Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: From Rome to the End
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Franz Liszt; letters collected by La Mara and translated >> Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: From Rome to the End
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But whether two birds existed must be proved by the "corpus
delicti."
With highest esteem I remain, dear sirs,
Most truly yours,
F. Liszt
Buda-Pest, November 22nd, 1871. (Palatingasse 20.)
P.S.--Herewith is my yearly contribution to the "Bach-
Gesellschaft."--
Allow me to reply, later on, to your kind inquiry in regard to a
pianoforte piece.
114. To Madame A. Rubinstein in St. Petersburg
Madame,
Your talent of observation is as incontestable as your very
charming amiability. With a sagacious eye you observed my
predilection for the silent "compatriot," apparently rather
sombre, but of excellent composition at bottom. [A box of
caviare, which Madame Rubinstein had sent to Liszt.] Doubtless
the advantages which appertain to it in its own right were
peculiarly enhanced by the charm of your salon, where I hope to
see it again and often. Meanwhile, since you are good enough to
favor me with its uninterrupted company, I beg to assure you that
I shall appreciate it even beyond its specific merits, which are
moreover very real. Will you be so good as to renew to Rubinstein
the expression of my old and admiring friendship, and accept,
Madame, the most affectionate thanks and respects of your very
devoted servant,
F. Liszt
Pest, Tuesday, January 9th, 1872
115. To Edmund von Mihalovich
Very Dear Friend,
Your new Song "Du bist wie eine Blume" ["Thou'rt like a tender
flower"] is most welcome, and you have succeeded perfectly with
it. It only remains to add a ninth to this No. 8, so that the
volume may contain the number of the Muses. I hope that you will
shortly bring me this No. 9 yourself, for we want you at the
Tonkunstler-Versammlung (also the ninth), which will be held at
Cassel from the 26th to the 30th June. Your "Geisterschiff"
figures on the programme of the first concert, and Riedel (our
President) will write to you officially to invite you to fill the
post of pilot and captain of your "phantom ship," in other words,
to conduct the orchestra. At the same concert Volkmann's Overture
"Richard III.," Raff's "Waldsymphonie," Rubinstein's Overture to
"Faust" and a new Violin Concerto of Raff will be performed.
Wilhelmj will play the violin part, and I hope that other
soloists of renown will also lend us their assistance. The
programme of this year's Tonkunstler-Versammlung contains,
besides these, a new old piece of goods--the "Elizabeth;" and an
antiquated new one--"The Seven Words of O[ur]. S[aviour].,
composed by Schutz at the end of the sixteenth century, and the
manuscript of which was recently discovered at Cassel itself.
The "Elizabeth" will be given at Erfurt on the 2nd May, and on
the 8th Riedel gives Berlioz's "Requiem" at Leipzig, for the
benefit of our "Beethoven Scholarship." It goes without saying
that I shall be present at these two performances.
.--. Schuberth has been very ill at New York, and is not yet
sufficiently well to set out on his journey. I am expecting him
here towards the middle of June: he will come to Cassel, where we
will settle the little matter of your manuscripts in five
minutes.
Yours in all friendship,
F. Liszt
Weimar, April 18th, 1872
My most affectionate thanks to Count Albert Apponyi for his kind
remembrance, with the assurance of my cordial reciprocity.
P.S.--Augusz would give me great pleasure if he would send me a
small provision of Hungarian tobacco (to smoke), for my old
Weimar friend Grosse, the celebrated Trombonist.
Shall you not go to Bayreuth for the 22nd May? I shall invite you
to do so.
116. To Johanna Wenzel
[The lady here addressed was a pupil of Liszt's at the time, and
subsequently married Jules Zarembski, and is at present one of
the teachers of the pianoforte at the Brussels Conservatoire.]
My Dear Young Lady,
In reply to your friendly lines I beg of you earnestly no longer
to think of having the barbarous operation performed upon your
fingers; rather all your life long play every octave and chord
wrong than commit such a mad attack upon your hands.
