in Bonn, all of which unite in giving you due praise for your excellent conducting. At the beginning of January concert affairs here, which have hitherto been in a vacillating and fluctuating condition, owing to various local circ.u.mstances, will take a more settled turn; I will send you the complete programme shortly. By today's post you will receive the "Songs and Sayings" from the last period of the "Minnesang," arranged for four voices by W. Stade (of Jena). It is an interesting work, and the editors would be very much indebted to you if you would have the kindness to give a couple of numbers of them at your concerts. The little pieces make quite a pretty effect, and one peculiar to themselves, which will prove still more intense with the beautiful Rhine Voices. Perhaps you would also find time and inclination to make the public favorably disposed towards the work by a few lines in the Cologne paper.

How is Hiller? Has his "Advocate" [an opera, "The Advocate." It had no success, and was publicly ridiculed at the Cologne Carnival.] won his requisite suit, as I wish from my heart may be the case? It would be very kind of you to let me know your plain, unvarnished opinion of the performance. I should like to recommend an early performance of the opera in Weymar if Hiller has nothing against it. As you frequently have occasion to see Hiller I beg you to ask him whether it would be agreeable to him to send me the text-book and the score, so that I may make the proposal to the management to give the opera here very soon.-- Should the matter be then so arranged that he himself conducts the first performance I should be very glad indeed, and I will write to him more fully about it.

The opera Repertoire here will be rather at a stand-still this winter. Frau von Milde is in an interesting condition: consequently there can be no Wagner operas from three to four months; for Frau von Milde is for us, and for these operas in particular, not to be replaced. Berlioz's "Benvenuto Cellini"

must also be left unperformed; all the more because Beck, the tenor, has entirely lost his upper notes, and is less able than ever to sing the part of Cellini. But Berlioz will come here in January to conduct his oratorio "L'Enfance du Christ," etc.

(German translation by Cornelius), and his "Faust." I on my side have also finished my "Faust Symphony" (in three parts--without text or voice). The ent.i.ty or non-ent.i.ty has become very long, and I shall in any case have the nine "Symphonic Poems" printed and performed first, before I set "Faust" going, which may not be for another year. Rubinstein's "Ocean Symphony" is to figure in one of our next programmes. If it were not the rule to keep these concerts exclusively instrumental, I should have begged Hiller for his "Loreley." Probably a good opportunity will occur for giving this work when he himself comes to Weymar, as he promised me he would do.

Joachim sent me, together with his Hamlet Overture, which is in print, two others--to "Demetrius" (by Hermann Grimm), and to "Henry IV." (of Shakespeare)--two remarkable scores composed with lion's claws and lion's jaws!--

Have you any news of Schumann? Give me some good tidings of his recovery. "Genoveva" will be given here in April at latest.--

Once more best thanks, dear friend, for the very pleasant days you gave us here, which the inhabitants of the Altenburg most agreeably remember; they send you most friendly greetings. I have not forgotten about the Weimar orchestra matter--a half-prospect has already appeared of realizing my wish, which is in accord with your own. I cannot help, however, always doubting whether it will be for your advantage to exchange Bonn for Weymar, for your position in Bonn appears to me to offer you decidedly improving chances from year to year, and in these regions so much is wanting...that I am constrained to be satisfied with small things. Well, what must be will be. Meanwhile keep in kind remembrance

Yours in sincere friendship,

F. Liszt

Weymar, December 14th, 1854

129. To William Mason in New York

[A pupil of Liszt's, born 1828 at Boston, esteemed as a first- rate piano virtuoso in America]

My dear Mason,

Although I do not know at what stage of your brilliant artistic peregrinations these lines will find you, yet I want you to know that I am most sincerely and affectionately obliged to you for the kind remembrance you keep of me, and of which the papers you send me give such good testimony. "The Musical Gazette" of New York, in particular, has given me a real satisfaction, not only on account of the personally kind and flattering things it contains about me, but also because that paper seems to ingraft a superior and excellent direction on to opinion in your country.

