Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 1, From Paris to Rome:
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Franz Liszt; Letters assembled by La Mara and translated >> Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 1, From Paris to Rome:
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I have inquired several times as to the talent and the career of
Mr. de Hardegg, in whom I naturally feel an interest from the
fact of the interest you take in him. If by chance he should be
thinking of making a journey to this part of Germany, beg him
from me not to forget me at Weymar. I shall be delighted to make
his acquaintance, and he may be assured of a very affectionate
reception from me.
Accept, my dear and honored friend, every assurance of my high
esteem, and believe that I shall ever remain
Your very faithful and grateful
F. Liszt
Weymar, April 19th, 1852
82. To Gustav Schmidt, Capellmeister at Frankfort-on-the-Maine
[Autograph (without address) in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet
at Valentigney.--The addressee was, in any case, the above-
mentioned (1816-82), finally Court-Capellmeister (conductor) at
Darmstadt, the composer of the operas "Prinz Eugen," "Die Weiber
von Weinsberg," and others.]
Dear Friend,
.--. The idea of a Congress of Capellmeisters is indeed a very
judicious one, and from a satisfactory realization of it only
good and better things could result for the present divided state
of music. There is no question that in the insulation and
paralyzing of those who are authorities in Art lies a very
powerful hindrance, which, if it continues, must essentially
injure and endanger Art. Upon certain principles an union is
necessary, so that the results of it may be actively applied, and
it especially behooves Capellmeisters worthily to maintain the
interests of music and musicians. A meeting such as you propose
would be a timely one; only you will approve of my reasons when I
renounce the honor of proposing this meeting for Weimar, and
indicate Spohr to you as the proper head. The master Spohr is our
senior; he has always furthered the cause of music as far as
circumstances at Cassel permitted--the "Fliegender Hollander" was
given at Cassel under his direction earlier than "Tannhauser" was
given at Weymar. Talk it over with him, which from the near
vicinity of Frankfort you can easily do, and if, as I do not
doubt, he enters into your project, fix the date and let me know.
I shall gladly take part in the matter, and will make it my
business to do my share towards bringing about the desired
results.
"Tannhauser" is announced for the 31st of this month (on occasion
of the presence of Her Majesty the Empress of Russia). Beck takes
the title-role at this performance. We shall give Schumann's
"Manfred" a few days later. For next season the "Fliegender
Hollander" and Spohr's "Faust," with the new Recitatives which he
wrote for London, are fixed.
Farewell, and happiness attend you, dear friend; remember me
kindly to your wife, and believe me ever
Yours most sincerely, F. Liszt
Weymar, May 18th, 1852.
83. To Robert Schumann
[Autograph in the Royal Library in Berlin.]
My very dear Friend,
It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce to you the
first performance of "Manfred" for next Sunday, June 13th, and to
invite you to come to it. ["Manfred" was put on the stage for the
first time by Liszt] I hope that, at this time of year, your
Dusseldorf duties will allow of your coming here for a couple of
days, and that probably you will bring Clara with you, to whom
please remember me very kindly. Should you, however, come alone,
I beg that you will stay with me at the Altenburg, where you can
make yourself perfectly at home. The last rehearsal is fixed for
Friday afternoon; perhaps it would be possible for you to be
present at it, which of course would be very agreeable to me.
Your Leipzig friends will see the announcement of this
performance in the papers, and I think you will consider it your
bounden duty not to be absent from us at this performance.
Wishing you always from my heart the best spirits for your work,
good health, and "every other good that appertains thereto," I
remain unalterably
Yours most sincerely, F. Liszt
Weymar, June 8th, 1852.
84. To Robert Schumann
[Autograph in the Royal Library in Berlin.]
My very dear Friend,
I regret extremely that you could not come to the second
performance [This might perhaps also be read "first
performance."] of your "Manfred," and I believe that you would
not have been dissatisfied with the musical preparation and
performance of that work (which I count among your greatest
successes). The whole impression was a thoroughly noble, deep,
and elevating one, in accordance with my expectations. The part
of Manfred was taken by Herr Potsch, who rendered it in a manly
and intelligent manner. With regard to the mise-en-scene
something might be said; yet it would be unfair not to speak in
praise of the merits of the manager, Herr Genast. It seems to me
therefore that it would be nice of you to write a friendly line
of thanks to Herr Genast, and commission him to compliment Herr
Potsch (Manfred) and the rest of the actors from you.
One only remark I will permit myself: the introduction music to
the Ahriman chorus (D minor) is too short. Some sixty to a
hundred bars of symphony, such as you understand how to write,
would have a decidedly good effect there. Think the matter over,
and then go fresh to your desk. Ahriman can stand some polyphonic
phrases, and this is an occasion where one may rant and rage away
quite comfortably.
