Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 135 : F. Liszt Try to learn something about Bulow, and send me word. It was heart-breaking t

F. Liszt

Try to learn something about Bulow, and send me word. It was heart-breaking to me not to see him again at Meiningen.

314. To Freiherr Hans Von Wolzogen

My Dear Freiherr,

.--. Wagner is perfectly within the truth when he says that without the extraordinary munificence of H.M. the King of Bavaria the performances of "Parsifal" at Bayreuth would have been endangered, and only the sympathy of the public, outside the Wagner Societies, made the continuance of them possible. But does it follow from this that the Wagner Societies are useless, and that this is the opportunity for disbanding them? To my thinking, No, for they keep up a wholesome agitation, and support the "Bayreuther Blatter," which essentially promote the good cause.

There does not seem to me to be any advantage in changing the name Society [Verein] into Fellows.h.i.+p [Genossenschaft]. Wagner's great name and most important personality are what are most needed here. Moreover the parliamentariness of the Societies will not be averse to the absolute authority of the creator of so many immortal works. In merely minor matters variety of opinions may be made apparent; in all essentials we are really and truly one.

On this account I desire the continuance, consistency, and increasing welfare of the Societies.--

It goes without saying that Wagner must reign and govern as legitimate monarch, until the complete outward realization of his Bayreuth conception--namely, the model performance of his entire works, under his own aegis and directions at Bayreuth. It behoves all who sympathise in the historico-civilised culture of Art in the coming years of the closing 19th century to endeavor to promote this aim.

When we have attained the end in question let us sing with Schiller and Beethoven,

"Freude, schoner Gotterfunken!" ["Joy, thou spark from heaven descending!"]

Accept, dear Freiherr, the a.s.surance of my true and high esteem.

F. Liszt

Venezia, November 24th, 1882

Pray remember me most kindly to your family.

3l5. To Franz Servais

Dear Franz,

Your welcome lines reached me at Weimar and I thank you cordially for them...

I tell you again, dear Franz, that you were "born with a silver spoon in your mouth;" after the hearing of your Opera with the piano the success of a performance will follow.--Don't get impatient at a little delay; the most ill.u.s.trious composers, including Meyerbeer, could not say, like Louis XIV., "J'ai failli attendre." ["I nearly had to wait."]...But I hope that the saying "Tout vient a point, a qui sait attendre" ["All comes to him who can wait."] will be realised in your case without much delay.

Good courage then and Mistress Patience.

Will you remember me very affectionately to G.o.debski; his graceful bust, so perfect in its likeness to the never-to-be- forgotten Madame Moukhanoff, is ever the precious ornament of my little salon at the "Hofgartnerei" in Weimar.

The large bust of Rossini which G.o.debski presented to the Grand Duke ornaments the lobby of the theater, where it blooms like a G.o.d from Olympus. Tell me what works G.o.debski has been doing lately.

When next you see Madame Judith Gautier, please express to her anew the admiring homage of your very faithful

F. Liszt

Venezia, November 26th, 1882

P.S.--Our friends * * * might, I think, do you good service with M. Vaucorbeil, and could tell him also, as a "by the way," that I take a lively interest in your work. Would you perhaps think it advisable to let some fragment of it be given at a public concert? I am remaining here till New Year's Day with the Wagners, at the superb Palazzo Vendramin; then I shall return direct to Budapest.

316. To Adelheid von Schorn

Venezia, December 8th, 1882

Dear Friend,

Your sad news about Bulow's bad state of health are much the same as his wife gave to Daniela. Let us hope for more rea.s.suring news!

Here, in Palazzo Vendramin, a peaceful and most united family life goes on without monotony. But I cannot speak of the things which touch me most, except clumsily. So it is better to keep from doing so. The Princess writes to me from Rome that she shall be delighted to obtain possession of the two water-colors of Gleichen for the splendid portfolios of drawings belonging to her daughter, of which the mother, since the years at Weimar, has regally provided the greater part. These portfolios are among the finest collections in Europe.

Joukowski [Widely known by his "Parsafal" sketches and the portraits of Liszt and of Wagner's family], who has been delayed by a funeral and by the floods, will arrive here today. Neither funerals nor floods have been able to prevent La.s.sen from scoring our Symphonic Intermezzo "Uber allen Zauber Liebe" ["Above all magic Love"]. I hope La.s.sen will conduct it at the Court concert on New Year's Day, and I beg you to go and hear it and let me know about it. .--.

I beg Gille to send me the volume "Die deutsche Buhne von einem Weimaraner" ["The German stage, by a Weimarer"]. Do you know who it is? According to the index he seems to ignore the doings of the Weimar theater during the last thirty years, which is not very honorable to a Weimarer, and looks very like a cowardly action of a low standard.

Your cordially devoted

F. Liszt

Sat.u.r.day Morning, December 9th

Joukowski arrived last night, and we began at once to sound your praises.

Daniela has written to you. I will send you the programme of the performance of Goethe's "Geschwister" ["Brothers and Sisters"], which will take place tomorrow at Princess Hatzfeld's. Those old books of operas, such as "Les Indes galantes" ["The gallant Indies"], and other antiquities, re-edited in Paris, may peaceably repose at the "Hofgartnerei;" unless you prefer to lend them to some one who likes works of that kind, which are sought by some.

317. To Professor Carl Riedel

Dear Friend,

Draseke's "Requiem" is such a first-rate work, and is so likely to obtain a good reception from the public, that I again recommend the performance of it at the next Tonkunstler- Versammlung. Draseke will presumably also agree to it in the end.

Gustav Weber's Trio, Op. 5, published by Siegel, and dedicated to me, I consider an eminent work, worthy of recommendation and performance. I am sure you think the same.

I should like to add to the vocal programme of the Tonkunstler- Versammlung two songs by your name-sake Riedel, now Hofkapellmeister in Brunswick. [Hermann Riedel, born 1847, made a special success with songs from Scheffel's "Trompeter von Sakkingen."] If they should be ascribed to you they will please you all the better for that. And a propos, why do you let your valuable, excellent works be so seldom heard in public? I shall reproach you further with this injustice to yourself when we come to talk over the programme, and I hope that you won't continue to overdo your reserve as a composer. Without pus.h.i.+ng one's-self forward one must still maintain one's position, to which you, dear friend, are fully ent.i.tled. Will you be so kind as to tell Hartel to send me here quickly 25 sheets of to line, and 25 sheets of 12 line music paper (oblong shape, not square) for cash, together with a few of the small books of samples, containing all kinds of music paper, which I have recommended several musical friends of mine here and elsewhere to buy. One can rub out easily on this paper, which is one of the most important things--that is to say, unless one tears up the whole ma.n.u.script, which would often be advisable.

A happy Christmas, and a brave New Year '83.

Ever your faithfully attached

F. Liszt

Venezia, Palazzo Vendramin, December 9th, 1882