Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 142 : Tell Huber to do the instrumentation of the "Rheinweinlied" quite freely, ac

Tell Huber to do the instrumentation of the "Rheinweinlied" quite freely, according to his own will and what he thinks best, without a too careful attention to the printed piano accompaniment.

345A. To Madame Malwine Tardieu

[Autograph in possession of Constance Bache]

Dear kind Friend,

I have spoken to you several times of my excellent friend--of more than 20 years--Walter Bache. He maintains himself worthily in London as an artist of worth, intelligence, and n.o.ble character. His sister has made a remarkable translation of the "Elizabeth" into English.

Receive the Baches (who pa.s.s a day in Brussels) in a friendly manner.

Cordial devotion,

F. Liszt

Bayreuth, August 9th, 1884

Tomorrow evening I shall be back at Weimar, and shall probably go to Munich for the second series of the "Nibelungen" performances (28th August).

Please give my cordial regards to Tardieu.

346. To the Music Publisher Rahter in Hamburg

Dear Herr Rahter,

Best thanks for kindly sending me the Russian "Fantasie" by Naprawnik--a brilliantly successful concert-piece--and the Slumber Songs by Rimsky-Korsakoff, which I prize extremely; his works are among the rare, the uncommon, the exquisite.--The piano edition of his Opera "Die Mainacht" [The May Night] has either not reached me or else has got lost.--Send it me to Weimar together with a second copy of Naprawnik's Russian "Fantasie,"

which is necessary for performance.

Many of my young pianists will be glad to make this "Fantasie"

known in drawing-rooms and concerts.--

With friendly thanks,

F. Liszt

Munich, August 28th, 1884

347. To Richard Pohl

[Printed in the Allgemeine Deutsche Musikzeitung of 24th October,1884.]

My very dear Friend,

I have long wanted to repeat my hearty thanks to you for the faithful, n.o.ble devotion which you have always bravely and decidedly shown to the Weimar Period of Progression in the years 1849-58. The third volume of your collected writings "Hector Berlioz" affords another proof of this devotion, which is highly to be valued in contrast with the far too general wishy-washy absence of opinion.

After the unheard-of success of more than 20 performances of "The d.a.m.nation of Faust" by the concert societies of Lamoureux, Pasdeloup, Colonne, in the same season in Paris--not counting the theater, for which this work is not suitable, the French Berlioz literature is increasing. You know Hippeau's octavo book "Berlioz Intime," which is shortly to be followed by a second, "Berlioz Artiste." I wish this to profit by your work.

In reading the first volume I was painfully affected by several pa.s.sages out of Berlioz's letters, in which the discord and broken-heartedness of his early years are only too apparent. He could not grasp the just idea that a genius cannot hope to exist with impunity, and that a new thing cannot at once expect to please the ancient order of things.

For the rest, there lies in his complaints against the Parisian "gredins et cretins" [fools and scoundrels], whom he might also find in other places, a large share of injustice. In spite of his exaggerated leniency in favor of a foreign country, the fact remains that up to the present time no European composer has received such distinctions from his own country as Berlioz did from France. Compare the position of Beethoven, Weber, Schubert, Schumann, with that of Berlioz. In the case of Beethoven the Archduke Rudolf alone bespoke the "Missa solemnis." The profit from his rarely given concerts was small, and at the last he turned to the London Philharmonic Society for support.

Weber acted as Court conductor in Dresden, and wrote his Oberon at the invitation of London.

Schubert's marvellous productiveness was badly paid by the publishers; other favorable conditions had he none.

Schumann's biography testifies no patriotic enthusiasm for his works during his lifetime. His position as musical conductor at Dusseldorf was by no means a brilliant one...

It was otherwise with Mendelssohn, who had private means, and who, by his delicate and just eclecticism, clinging to Bach, Handel, and even Beethoven, obtained continual success in England and Germany. King William IV. called him to Berlin at the same time with Cornelius, [This means the painter Cornelius.--Trans.]

Kaulbach, Sch.e.l.ling, and Meyerbeer, which he did not enjoy any better than Leipzig.

I make no further mention of Meyerbeer here, because he owes his universal success chiefly to Paris. It was there that all his Operas, from "Robert" and "The Huguenots" to his posthumous "L'Africaine," were first performed--with the exception of "Das Feldlager in Schlesien" [The Camp in Silesia], which also sparkled later in Paris as "L'etoile du Nord."

Now let us see how things went with Berlioz in his native land.

Like Victor Hugo, he was, after three times becoming a candidate, elected a member of the "Inst.i.tute of France,"--similarly (without any candidature) to be librarian of the Conservatoire; he was also a collaborator of the highly esteemed "Journal des Debats" and officer of the Legion of Honor.

Where do we find in Germany similar proofs of distinction? Why, therefore, the bitter insults of Berlioz against the Paris "gredins" and "cretins"? Unfortunately it certainly never brought Berlioz an out-and-out theatrical success, although his nature leaned that way.

I send you herewith Reyer's feuilleton (Journal des Debats, 14th September) regarding the latest brochure by Ernst "upon Berlioz."

With hearty thanks, yours most truly,

F. Liszt

Weimar, September 12th, 1884

348. To Sophie Menter

My dear Friend,

My few days' stay at your fairy-like castle Itter [In Tyrol.]

will remain a magic memory.

When you have signed the Petersburg Conservatorium contract let me know. You know, indeed, that I very much approve of this turn and fixing of your brilliant artistic career. It requires no excessive obligations, and will be an advantage to you.

Friendly greetings to the New School from your faithful admirer and friend,

F. Liszt

Weimar, September 13th, 1884