With best thanks, I subscribe myself yours respectfully,
F. Liszt
Weimar, June l0th, 1872
117. To Wilhelm von Lenz
Very Honored Friend,
I owe you thanks in the 24 major and minor keys for the
remembrance you keep of me, and the ardent style in which you
publish it to the world. Your pamphlet ["Die grossen Pianoforte-
Virtuosen unsrer Zeit" The Great Pianoforte Players of our Day.]
draws down upon itself a capital reproach; it is that you make me
out too grand and too fine. I am far from deserving it, and I
confess it without any false modesty; but since you have been
pleased thus to overwhelm me I can but bow in silence,--and press
your hand.
No one possesses less than myself the talent of talking with the
pen, and the necessity of receiving more than a hundred letters a
month (not counting bills, and the numerous sendings of
manuscript or printed works which I have to read) makes
correspondence again more than difficult for me. It is all I can
do to get through the necessary epistolary work imposed upon
me...Moreover the greater part of the things which are easily
said is indifferent to me, and those that I wish to say resist
ordinary language. On this subject some one well said to me:
"Words seem to me to intercept feeling rather than to express it;
and actions, alas! seem to me sometimes like a thick veil thrown
over our soul: looks even seem to be trammelled by phantom
barriers, and souls which seek one another across the sufferings
of life only find one another--such is my belief--in prayer and
in music."--
What wit, what sallies and what brilliant sparks in your "Quartet
of Pianist Virtuosi!"--Don't let us forget the etymology of the
word "Virtuoso," how it comes from the "Cicerone" in Rome--and
let us reascend to Chopin, the enchanting aristocrat, the most
refined in his magic. Pascal's epigraph, "One must not get one's
nourishment from it, but use it as one would an essence," is only
appropriate to a certain extent. Let us inhale the essence, and
leave it to the druggists to make use of it. You also, I think,
exaggerate the influence which the Parisian salons exercised on
Chopin. His soul was not in the least affected by them, and his
work as an artist remains transparent, marvellous, ethereal, and
of an incomparable genius--quite outside the errors of a school
and the silly trifling of a salon. He is akin to the angel and
the fairy; more than this, he sets in motion the heroic string
which has nowhere else vibrated with so much grandeur, passion
and fresh energy as in his "Polonaises," which you brilliantly
designate as "Pindaric Hymns of Victory."
No need to tell you that I fully share in your admiration and
sympathy for Tausig and Henselt. Do you know Wagner's epigraph
"Fur Carl Tausig's Grab"?
"Reif sein zum Sterben, Des Lebens zogernd spriessende Frucht
Fruh reif sic erwerben, In Lenzes jaherbluhender Flucht--War es
dein Loos, war es dein Wagen: Wir mussen dein Loos wie dein Wagen
beklagen."
[For Carl Tausig's Grave:--"Ripe for Death's harvest, The fruits
of life long tarrying, Full early to pluck them In the fleeting
bloom of spring--Was it thy lot, was it thy bourn? Thy lot and
thy destiny both must we mourn."]
Allow me to be particularly grateful to you for one very
comprehensive expression in your pamphlet (page 4)--"es war
thematisch" [it was thematic]--and accept, dear Lenz, the
expression of my old and very cordial devotion.
F. Liszt
Weimar, September 20th, 1872
In three weeks I return to Hungary, and shall stay there for the
winter. The remainder of my existence will be divided henceforth
between Pest and Weimar. When you return to Berlin (in the
summer) I invite you to come this way. Are you in touch with the
musical young Russia and its very notable leaders--Messrs.
Balakireff, Cui, and Rimski-Korsakoff? I have lately read several
of their works; they deserve attention, praise and propagation.
