Letters of Franz Liszt Volume I Part 47

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 ma.n.u.script 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 a.s.sured 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 a.s.sociated 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 princ.i.p.al 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 grat.i.tude 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 a.s.sure 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 bra.s.s', the lower 'string quartet']

that would be enough to make ample amends for them. I beg you, sir, to accept the a.s.surance 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 ba.s.s) 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 grat.i.tude 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 pa.s.sing 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 copyingof 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 doc.u.ment 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 a.s.sured 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 a.s.sure 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,

A few days ago I received a letter from Koenigsberg, signed by a gentleman unknown to me. Bychance this letter has got lost, and I cannot myself remember the exact name. But, as your name was mentioned in it, I beg you to be so good as to let Herr * * *

know that I do not possess the arrangement of the second movement of my Faust Symphony made by Zellner in Vienna for pianoforte, violin, harp, and harmonium, and that consequently I cannot hand it over to him. Besides this, I do consider such a fragmentary performance of this work of mine, which stands in such bad credit with the critics, as rather unsuitable, and would not advise any concert-giver, and still less any concert-directors, to smuggle into a programme my name so challenged as a composer. How long this curious comedy of criticism will last I am unable to determine; anyhow I am resolved not to trouble my head about the cry of murder which is raised against me, and to go on my way in a consistent and undeterred fashion. Whether I shall be answerable for the scandal, or whether my opponents will entangle themselves in the scandal, will appear later. Meanwhile they can hiss and scribble as much as they please. In the course of the summer my "Faust" and "Dante" Symphonies will be published by Hartel, together with a couple of new Symphonic Poems. The "Faust Symphony" is dedicated to Berlioz, and the "Dante" to Wagner. I am sending them to you, dear friend, with the two pianoforte arrangements, with the risk that nothing will please you in them, which however will not prevent us from being good friends. You may rest a.s.sured that I shall always be grateful to you for the friendliness you have shown me in past years, and that I would never attempt to compromise you with my future. For the latter I alone can and must care.

Please then make my best excuses to Herr * * *, whose kind letter has, alas! cost me much useless searching, and continue your personal well-wishing to your ever faithful friend (though fallen in musical esteem and under your ban),

F. Liszt

Weymar, February 1st, 1858

196. To Professor L. A. Zellner in Vienna

You may believe me, dear friend, when I tell you that all the disagreeables and vexations which the preparations for the performance of my Ma.s.s [The Gran Festival Ma.s.s.] draw upon you are the most acutely felt by myself. Do you really think it is desirable to go against trifles of this sort and openly to fight them? I should not like to decide this "a distance"; but I promise you that I will not leave you in the lurch if in the end the indispensable invitation to me follows. The concert at Prague is to take place on the 12th of March, and I invite you to it.

Then after that I can travel with you on the 14th to Vienna or return to Weymar. But I hope the former. I have nothing whatever to say against the invitation of the Pest singers, because the four persons have remained in my friendly remembrance. Yet I must remark that the performance of the solos in my Ma.s.s offers no special difficulties, and that consequently it could be quite suitably and satisfactorily given by Vienna singers, which seems both simpler and pleasanter. Herr Dr. Gunz, Herr Panzer, and Fraulein Huber are quite satisfactory to me as soloists, as also Fraulein Friedlowsky, of whom I have heard the highest praise as Elizabeth. The tenor and alto are the chief people concerned, as they have the princ.i.p.al subject in the Kyrie and Benedictus. If we have two rehearsals with pianoforte, which I shall have great pleasure in holding with the ladies and gentlemen myself, we shall thoroughly get to the bottom of it; and if the singers have steadfastness enough to make an effect with their part the thing will go of itself.

With regard to the chorus and orchestra I reserve it to myself to express my thanks to h.e.l.lmesberger and the chorus-directors in writing, as soon as I have definite tidings. But to you, dear friend, I can only repeat that he who will understand me loves me also--and that I remain,