Now you know, my dear Mason, that I have no other pride than to serve, as far as in me lies, the good cause of Art, and whenever I find intelligent men conscientiously making efforts for the same end I rejoice and am comforted by the good example they give me. Will you please give my very sincere compliments and thanks to your brother, who, I suppose, has taken the editorship-in- chief of, the Musical Gazette, and if he would like to have some communications from Weymar on what is going on of interest in the musical world of Germany I will let him have them with great pleasure through Mr. Pohl, who, by the way, no longer lives in Dresden (where the numbers of the Musical Gazette were addressed to him by mistake), but in the Kaufstra.s.se, Weymar. His wife, being one of the best harpists whom I know, is, now among the virtuosi of our orchestra, which is a sensible improvement both for opera and concerts.--

A propos of concerts, I will send you in a few days the programme of a series of Symphonic performances which ought to have been established here some years ago, and to which I consider myself in honor as in duty bound to give a definite impetus at the beginning of the year 1855.--Toward the end of January I expect Berlioz. We shall then hear his trilogy of "L'Enfance du Christ,"

[The Childhood of Christ] of which you already know "La Fuite en Egypte," [The Flight into Egypt] to which he has added two other little Oratorios called "Le Songe d'Herode" [Herod's Dream] and "L'Arrivee a Sais." [The Arrival at Sais]--His dramatic Symphony of Faust (in four parts, with solos and chorus) will also be given entire while he is here.

As regards visits of artists last month which were a pleasure to me personally, I must mention Clara Schumann and Litolff. In Brendel's paper (Neue Zeitschrift) you will find an article signed with my name on Madame Schumann, whom I have again heard with that sympathy and thoroughly admiring esteem which her talent commands. As for Litolff, I confess that he made a great impression on me. His Fourth Symphonic Concerto (in ma.n.u.script) is a very remarkable composition, and he played it in such a masterly manner, with so much verve, such boldness and certainty, that it gave me very great pleasure. If there is something of the quadruped in Dreyschock's marvelous execution (and this comparison should by no means vex him: is not a lion as much a quadruped as a poodle?), there is certainly something winged in Litolff's execution, which has, moreover, all the superiority over Dreyschock's which a biped with ideas, imagination, and sensibility has over another biped who fancies that he possesses a surfeit of them all--often very embarra.s.sing!

Do you still continue your intimate relations with old Cognac in the New World, my dear Mason?--Allow me again to recommend you measure, which is an essential quality for musicians. In truth, I am not very much qualified to preach to you the quant.i.ty of this quant.i.ty; for, if I remember rightly, I employed a good deal of Tempo rubato in the times when I was giving my concerts (a business that I would not begin again for anything in the world), and again, quite lately, I have written a long Symphony in three parts ent.i.tled "Faust" (without text or vocal parts), in which the horrible measures of 7/8, 7/4, 5/4, alternate with C and 3/4.--

In virtue of which I conclude that you ought to limit yourself to 7/8ths of a small bottle of old Cognac in the evening, and never to go beyond five quarters!--

Raff, in his first volume of the "Wagner-Frage," has realized something like five quarters of doctrinal sufficiency; but that is an example that can hardly be recommended for imitation in a critical matter, and especially in Cognac and other spirituous matters.

Pardon me, my dear Mason, for these bad jokes, which however my good intentions justify, and try to bear yourself valiantly both morally and physically, which is the heartfelt wish of

Your very affectionate

F. Liszt

Weymar, December 14th, 1854

You did not know Rubinstein at Weymar. [Liszt was mistaken about this. Mason had even done the princ.i.p.al honors to Rubinstein at his first visit to Weimar, in the absence of the Master.] He stayed here some time, and notoriously cuts himself off from the thick ma.s.s of so-called pianist composers who don't know what playing means, and still less with what fuel to fire themselves for composing--so much so that with what is wanting to them in talent as composers they think they can make themselves pianists, and vice versa.