118. To Otto Lessmann in Charlottenburg
[Lessmann, a pupil of Bulow's and F. Kiel's, was at one time a
teacher in Tausig's School for the Higher Instruction in
Pianoforte Playing, and is now well known as editor of the
Allgemeine (deutsche) Musikseitung, representing the party of
musical progress with energy and success.]
Very Dear Sir and Friend,
My best thanks for presenting me with your admirable edition of
Bach's "Preludes." Such works are among the pleasant signs of the
musical Present; inasmuch as they will drive away the old jog-
trot style of pianoforte playing. Bulow's edition of Beethoven
outweighs in the matter of instruction a dozen Conservatoires.
And the editions by Kroll and Lebert also deserve praise and
ought to be widely circulated; and to your Bach Preludes I wish
plentiful successors in the "Suites," "Inventions" and
"Variations" (especially the 30 in G major) of grand old Herr
Johann Sebastian--of Eisenach.
Allow me also to add that reading over your Songs enables me more
and more thoroughly to enjoy them when I hear them--intelligent
singers shall be found for them--and accept, dear friend, the
expression of my sincere esteem and affection.
F. Liszt
Eisenach, September 26th, 1872
119. To Eduard von Liszt
Horpacs, November 6th, 1872
Dearest Eduard,
My stay here has been somewhat prolonged, and I shall not reach
Pest till next Sunday.
Szechenyi's [Count Szechenyi was Austrian ambassador in Berlin up
to 1892.] residence here is most decidedly pleasant and
convenient, without noise. In the chapel attached to the house,
the house-chaplain (a cultured and estimable priest) daily reads
Mass. At table an old house-physician, Dr. M., contributes a good
deal to the entertainment. Among other amusing things he said one
day: "As to the cholera, no one knows anything definite about it
yet except myself, for I have fathomed its nature. And its nature
consists solely and wholly...of nothing but cholera!"
The day before yesterday we drove with Szechenyi and Mihalovich
to Raiding, [Liszt's birthplace.] in less than two hours. A Herr
Wittgenstein (probably an Israelite), who lives in Vienna, now
rents this Esterhazy estate, and sublets it again. I found no
perceptible changes in the house where I was born since my last
visit there 24 years ago. The peasants recognised me at once,
came to pay me their respects at the inn, and rang the church
bell as we drove away.
.--. I wrote to Kahnt from here that he was to send you
immediately the 9 "Kirchen-Chorgesange" and my Mass for men's
voices ("Editio nova").
The three Patronatsscheine [tickets of membership] for the
Nibelung performance in Bayreuth (Bayern. N.B.--The King has
commanded that henceforth Baiern [Bavaria] shall be spelt with a
y), and your letter to Herr Feustel, please attend to without
delay.
All cordial greetings to you and yours--from your faithfully
attached
F. Liszt
Augusz I shall meet in Pest-Ofen.
Give Bosendorfer my friendly greetings, and at the same time tell
him how I praise the excellent piano upon which I have been
practising a little here.
If Zumbusch goes to Vienna, commission him--as we arranged--to
make a bust of me in marble and a pedestal for Bosendorfer.
120. To Princess Caroline Sayn-Wittgenstein
[Printed by "order" in the Signale, 1873 (after the death of
Napoleon), in which form the letter is reproduced here, as the
original could not be procured. This letter does not indeed show
us Liszt as a far-sighted politician, but simply as a man of
noble impulses.]
Pest, January 10th, 1873
Napoleon III. is dead! A great soul, an all-embracing
intelligence, experienced in the wisdom of life, a gentle and
noble character--with a disastrous fate! He was a bound and
gagged Caesar, but still closely related to the Divine Caesar who
was the ideal embodiment of earthly power. In the year 1861, when
I had a pretty long interview with Napoleon, he said, "Sometimes
it seems to me as if I were over a hundred years old." I replied,
"You are the century yourself, Sire!"--And, in fact, I honestly
believed at the time, and do so still, that Napoleon's reign was
the one most in keeping with the requirements and advances of our
era. He has set noble examples, and accomplished or undertaken
great deeds: amnesties which were more complete under him than
under other governments; the protection of the Church in Rome and
in other countries; the rejuvenescence of Paris and other great
cities in France; the Crimean war and the Italian war; the great
Paris Exhibition, and the rise of local exhibitions; the earnest
attention paid to the lot and to the interests of the country
people, and of the working classes; the generosity and
encouragement to scholars and artists,--all these things are
historical facts, and are things in which the Emperor took the
initiative, and which he carried out in spite of all the
difficulties that stood in his way.
