Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 123 : The last corrected proofsheets of Tschaikowsky's Polonaise dedicated to you leave

The last corrected proofsheets of Tschaikowsky's Polonaise dedicated to you leave by today's post addressed to Jurgenson.

257. To the Kammervirtuoso Professor Hermann Scholtz in Dresden

[Pianist and composer (born 1845, pupil of Bulow and Rheinberger), is especially famous as an admirable player of Chopin.]

Much-esteemed Sir and Friend,

I have sincere pleasure in praising and recommending your Chopin- Edition. To Klindworth belongs the merit of having preceded you by his intelligent and practical work. Your publisher, Peters, might be advised in the next thousand copies he issues of the Chopin-Edition signed Hermann Scholtz:--

A. Not to fill up the first volume with Waltzes. Why make this paltry concession to the trifling requirements of the drawing- room? Chopin's Waltzes are certainly charming, elegant and full of invention...still his Polonaises and Mazurkas have a far higher importance.

Chopin is the bewitching musical genius in which the heroically chivalrous Polish nationality finds expression. This chief characteristic ought to be distinctly emphasised in cla.s.sifying his works. So, first volume: Polonaises, Mazurkas and the Fantasia upon Polish motives.

B. The clear notation of the melodies (indicated by tails turned upwards!), as in the Klindworth-Edition, should be maintained.

C. In works having an orchestral accompaniment an arrangement of that accompaniment for a second piano ought to be printed under the Solo part of the first piano.

(The brains of most pianists become addled by the usual editions, where the essentially melodious and rhythmical character, nay often even the correct ba.s.s, is wanting.)

D. This is again addressed to Mr. Peters. He ought not to withhold from the audience your admirable version of the Recitative in the Adagio of the F minor Concerto for Piano Solo, and should add these few pages to your Chopin-Edition.

Yours faithfully,

F. Liszt

Weimar, April 29th, 1880

255. To Sophie Menter

Dear Friend,

The signature of the telegram front Rome announced to me your return to "Hungaria." I met friend Bosendorfer the day before yesterday in Frankfort: we began at once of course to talk about Sophie Menter and her new thickly-leaved Petersburg laurels.

Similar plants will bloom for you everywhere according to the capacity of the soil, and will always shade your artistic peregrinations through Europe and America.

Give my kindest regards to Neuschul, from yours cordially,

F. Liszt

Weimar, May 26th, 1880

259. To Jules de Zarembski

Dear Friend,

You have made an excellent choice; and M. Gevaert also. The Brussels Conservatoire keeps in the first ranks: its very active and intelligent Director will take good care not to allow it to degenerate or to sink into idleness; on the contrary, he gives and will give it an entirely progressive impulse. You will have to see that your piano cla.s.s does honor to the Conservatoire, to its head and to your own name. This will take some years to do; therefore, persevere.

Your three studies are most uncommon, remarkable and successful.

The second, in F minor, might be signed Chopin. This exceedingly high praise does not imply that you have in any way been guilty of plagiarism, for in your works original power is manifest.

Perhaps there may be a slight falling-off towards the middle of the third Study; still this does not disturb the total good impression.

When we are chatting together again about music I will explain to you viva voce my antiquated ideas concerning the whys and wherefores of matters belonging to our profession.

I am sending Simon at Berlin at once the good copy of your three Studies. He has sent me the rather bad one of your Mazurkas for two performers. These I played over with the Baroness von Meyendorff yesterday evening. She begs me to tell you our very favorable opinion of these charming productions of your Polish muse.

I am telling Simon that publishers cannot do better than bring out works of value such as Zarembski writes.

Pray, dear friend, present the sincere regards to Mme. Zarembska of your cordially attached

F. Liszt

Weimar, June 1st, 1880

I am just sending off the copies of the Studies and Mazurkas to Simon.

260. To Professor Ba.s.sani

Dear Friend,

Your "Studio sinfonico" is fine poetry in music. It reminds me of Venice when I was twenty. The solemn, sad motive (5/4) corresponds to the lagoons and to the gloomy stroke of their waves round the Bridge of Sighs: the other subject soars on high accompanied by the gentle sound of the belfries, announcing, as it were, from a distance the joyfulness of divine hopes.

My cordial sympathy and friends.h.i.+p.

F. Liszt

Weimar, June 4th, 1880

261. To Marie Lipsius

Dear Friend,

Hearty thanks for your persistent kindness; "Carmen" has just arrived, and I now beg you to find out for and send to me another tale of Merimee's, called "Les ames du Purgatoire" [Souls in Purgatory]. It narrates the adventures of Don Juan de Marana, immortalised by Mozart and Lord Byron. Grabbe has also turned his poetical attention towards this mauvais sujet, and gives him as a companion to Faust, which might perplex His Excellency von Goethe.

I hope soon to see you either in Leipzig or Weimar.

Ever yours gratefully,

F. Liszt