Shall I send you your manuscript score back, or will you make me
a lovely present of it? I am by no means an autograph-collector,
but the score, if you don't require it any longer, would give me
pleasure.
A thousand friendly greetings to Clara, and beg your wife to let
me soon hear something of you.
In truest esteem and friendship,
Yours ever,
F. Liszt
Weymar, June 26th, 1852
85. To Peter Cornelius
[The exquisite poet-composer of the operas "The Barber of
Baghdad," "The Cid," and "Gunlod," which have at last attained
due recognition (1824-74).]
Weymar, September 4th, 1852
It has been a great pleasure to me, my dear Mr. Cornelius, to
make the acquaintance of your brother, and I only regret that he
passed several days here without letting me know of his stay.
Your letter, which reached me through him, has given me a real
pleasure, for which I thank you very affectionately. Short though
our acquaintance has been, I am pleased to think that it has been
long enough to establish between us a tie which years will
strengthen without changing the natural and reciprocal charm. I
congratulate you very sincerely in having put the fine season to
so good a use by finishing the church compositions you had
planned. That is an admirable field for you, and I strongly
advise you not to give in till you have explored it with love and
valor for several years. I think that, both by the elevation and
the depth of your ideas, the tenderness of your feelings, and
your deep studies, you are eminently fitted to excel in the
religious style, and to accomplish its transformation so far as
is nowadays required by our intelligence being more awake and our
hearts more astir than at former periods. You have only to
assimilate Palestrina and Bach--then let your heart speak, and
you will be able to say with the prophet, "I speak, for I
believe; and I know that our God liveth eternally."
We spoke with your brother about your vocation for composing
religious--Catholic music. He enters thoroughly into this idea,
and will give you help to realize it under outer conditions
favorable to you. Munster, Cologne, and Breslau appeared to us to
be the three places for the present where you would find the
least obstacles in the way of establishing your reputation and
making a position. But before you go to the Rhine I hope you will
do me the pleasure of coming to see me here. The room adjoining
that which Mr. de Bulow occupies is entirely at your service, and
it will be a pleasure to me if you will settle yourself there
without any ceremony, and will come and dine regularly with us
like an inhabitant of the Altenburg. The theatrical season
recommences on Sunday next, September 12th, with Verdi's
"Ernani." In the early days of October (at the latest)
"Lohengrin" will be given again; and on the 12th of November I
expect a visit from Berlioz, who will spend a week at Weymar.
Then we shall have "Cellini," the Symphony of Romeo and Juliet,
and some pieces from the Faust Symphony.
Kindest regards from yours ever,
F. Liszt
86. To Clara Schumann
Weymar, September 11th, 1852.
It is not without regret that I obey your wish, Madame, in
returning to you the autograph score of "Manfred," for I confess
that I had flattered myself a little in petto that Robert would
leave it with me in virtue of possession in a friendly manner.
Our theater possesses an exact copy, which will serve us for
subsequent performances of "Manfred;" I was tempted to send you
this copy, which, for revision of proofs, would be sufficient,
but I know not what scruple of honor kept me from doing so.
Perhaps you will find that it is possible generously to encourage
my slightly wavering virtue, and in that case you will have no
trouble in guessing what would be to me a precious reward...
How is Robert's health? Have the sea baths done him good? I hope
he will soon be restored all right to his home circle--and to his
composing desk.--
It would have been very pleasant to me to renew our visit of last
year to you at Dusseldorf, and I was indeed touched by the
gracious remembrance of it which your letter gives me; but, alas!
an unfortunate accident which has happened to my mother, by which
she nearly broke her leg in coming downstairs, has obliged her to
keep her bed for more than nine weeks, and even now she can only
walk with the help of crutches, and it will be some months before
she is all right again.
Forced as she was to remain at Weymar, I have not liked to leave
her all this summer, and had to give up the pleasure of a holiday
excursion.--The Princess Wittgenstein, and her daughter (who has
become a tall and charming young girl), desire me to give their
very affectionate remembrances to you and Robert, to which 1 add
my most sincere wishes for the speedy restoration of our friend,
and cordial assurances of my constant friendship.
F. Liszt
87. To Carl Czerny
[Autograph in the archives of the Musik-Verein in Vienna. The
date is wanting; it may be placed, judging from Liszt's letter of
October 30th, 1852, at the above-mentioned date.]