These things will not be eclipsed by the misfortunes that befell
him, however terrible these may have been, and, on the day of
judgment, France will fetch the coffin of Napoleon III. and place
it in all honor beside that of Napoleon I. It can be affirmed
without adulation that throughout life the Emperor unswervingly
practised those great virtues which are in reality one and the
same thing and are known by the names of benevolence, goodness,
generosity, nobility of mind, love of splendor and munificence.
One of the fine traits of his character that he is acknowledged
to have possessed, was his never-failing kindheartedness and his
deep gratitude towards those persons who had ever done him a
service. In all humility and lowliness of spirit I will imitate
him in this, and begin with himself by blessing his memory and
addressing my prayers for him to the God of Mercy who has so
ordered things that nations may-recover from their wounds. .--.
121. To Eduard von Liszt
Dearest Eduard,
Long since you ought to have heard from me...However, I have not
been altogether idle, and during the last weeks have been busy
blackening some sheets of music paper which you shall see in
print and hear me play. Bosendorfer heard some of it last night,
and will bring you word about it to Pest. Be good enough to pay
Zumbusch a visit, and beg him to have my bust done in good
marble, and to have it finished and ready by the 2nd April
(Franciscus di Paula). I intend to spend this name-day of mine
with you quietly, [This was an established custom of Liszt's for
many years, and one to which--even after his cousin's death--he
adhered, and spent the day with the family up to the time of his
death.] and to take the bust to Bosendorfer "in persona."
I am told that the Gran Mass is to be performed on Easter Sunday
in Pressburg. If so, we will go there together to hear it, with
your wife, Marie [Eduard von Liszt's daughter, now Baroness Saar
in Vienna.] and Franz.
As to the Bayreuth affair, I have already told you what my wish
and will is. It must remain thus. .--.
Probably Cosima will be going to Vienna in February.
God's blessing abide with you and yours. Thine, with all my
heart,
F. Liszt
Pest, January 13th, 1873
122. To Dr. Emil Thewrewk von Ponor, Professor at the University
of Budapest.
[A classical philologist who published a little Hungarian work
entitled "Die ungarische Rhythmik," the German edition of which
was to be dedicated to Liszt. The two men differed in their
opinion respecting the origin of Hungarian music; however, in
consequence of Von Ponor's contribution to the subject, Liszt did
in the end agree with the proof Von Ponor brought forward--with
this reservation, that "the gypsies did bring harmony into
Hungarian music," a point which--Ponor thinks--"may readily be
conceded."]
Much-Esteemed and Dear Herr Professor,
I regret that my reply to your request about the Elizabeth-motive
can only be somewhat unsatisfactory. It was sent to me together
with some others--referring to Saint Elizabeth--about 13 years
ago, by Mosonyi and Baron Augusz, and the Hungarian text is
published in the concluding notice to the score of my Oratorio. A
copy of the "Lyra Coelestis" I did not need; probably this (to me
unknown) printed work will be readily found here, and is sure to
be in the Library of the Martinsberg monastery.
If not inconvenient to you I should be glad to receive the honor
of a visit from you; it would interest me greatly to hear of and
to become acquainted with your researches concerning Hungarian
rhythmic forms.
