Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 95 : [A cla.s.sical philologist who published a little Hungarian work ent.i.tled "Die u

[A cla.s.sical philologist who published a little Hungarian work ent.i.tled "Die ungarische Rhythmik," the German edition of which was to be dedicated to Liszt. The two men differed in their opinion respecting the origin of Hungarian music; however, in consequence of Von Ponor's contribution to the subject, Liszt did in the end agree with the proof Von Ponor brought forward--with this reservation, that "the gypsies did bring harmony into Hungarian music," a point which--Ponor thinks--"may readily be conceded."]

Much-Esteemed and Dear Herr Professor,

I regret that my reply to your request about the Elizabeth-motive can only be somewhat unsatisfactory. It was sent to me together with some others--referring to Saint Elizabeth--about 13 years ago, by Mosonyi and Baron Augusz, and the Hungarian text is published in the concluding notice to the score of my Oratorio. A copy of the "Lyra Coelestis" I did not need; probably this (to me unknown) printed work will be readily found here, and is sure to be in the Library of the Martinsberg monastery.

If not inconvenient to you I should be glad to receive the honor of a visit from you; it would interest me greatly to hear of and to become acquainted with your researches concerning Hungarian rhythmic forms.

Meanwhile I thank you warmly for your friendly lines, and for communicating the Volkslied in the 5/4 time:--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with a musical score excerpt]

Yours with much esteem and sincerely,

F. Liszt

Pest, January 14th, 1873

123. To Dr. Franz Witt

January 20th, 1873

Much-Esteemed Friend,

At New Year I sent you a copy of the Stabat Mater by Palestrina "for the lecture arranged by R. Wagner." The inaccuracies and errors of this copy I have carefully corrected, for in such a masterly and exemplary arrangement every iota is of importance.

Wagner gave me his ma.n.u.script 18 years ago in Zurich, and forgot afterwards where it was. As regards its publication, which is much to be desired, it is not for me to interfere in the matter in any way, and I beg you to come to some understanding with Wagner about it. If he should wish to correct his old ma.n.u.script (the paper of which has become rather yellowish) I will gladly place it at his service.

124. To Eduard von Liszt

Dearest Eduard,

Having considered the matter about the certificate of death which Rothschild wished to have, I shall not make use of Belloni in connection with it. If Emile Ollivier were still in Paris it would be his place to procure the certificate. My dear good mother died in his house (Rue St. Guillaume, Faubourg St.

Germain) at the beginning of January 1866. He looked after her and took tender care of her for several years; and finally had her body taken to the Church of St. Thomas d'Aquin for the funeral service, and followed it thence to its last resting-place in the cemetery of Montparna.s.se. This n.o.ble conduct and his speech at the grave I cherish in my innermost heart.

Since the winter of 1866 I have never been back in Paris, and my relations with trustworthy persons there are as good as entirely broken off. Hence I yesterday went and got good advice from friend Augusz, and have accepted his proposal, namely, to address a request to Count Alexander Apponyi--son of and Secretary to the Austrian amba.s.sador in Paris--to procure the certificate of death of my mother and to send it to you. Let Rothschild know of this matter, which, let us hope, will soon be satisfactorily settled.

Many thanks for the trouble you are taking about the bust by Zumbusch, and which I very much wish personally to present to Bosendorfer in Vienna as an Easter egg. I know I can rely wholly upon your ever faithful and incomparable readiness to do me a favor.

Allow me one other request, which will cost you only half an hour's time and a visit. The visit is to an extremely interesting, learned and distinguished man--Dr. Ambros, formerly Imperial Solicitor-General in Prague, now professor and referendary to the Officielle Zeitung in Vienna, always an eminent writer on aesthetics, history, the history of music, a polygraphist, composer--in fact, a good friend of mine. Be kind enough to tell him that I am awaiting his answer in the affirmative, respecting a lecture by him on Robert Franz at the extra Soiree arranged in honor of and for the benefit of Robert Franz; Dr. Ambros was at my request respectfully invited by Herr Dunkl ("Firma Roszavolgyi") to give us his a.s.sistance. I take part too as pianist, collector and arranger of the Soiree, and hope that Dr. Ambros--who is so specially competent for the task, owing to his eloquent and valuable treatise on Robert Franz--will give us brilliant a.s.sistance, and give us a speech there without talking himself out. The warmest welcome and appreciation will await him on all sides. But obtain his kind consent as soon as possible, together with a written yea to Dunkl (Musikverlag Roszavolgyi, Christoph-Platz, Pest).

