Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 96 : The day after tomorrow I shall be in Vienna, and shall spend a fortnight with my near r

The day after tomorrow I shall be in Vienna, and shall spend a fortnight with my near relative and friend Eduard Liszt. After that I return to Weimar, and hope to see you there in the summer.

I will write to you in good time about the performance of the Oratorio Christus...

Respectful homage and cordial friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

Pest, March 30th, 1873

128. To Casar Cui

[Russian composer and musical critic.]

Sir,

Pray excuse my delay in thanking you for your very kind letter that Mr. Bessel brought me with the piano score of your Opera William Ratcliff. It is the work of a master who deserves consideration, renown and success, as much for the wealth and originality of the ideas as for the skilful handling of the form.

As I am persuaded that all intelligent and honest musicians will be of this opinion, I should like to add to it some a.s.surance on the next performance of your Ratcliff in Germany. It should be done at once at Weimar were I in active function at the theater as in the preceding years (from 1848 to '59); but since my retirement I am not any longer in a position to take definite steps, and must confine myself to recommendations--more often counteracted than followed.

Accept, sir, my sincere thanks, and with every expression of high esteem I am, yours truly,

F. Liszt

Weimar, May, 1873

129. To Franz Servais.

Dear Monsieur Franz,

My best wishes accompany you "into your cage." [This usually means "in durance vile," but the word "cage" is preserved here on account of the context.--Trans.] You do well to put yourself there, and, if the flight of your genius should find itself somewhat trammelled, for the time being, before the tribunal of counterpoint and fugue, it will soar all the more proudly afterwards. I hope you will come out of your cage glorious and crowned; in case of bad luck do not be too much disappointed; more skilful and more valuable men than you and I, dear Franz, have had to have patience, and to have patience yet again. M. de Buffon, when he said "genius is patience," did but make the mistake of an incomplete definition; he took a part for the whole; but that part is absolutely necessary in the practice of Art, as in that of earthly life.

Please remember me very affectionately to your mother; give a shake of the hand to your brother from me,--and depend ever on my devoted and affectionate feelings.

F. Liszt

Weimar, June 5th, 1873

130. To the Canoness Adelheid von Schorn

Dear Excellent One,

My little travelling plans have been upset by a letter from Cosima. I did not stop either at Salzungen (where I had arranged to meet Schuberth) or at Meiningen, and came straight here on Sat.u.r.day, in accordance with an invitation from Cosima to a little fete of the workpeople of the theater of the Nibelungen.

Many idle and gossiping people everywhere are troubling their heads about this theater, and are asking when and how it will be finished building. Instead of descanting foolishly or maliciously about it (the two things sometimes go together), it would be better to get a "Patronats-Schein" [a receipt of members.h.i.+p], and thus to join in the grandest and most sublime work of art of the century. The glory of having created, written and published it is Wagner's intact; his detractors have only to share the disgrace of having thwarted it and delayed the bringing of it to the full light of day, by performance.--

Next week I go to Schillingsfurst, and towards the middle of August I shall be back at Weimar.

A thousand very cordially affectionate and devoted regards.

F. Liszt

Bayreuth, July 30th, 1873

131. To Eduard von Liszt

Dearest Eduard,

After an absence of 3 weeks I returned here yesterday. I remained first to days in Bayreuth, from August 26th to September 5th, [The dates here ought certainly to be from July 26th to August 5th--as Liszt's letter is dated the 19th of August.] and then the same length of time in Schillingsfurst (with Cardinal Hohenlohe) and at Langenburg (with Prince Hermann Hohenlohe), whither I had the honor of accompanying the Cardinal.

Cosima, Wagner and the five children are in the best of health.

The building of the Nibelungen-Theater is progressing famously; if the necessary sum of 300,000 thalers [some 45,000 pounds] of which as yet only about 130,000 have been forthcoming, is got together in time, the performance of the "Festival Drama"--"The Ring of the Nibelung"--is to take place in the summer of '75.

.--. Simultaneously with his theater, Wagner is building a beautiful and exquisitely situated house close to the Hofgarten.

The King of Bavaria has given him 20,000 thalers [some 3,000 pounds] for this. Next spring Wagner will take up his abode there.

My intercourse with Cardinal Hohenlohe is always pleasant. He leads a very retired life in Schillingsfurst, receives but few visits and pays only a few, and occupies himself princ.i.p.ally in building and arranging a large schoolhouse and an inst.i.tution for girls under the superintendence of a Benedictine Sisterhood.

Great festivities are being arranged here in honor of the marriage of the Hereditary Grand Duke. On September 6th the entry of the bridal pair, on the 7th a Court concert, on the 8th a Festival-play by Devrient in the theater and a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, etc., etc. I have undertaken to conduct the Symphony and also to play a couple of pianoforte pieces at the Court concert. A second Festival-play, ent.i.tled "The Bride's Welcome to the Wartburg," written by Scheffel and set to music by me, is to be given on September 2lSt in the Minnesanger Hall in the Wartburg, where you heard the "Elizabeth" Oratorio.

A few days after this I shall travel to Rome, and remain there 3 or 4 weeks. Before the end of October I shall come to you again for a couple of days before returning to Pest on November 1st.

The dedication-copies of the "Szoszat" and the "Hymnus" for Count Andra.s.sy are not yet ready, it seems. Roszavolgyi (Dunkl) has sent me only a fete ordinary copies of the pianoforte version, and not one of the score. I shall therefore have to wait till November before sending or presenting it to Count Andra.s.sy.

From the Grand d.u.c.h.ess I received 1,000 thalers--but these together with your 500 have all been spent. Be so good as to send me another 300 thalers next week! For my journey to Rome I shall probably, towards the middle of September, again have to ask you for a note of 500 francs. Although I do not go in for any luxuries, money vanishes quickly and readily in my hands.

Heartiest greetings to your wife and children, and au revoir in Vienna at the end of October.

Faithfully thine,

F. Liszt

Weimar, August l0th, 1873

132. To Franz Servais

Dear Victorious One,

Your letter had been travelling several days in Bavaria before it reached me here yesterday morning. I thank you for letting me take an affectionate part in the success you have obtained, and I wish to keep that part throughout your future successes--and even failures. The latter will not do you any great harm, provided that you know how to keep that attachment to work, and that perseverance in n.o.ble ideas, which are the chief heirloom of the artist. La.s.sen tells me that we are shortly to hear your "Ta.s.so"

here: my attentive sympathy is wide awake; so fulfil your promise, dear Franz, by coming before the end of this month, and we will talk at our ease at the Hofgartnerei of our aims and plans.