[September or October, 1852]
My Dear, Honored Master And Friend,
Permit me to recommend particularly to you Professor Jahn [The
afterwards celebrated biographer of Mozart], with whose many
interesting works of criticism and musical literature you are
doubtless familiar (among others his Introduction to the original
score of Beethoven's "Leonora," published by Hartel in Leipzig).
Mr. Jahn's object in going to Vienna is to collect documents for
a biography of Beethoven, which will, I am persuaded, supply a
want so much felt hitherto by the public and by artists. May I
beg you--in honor of the great man whom you have had the merit of
comprehending and admiring, long before the common herd joined in
chorus around his name--to open the treasures of your
reminiscences and knowledge to Mr. Jahn, and accept beforehand my
sincere thanks for the good service you will render to Art in
this matter?
It is with unchangeable attachment that I remain, dear master,
your very grateful and devoted
F. Liszt
P.S.--When will the "Gradus ad Parnassum" come out?--You will
receive the copy of my Studies, which are dedicated to you,
through Mr. Lowy in a few days.
88. To Breitkopf and Hartel
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney]
Weymar, October 30th, 1852
My Dear Mr. Hartel,
I have given up to a friend the piano which you have been so good
as to lend me for some years, and he (as I have already informed
you verbally) asks me to let him defer the payment of it till the
end of this month. I therefore take this opportunity of proposing
to you either to let you immediately have the sum fixed upon for
the piano (400 thalers), or else to make a settlement of
reciprocal terms up to now, by which we shall be quits towards
each other. The pleasure and advantage which I find in my
relations with your house are too valuable to me for me not to do
all in my power properly to maintain them, by conforming to your
wishes and intentions. Of my works published by your house there
are, if I mistake not, five--
12 Etudes d'execution transcendante (2 books), 6 Etudes d'apres
Paganini (2 books), Grand Concerto Solo, Fantaisie and Fugue on
the Chorale from the Prophete (No. 4 of the "Illustrations du
Prophete"), Mass (with Pater Noster and Ave Maria) for four male
voices with organ accompaniment
--upon which we have deferred putting a price until now. Without
trying to deceive myself as to the moderate returns which these
(as it happens, rather voluminous) works may bring to your house,
I should venture however to flatter myself that they have not
been an expense to you, and that they are even works not unsuited
to your catalogue. However things may be, I beg you to be so good
as to use towards me the same sincerity that I employ towards
you, persuaded as I am that sincerity is the only basis of any
lasting connection, especially when one has to do with things
which divers circumstances may render more delicate and
complicated. Allow me then at last, my dear Mr. Hartel, to
propose to you to square our accounts by my keeping your piano in
exchange for the above-mentioned five manuscripts, which should
also acquit me for the works of Marx and Kiesewetter that you
have sent me, so that, if my proposition suits you, we should be
entirely quits.
I was glad to hear that Mr. Jahn had had occasion to be satisfied
with his journey to Vienna, and I beg you to assure him that I am
entirely at his disposal with regard to any steps to be taken to
help on his work on Beethoven, for which I am delighted to be of
any service to him.
In a fortnight's time I am expecting Mr. Berlioz here. The
performances of "Benvenuto Cellini" will take place on the 18th
and 20th November, and on the 21st the Symphonies of "Romeo and
Juliet" and "Faust" will be performed, which I proposed to you to
publish. If your numerous occupations would allow of your coming
here for the 20th and 21st I am certain that it would be a great
interest to you to hear these exceptional works, of which it is a
duty and an honor to me not to let Weymar be in ignorance.
Will you, my dear Mr. Hartel, accept this information as an
invitation, and also tell your brother, Mr. Raymond, what
pleasure a visit from him would give me during the Berlioz week?
We shall, moreover, be at that time in good and romantic company
of artists and critics from all points, meeting at Weymar.
I will send you shortly my Catalogue, which you will greatly
oblige me by bringing out without very much delay. The dispersion
and confusion through which my works have had to make their way
hitherto have done them harm, over and above any wrong that they
already had by themselves; it is therefore of some importance to
classify them, and to present to the public a categorical insight
into what little I am worth. As I have promised to send this
catalogue to many people living in all sorts of countries, I beg
that you will put to my account, not gratis, some sixty copies,
which I fear will not be enough for me, but which will at least
serve to lessen the cost of printing.
In this connection allow me to recur to a plan of which I have
already spoken to you--the publication in German of my book on
Chopin. Has Mr. Weyden of Cologne written to you, and have you
come to terms with him on this subject? The last time he wrote to
me he told me that he had not yet had an answer from you. As he
is equally master of French and German, and as he thoroughly
succeeded in his translation of my pamphlet on "Tannhauser and
Lohengrin," I should be glad for the translation of Chopin to be
done by him; and in case you decide to publish his work please
put me down for fifty copies.
