Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 114 : Sincerely yours, F. Liszt Villa d'Este, Tivoli (near Rome), September 5th, 1877 P

Sincerely yours,

F. Liszt

Villa d'Este, Tivoli (near Rome), September 5th, 1877

Please send with it a copy of the excellent Trio of Edward Napravnik. My friend Sgambati will produce it publicly in Rome, and make it a success.

214. To Adelheid von Schorn at Weimar

Dear and honored One,

When one is at a loss what to say or write, well--one tries to help oneself with music. Enclosed I forward you the song of your n.o.ble-hearted mother: "Ach, was ist Leben doch so schwer!" [Ah, why is life so burdensome!] My setting is so managed that you will easily master it, as well in the singing as in the accompaniment. [Published in the 8th book of Songs under the t.i.tle "Sei still" ("Be still")]

Faithfully yours,

F. Liszt

Rome, September 15th, 1877

215. To Breitkopf and Hartel

Honored Sirs,

.--. May my slight share in your edition of Chopin's works, which nearly all belong to your firm, be of use to you. I remarked before how little really remains to be done to Chopin's compositions, as he himself, with praiseworthy and exceptional accuracy, added every possible instruction to the performer--even to the pedal indications, which in no other author appear so frequently.--Your collaborators will certainly find accuracy and authenticity of the original text in Karl Klindworth's Moscow edition of Chopin. I chose the "Etudes," because the first volume was dedicated to me, and the second too for the matter of that (at that time). I gladly dispense with a revision of both, and beg you particularly, dear Sirs, not to expose me to an unseemly rivalry. I will always maintain a most peaceful att.i.tude towards my honored colleagues, and, wherever they please, allow their influence and opinion to have free play.

According to your letter, you repudiate the idea of "an instructive edition with other additions" of Chopin's works. Are then the directions for fingering also to be omitted?...All the more undisturbed will the leisure of the collaborators be.--

Last week I sent you the corrections of the "Triomphe funebre du Ta.s.se," as well as the "Impromptu." Tomorrow "Heroide funebre"

(for four hands) will follow, and very soon I am expecting the "Hunnenschlacht," which completes all the arrangements for four hands of the 12 "Symphonic Poems." A complete edition of them in 3 or 4 volumes (as you may judge best) will be a pleasure to me.

In spite of the much criticising, ignoring, and denunciation, which these things have had to suffer for 20 years, they are perhaps not yet quite done to death.

I beg you to add the Prefaces and Poems (French and German) to the edition for four hands, as well as to the scores, and also to the further editions for 2 pianos. The same with regard to the transcription for piano of the "Triomphe funebre" (Italian and German), because, as a matter of fact, a well-disposed programme composer uses such hints more than is generally supposed. Of course the dedication of the "Impromptu"--"a Madame la Baronne Olga de Meyendorff, nee Princesse Gortschakoff"--must not be left out.

With distinguished respect,

Your obedient

F. Liszt

Villa d'Este, September 26th, 1877

Till the end of October my address will be: 43, Via dei Greci, Roma (Italia). From the middle of November: Budapest (Hungary).

216. To Frau Ingeborg von Bronsart in Hanover

Dear Kind Friend,

I am much touched by your charming letter, and grieved at not being able to accept your friendly invitation. That would certainly be more agreeable than to attend to all sorts of duties; but, since three parts of these are self-imposed, I am all the more bent upon fulfilling them; and, in order to keep faith with myself, I am returning to Budapest before the middle of November, and shall remain there till April. Perhaps I am less useless there than elsewhere; it is an idea or an illusion of mine.

What excellent and beautiful things the two Hans are going to do at Hanover! [Hans von Bulow had been appointed Hofcapellmeister in Hanover, where Hans von Bronsart was Intendant of the theater.] It is a matter of lively joy to me, and next summer I hope that my ears will benefit by the new musical regime all in honor of Art, and the example of which will be of service and bear fruit far and wide.

Last week I forwarded from the author to your address a copy of Sgambati's Quintet, dedicated to Bulow; and also a Fugue (preceded by a grand Prelude and ending in a Chorale--the same which Guido d'Arezzo made use of to name the six notes of the gamut: "Ut queant taxis resonare fibris, etc.!"...One of the two Hans will tell you the rest of the hymn, which is always chanted on the 24th June, the feast of St. John the Baptist).

Once on a time you used to cultivate fugues with maestria: will that of Sgambati seem to you cla.s.sical enough? I almost doubt it, since in these matters your strictness is extreme. In consequence of H.M. the Queen of the Netherlands being in mourning, the "auditions" at the chateau of Loo do not take place this year. I shall therefore go straight from here to Pest.

Please give my love to your children, and believe me to be for all time the heartily devoted friend of their papa and mamma.

F. Liszt

(Villa d'Este,) October 2lst, 1877

217. To Eduard von Liszt

Dearest Eduard,

.--. I am told that one or two newspapers announce that I am going to Paris. I have no thought of doing so, and am moreover very weary of travelling. What I should prefer would be to remain firmly fixed in one place, it matters not what, village or city, till my end, and to go on as quietly as possible with my work. As this is not permitted to me, I try at least to avoid unnecessary perambulations, do not go (in spite of various invitations) to Paris or London, and keep within that already far too extensive and troublesome triangle, Pest, Weimar, Rome!--So I shall again spend the next four months here, and then, at the beginning of April, pay you a week's visit.

Write and tell me where my dear cousin Marie is. [She had shortly before married Baron von Saar, an officer.] Is her husband established in Wiener-Neustadt, and in what capacity?

How are our Franz in Graz and his wife?

Heartiest greetings to the Frau Generalissimus-Procuratorin [Eduard v. L. had in December 1875 become General Procurator.

Liszt called his wife in joke "Generalissima" or "Generalin."]

from your heartily and faithfully affectionate

F. Liszt

Budapest (Fischplat 4), November 23rd, 1877

All friendly greetings to Bosendorfer.

218. To Jules de Zarembski

[A highly gifted pupil of Liszt, born in 1854 in Russian Poland, died in 1885 at Brussels, where he was Professor in the Conservatoire.]

Dear Friend,