Heartiest greetings to your wife and children, and au revoir on the 2nd April.

Thine,

F. Liszt

Pest, January 28th, 1873

125. To Eduard von Liszt

My Dearest Friend,

Zumbusch's letter seems to me pretty comforting, and if you would have the kindness to write to him again I hope the bust will reach Vienna by April 1st. Have you asked what it costs? If not do so in your next letter. Of course I do not mean to bargain with Zumbusch (that is a thing I do only in case of dire necessity--and even then am a bad hand at it). We must simply pay what he asks, and leave ourselves to his friendly feelings of moderation, which will not fail...

In spite of all your endeavors and persuasive powers Dr. Ambros is not coming to the Robert Franz Soiree in Pest. He wrote to Dunkl that he is unusually busy in Vienna with urgent affairs connected with the Zeitung--and hence cannot find any time to prepare an address--and besides this is afraid of taking cold on the journey...To all this we can raise no remonstrance, so I must just accept this refusal of Ambros, much as I should have liked a different answer. Some day I will tell you the preliminaries of this business. Last week I received from Freiherr Suttner, President of the Vienna Singakademie and Imperial Chamberlain, an invitation to play a few pianoforte pieces in the concert arranged for Robert Franz's benefit. I replied that an interval of 25 years separated me from my last public appearance as a pianist, andthat I considered it advisable for me to remain within the interval. As I told you last October, it is not my intention to officiate in any way this winter in Vienna.

Herewith I send you an extract from the sitting of the Chamber of the day before yesterday, the result of which is almost as unexpected as it is important. The deputies of the conservative party and of the opposition voted almost unanimously in favor of raising the funds for establis.h.i.+ng a new Musik-Akademie. And an unusual honor was conferred upon me on the occasion,--for, although I have never come forward in the matter, it was nevertheless brought forward in my name, and this certainly puts rather a heavy burden upon me. I will endeavor conscientiously to do justice to the honor as well as the burden. For the last couple of days a stupid feverish cold in the head has kept me in bed. Tomorrow, however, I shall be up and about again.

Faithfully thine,

F. Liszt

Pest, February 10th, [1873]

126. To Eduard von Liszt

My Dear Friend,

Bosendorfer brings you tidings of the Robert Franz Soiree of yesterday. [At this soiree Liszt played Beethoven's A-flat major Sonata, Op. 26, No, 4; his own "Soirees de Vienne" (after F.

Schubert); Schumann's "Wie aus der Ferne"; and R. Franz's "Lied."] In a fortnight's time I shall have a similar work before me as pianoforte player, at a charity concert which Countess Anna Zichy is patronising. Then follows, further, a matinee of the Liszt-Verein at the Stadtpfarrei [The town parsonage], and the performance of Witt's Ma.s.s, of which I undertake the conducting on the 25th March (in the church). At the beginning of April I shall be with you.

Heartfelt greetings to you and yours from your faithful

F. Liszt

[Pest] March 3rd, 1873

127. To Madame Jessie Laussot

Dear, Excellent Friend,

Your ideas are always very wise, practical and n.o.ble; I partic.i.p.ate in them beforehand, and esteem myself happy to have them communicated to me direct. With regard to Robert Franz's little capital, I presume that his zealous friends have already taken decisive measures; on my return to Weimar (before the end of April) I will learn whether it is possible to carry out your idea...You know that a thousand thalers have been sent from here, the result of a soiree arranged in Franzs honor. Perhaps I shall find an opportunity to send him more soon.--

Walter Bache writes me word of his "Ninth Annual Concert" in London, with my 13th Psalm. Bache behaves "eroicamente" with regard to me, and takes rank in the very small group of my friends who are the most determined to show the public--in spite of the contrary opinion, much believed by influential papers-- that my music is not absolutely void of sense. I should like to make the task of these friends a little easier, and I try not to increase the merit of their devotion by my faults.

Enclosed is the programme of the concert of our friend Mihalovich yesterday evening. "Romeo and Juliet" was encored, and the "Geisterschiff" did not founder. The audience, very aristocratic, was more select than numerous, which is a good sign for our friend. Item the squas.h.i.+ng of some learned articles in the papers.

Will you kindly give my grateful acknowledgments to Mr.

Hillebrand for his friendly remembrance, and for sending me his new volume on the French? I had read bits of it in the Augsburg Gazette, and shall take a double pleasure in reading the entire work. Hillebrand, like Alexander von Humboldt, has a pa.s.sionate attachment to France;--I am proud to feel that I am in accord with him also on this point.