Meanwhile I thank you warmly for your friendly lines, and for
communicating the Volkslied in the 5/4 time:--
[Here, Liszt illustrates with a musical score excerpt]
Yours with much esteem and sincerely,
F. Liszt
Pest, January 14th, 1873
123. To Dr. Franz Witt
January 20th, 1873
Much-Esteemed Friend,
At New Year I sent you a copy of the Stabat Mater by Palestrina
"for the lecture arranged by R. Wagner." The inaccuracies and
errors of this copy I have carefully corrected, for in such a
masterly and exemplary arrangement every iota is of importance.
Wagner gave me his manuscript 18 years ago in Zurich, and forgot
afterwards where it was. As regards its publication, which is
much to be desired, it is not for me to interfere in the matter
in any way, and I beg you to come to some understanding with
Wagner about it. If he should wish to correct his old manuscript
(the paper of which has become rather yellowish) I will gladly
place it at his service.
124. To Eduard von Liszt
Dearest Eduard,
Having considered the matter about the certificate of death which
Rothschild wished to have, I shall not make use of Belloni in
connection with it. If Emile Ollivier were still in Paris it
would be his place to procure the certificate. My dear good
mother died in his house (Rue St. Guillaume, Faubourg St.
Germain) at the beginning of January 1866. He looked after her
and took tender care of her for several years; and finally had
her body taken to the Church of St. Thomas d'Aquin for the
funeral service, and followed it thence to its last resting-place
in the cemetery of Montparnasse. This noble conduct and his
speech at the grave I cherish in my innermost heart.
Since the winter of 1866 I have never been back in Paris, and my
relations with trustworthy persons there are as good as entirely
broken off. Hence I yesterday went and got good advice from
friend Augusz, and have accepted his proposal, namely, to address
a request to Count Alexander Apponyi--son of and Secretary to the
Austrian ambassador in Paris--to procure the certificate of death
of my mother and to send it to you. Let Rothschild know of this
matter, which, let us hope, will soon be satisfactorily settled.
Many thanks for the trouble you are taking about the bust by
Zumbusch, and which I very much wish personally to present to
Bosendorfer in Vienna as an Easter egg. I know I can rely wholly
upon your ever faithful and incomparable readiness to do me a
favor.
Allow me one other request, which will cost you only half an
hour's time and a visit. The visit is to an extremely
interesting, learned and distinguished man--Dr. Ambros, formerly
Imperial Solicitor-General in Prague, now professor and
referendary to the Officielle Zeitung in Vienna, always an
eminent writer on aesthetics, history, the history of music, a
polygraphist, composer--in fact, a good friend of mine. Be kind
enough to tell him that I am awaiting his answer in the
affirmative, respecting a lecture by him on Robert Franz at the
extra Soiree arranged in honor of and for the benefit of Robert
Franz; Dr. Ambros was at my request respectfully invited by Herr
Dunkl ("Firma Roszavolgyi") to give us his assistance. I take
part too as pianist, collector and arranger of the Soiree, and
hope that Dr. Ambros--who is so specially competent for the task,
owing to his eloquent and valuable treatise on Robert Franz--will
give us brilliant assistance, and give us a speech there without
talking himself out. The warmest welcome and appreciation will
await him on all sides. But obtain his kind consent as soon as
possible, together with a written yea to Dunkl (Musikverlag
Roszavolgyi, Christoph-Platz, Pest).
Heartiest greetings to your wife and children, and au revoir on
the 2nd April.
Thine,
F. Liszt
Pest, January 28th, 1873
125. To Eduard von Liszt
My Dearest Friend,
Zumbusch's letter seems to me pretty comforting, and if you would
have the kindness to write to him again I hope the bust will
reach Vienna by April 1st. Have you asked what it costs? If not
do so in your next letter. Of course I do not mean to bargain
with Zumbusch (that is a thing I do only in case of dire
necessity--and even then am a bad hand at it). We must simply pay
what he asks, and leave ourselves to his friendly feelings of
moderation, which will not fail...