Pray excuse this long letter, my dear Mr. Hartel, and believe me
very sincerely,
Yours affectionately and devotedly,
F. Liszt
89. To Breitkopf and Hartel
[Autograph in the possession of M. J. Crepieux-Jamin at Rouen.]
My dear Mr. Hartel,
I thank you very heartily for the fresh proof of your kind
intentions towards me which your last letter gives me, and I
hasten to return to you herewith the two papers with my signature
by which our little accounts are thus settled. With regard to the
extra account of about eighty crowns, which I thank you for
having sent me by the same opportunity, I will not delay the
paying of it either. Only, as it contains several things which
have been got by the theater management (such as "Athalie," the
piano scores of "Lohengrin," Schubert's Symphony, etc.), you will
allow me to leave it a few days longer, so that I may get back
the sum which is due to me,--and which, till the present time, I
was not aware of having been placed to my account, thinking
indeed that these various works for which I had written for the
use of the theater had long ago been paid for by the
management.--
I beg that you will kindly excuse this confusion, of which I am
only guilty quite unawares.
With regard to the publication of the "Pater Noster" and of the
"Ave Maria," please do it entirely to your own mind, and I have
no other wish in the matter but that the "Pater" should not be
separated from the "Ave," on account of the former being so small
a work; but whether you publish these two pieces with the Mass,
or whether they appear separately (the two being in any case kept
together), either of these arrangements will suit me equally
well. For more convenience I have had them bound in one, as
having been written at the same time and as belonging to the same
style.--Berlioz has just written me word that he will probably
arrive here two or three days sooner--and the proprietors of our
repertoire have fixed the 17th November (instead of the 18th) for
the first performance of the revival of "Cellini." Immediately
after he is gone I will put in order the Catalogue that you are
kindly bringing out, and which I should be glad to be able to
distribute about before the end of the winter. You shall have the
manuscript before Christmas.--
As Mr. Weyden has been a friend of mine for several years I may
be permitted to recommend him to you, and have pleasure in hoping
that your relations with him, on occasion of the translation of
the Chopin volume, will be of an easy and agreeable nature. [The
German translation of the work was not done until it appeared, by
La Mara, in 1880, after the publication of a second edition.]
Pray accept once more, my dear Mr. Hartel, my best thanks,
together with every assurance of the sincere affection of
Yours most truly,
F. Liszt
November l0th, 1852
90. To Professor Julius Stern in Berlin
[1820-83; founder of the Stern Vocal Union (which he conducted
from 1847-74), and of the Stern Conservatorium (1850), which he
directed, firstly with Marx and Kullak, and since 1857 alone.]
November 24th, 1852.
My dear Mr. Stern,
I hope you will excuse my delay in replying to your friendly
lines, for which I thank you very affectionately. Mr. Joachim was
absent when they reached me, and all this last week has been
extremely filled up for Weymar (and for me in particular) by the
rehearsals and performance of Berlioz's works. Happily our
efforts have been rewarded by a success most unanimous and of the
best kind. Berlioz was very well satisfied with his stay at
Weymar, and I, for my part, felt a real pleasure in being
associated with that which he experienced in the reception
accorded to him by the Court, our artists, and the public. As
this week has, according to my idea, a real importance as regards
Art, allow me, my dear Mr. Stern, to send you, contrary to my
usual custom, the little resume that the Weymar Gazette has made
of the affair, which will put you very exactly au courant of what
took place. You will oblige me by letting Schlesinger see it
also, and he will perhaps do me the pleasure of letting the
Berlin public have it through his paper (The Echo).
I did not fail to conform to the wish expressed in your last
letter, immediately that Joachim returned to Weymar, and I urged
him much to accept the proposition you have made him to take part
in the concert of the 13th of December. You know what high esteem
I profess for Joachim's talent, and when you have heard him I am
certain you will find that my praises of him latterly are by no
means exaggerated. He is an artist out of the common, and one who
may legitimately aspire to a glorious reputation.
Moreover he has a thoroughly loyal nature, a distinguished mind,
and a character endowed with a singular charm in its rectitude
and earnestness.
The question of fee being somewhat embarrassing for him to enter
into with you, I have taken upon myself to speak to you about it
without any long comment, and to mention to you the sum of twenty
to twenty-five louis d'or as what seems to me fair. If Joachim
had already been in Berlin, or if his stay there could take place
at the same time with some other pecuniary advantage, I feel sure
that he would take a pleasure in offering you his co-operation
for nothing; but in the position he is in now, not intending at
present to give concerts in Berlin, and not having as yet any
direct relations with you, I think you will appreciate the
motives which lead me to fix this sum with you...