In spite of all your endeavors and persuasive powers Dr. Ambros
is not coming to the Robert Franz Soiree in Pest. He wrote to
Dunkl that he is unusually busy in Vienna with urgent affairs
connected with the Zeitung--and hence cannot find any time to
prepare an address--and besides this is afraid of taking cold on
the journey...To all this we can raise no remonstrance, so I must
just accept this refusal of Ambros, much as I should have liked a
different answer. Some day I will tell you the preliminaries of
this business. Last week I received from Freiherr Suttner,
President of the Vienna Singakademie and Imperial Chamberlain, an
invitation to play a few pianoforte pieces in the concert
arranged for Robert Franz's benefit. I replied that an interval
of 25 years separated me from my last public appearance as a
pianist, andthat I considered it advisable for me to remain
within the interval. As I told you last October, it is not my
intention to officiate in any way this winter in Vienna.
Herewith I send you an extract from the sitting of the Chamber of
the day before yesterday, the result of which is almost as
unexpected as it is important. The deputies of the conservative
party and of the opposition voted almost unanimously in favor of
raising the funds for establishing a new Musik-Akademie. And an
unusual honor was conferred upon me on the occasion,--for,
although I have never come forward in the matter, it was
nevertheless brought forward in my name, and this certainly puts
rather a heavy burden upon me. I will endeavor conscientiously to
do justice to the honor as well as the burden. For the last
couple of days a stupid feverish cold in the head has kept me in
bed. Tomorrow, however, I shall be up and about again.
Faithfully thine,
F. Liszt
Pest, February 10th, [1873]
126. To Eduard von Liszt
My Dear Friend,
Bosendorfer brings you tidings of the Robert Franz Soiree of
yesterday. [At this soiree Liszt played Beethoven's A-flat major
Sonata, Op. 26, No, 4; his own "Soirees de Vienne" (after F.
Schubert); Schumann's "Wie aus der Ferne"; and R. Franz's
"Lied."] In a fortnight's time I shall have a similar work before
me as pianoforte player, at a charity concert which Countess Anna
Zichy is patronising. Then follows, further, a matinee of the
Liszt-Verein at the Stadtpfarrei [The town parsonage], and the
performance of Witt's Mass, of which I undertake the conducting
on the 25th March (in the church). At the beginning of April I
shall be with you.
Heartfelt greetings to you and yours from your faithful
F. Liszt
[Pest] March 3rd, 1873
127. To Madame Jessie Laussot
Dear, Excellent Friend,
Your ideas are always very wise, practical and noble; I
participate in them beforehand, and esteem myself happy to have
them communicated to me direct. With regard to Robert Franz's
little capital, I presume that his zealous friends have already
taken decisive measures; on my return to Weimar (before the end
of April) I will learn whether it is possible to carry out your
idea...You know that a thousand thalers have been sent from here,
the result of a soiree arranged in Franzs honor. Perhaps I shall
find an opportunity to send him more soon.--
Walter Bache writes me word of his "Ninth Annual Concert" in
London, with my 13th Psalm. Bache behaves "eroicamente" with
regard to me, and takes rank in the very small group of my
friends who are the most determined to show the public--in spite
of the contrary opinion, much believed by influential papers--
that my music is not absolutely void of sense. I should like to
make the task of these friends a little easier, and I try not to
increase the merit of their devotion by my faults.
Enclosed is the programme of the concert of our friend Mihalovich
yesterday evening. "Romeo and Juliet" was encored, and the
"Geisterschiff" did not founder. The audience, very aristocratic,
was more select than numerous, which is a good sign for our
friend. Item the squashing of some learned articles in the
papers.
Will you kindly give my grateful acknowledgments to Mr.
Hillebrand for his friendly remembrance, and for sending me his
new volume on the French? I had read bits of it in the Augsburg
Gazette, and shall take a double pleasure in reading the entire
work. Hillebrand, like Alexander von Humboldt, has a passionate
attachment to France;--I am proud to feel that I am in accord
with him also on this point.
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