If, as I hope, you do not consider it out of proportion, please
simply to be so good as to write a few lines to Joachim direct,
to tell him what day he ought to be in Berlin for the rehearsal
of your concert, so that he may ask a little beforehand for his
holiday from here.
Will you also please give my best regards to Th. Kullak? I have
had the opportunity of talking rather fully about him these last
days with two of his pupils, Princesses Anne and Louise (of
Prussia), and also with their mother, Princess Charles. Mr. Marx
(to whom I beg you to remember me kindly, until I write more
fully to him about the performance of his "Moses") will shortly
receive a letter from Mr. Montag, whom I have begged to bring
with him the arrangements relating to the song parts, which Mr.
Marx will be so kind as to lend us. Probably this oratorio can be
given here towards the end of next January or the middle of next
February, and as soon as the rehearsals are sufficiently advanced
I shall write to Marx to give him positive tidings and to invite
him to pay us a short visit at Weymar.
A thousand frank and cordial regards from
Yours ever,
F. Liszt
You probably already know that Joachim is leaving Weymar to
settle in Hanover at the beginning of next year.
91. To Wilhelm von Lenz in St. Petersburg
[A well-known writer on music and especially on Beethoven;
Imperial Russian Councillor of State (1809-83).]
I am doubly in your debt, my dear Lenz (you will allow me, will
you not, to follow your example by dropping the Mr.?), firstly
for your book, ["Beethoven and his Three Styles" (St. Petersburg,
1852).] so thoroughly imbued with that sincere and earnest
passion for the Beautiful without which one can never penetrate
to the heart of works of genius; and, secondly, for your friendly
letter, which reached me shortly after I had got your book, the
notice of which had very much excited my curiosity. That I have
put off replying to you till now is not merely on account of my
numerous occupations, which usually preclude my having the
pleasure of correspondence, but chiefly on account of you and
your remarkable work, which I wanted to read at leisure, in order
to get from it the whole substance of its contents. You cannot
find it amiss that it has given me much to reflect upon, and you
will easily understand that I shall have much to say to you on
this subject--so much that, to explain all my thoughts, I should
have to make another book to match yours--or, better still,
resume our lessons of twenty years ago, when the master learned
so much from the pupil,--discuss pieces in hand, the meaning,
value, import, of a large number of ideas, phrases, episodes,
rhythms, harmonic progressions, developments, artifices;--I
should have to have a good long talk with you, in fact, about
minims and crotchets, quavers and semi-quavers,--not forgetting
the rests which, if you please, are by no means a trifling
chapter when one professes to go in seriously for music, and for
Beethoven in particular.
The friendly remembrance that you have kept of our talks, under
the name of lessons, of the Rue Montholon, is very dear to me,
and the flattering testimony your book gives to those past hours
encourages me to invite you to continue them at Weymar, where it
would be at once so pleasant and so interesting to see you for
some weeks or months, ad libitum, so that we might mutually edify
ourselves with Beethoven. Just as we did twenty years ago, we
shall agree all at once, I am certain, in the generality of
cases; and, more than we were then, shall we each of us be in a
position to make further steps forward in the exoteric region of
Art.--For the present allow me, at the risk of often repeating
myself hereafter, to compliment you most sincerely on your
volume, which will be a chosen book and a work of predilection
for people of taste, and particularly for those who feel and
understand music. Artists and amateurs, professors and pupils,
critics and virtuosi; composers and theorists--all will have
something to gain from it, and a part to take in this feast of
attractive instruction that you have prepared for them. What
ingenious traits, what living touches, what well-dealt blows,
what new and judiciously adapted imagery should I not have to
quote, were I to enter in detail into your pages, so different
from what one usually reads on similar subjects! In your
arguments, and in the intrinsic and extrinsic proofs you adduce,
what weight--without heaviness, what solidity--without stiffness,
of strong and wholesome criticism--without pedantry! Ideas are
plentiful in this by turns incisive, brilliant, reflected, and
spontaneous style, in which learning comes in to enhance and
steady the flow of a lively and luxuriant imagination. To all the
refinement and subtle divination common to Slavic genius, you
ally the patient research and learned scruples which characterize
the German explorer. You assume alternately the gait of the mole
and of the eagle--and everything you do succeeds wonderfully,
because amid your subterranean maneuvers and your airy flights
you constantly preserve, as your own inalienable property, so
much wit and knowledge, good sense and free fancy. If you had
asked me to find a motto for your book I should have proposed
this,
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