Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 57 : I beg you therefore not to induce the directors to invite me, because I might not be in

I beg you therefore not to induce the directors to invite me, because I might not be in a position to make my excuses. So please do you undertake the office of unchaining Prometheus in Vienna; this labour of Hercules will become you well [Footnote below]. There are certainly no powerful eagles to hack and rend in pieces the t.i.tan's liver--but there is a whole host of ravens and creeping vermin ready to do it.--Once more best thanks and greetings from your most highly esteeming and very devoted

F. Liszt

[It took place on the 26th February, 1860. Herbeck notes as follows about it in his diary: "Prometheus, Symphonic Poem, pleased fairly. Chorus of Tritons pleased extremely. The Vintagers' and Reapers' choruses and concluding chorus pleased, but of course there was a formally organized opposition hissing.

They had swornthe overthrow of this music, without even knowing a note of it."]

232. To Dr. Franz Brendel.

So then it has happened well that the editor of the Neue Zeitschrift has also become the editor of my "Gesammelte Lieder."

Best thanks, dear friend, for the means you have taken to promote this. Kahnt has only to come to an understanding with Schlesinger; I on my side do not wish to place any limitation on his rights. Whether a transcription of this or that song may be made I do not know; if this should be the case I will only beg Kahnt to let me know of any such chance transcriptions before allowing them to appear, mainly because it would not be pleasant to me if any really too stupid arrangements should come out. This is only a matter of artistic consideration--beyond that I have neither restriction nor reservation to make to the proposed edition. As soon as Kahnt is in order with Schlesinger I am satisfied with everything. This or that song may then appear singly, or transcribed for guitar or zither; so much the better if Kahnt can thereby make it pay. N.B.--I should be glad if, in bringing out the songs singly, the same outside cover could be employed as in the complete edition, on account of the index.

Probably Kahnt will say nothing against this, as the back of the cover serves as an advertis.e.m.e.nt of the entire collection of songs.

Yesterday evening Fraulein Berghaus (a daughter of the Potsdam professor) sang two numbers, Freudvoll and leidvoll and Es muss ein Wunderbares sein (out of the sixth part), at a concert given by Singer and Cossmann. I had indeed forbidden it, because this winter I will not have my name put on any concert programme at all--but her exquisite delivery of these songs, which were also received with approbation, reconciled me to it.

At the last Court concert in Berlin Fraulein Genast [A highly gifted singer, afterwards Frau Dr. Merian in Weimar] selected the "Loreley" as her concluding song, and the Frau Princess Victoria expressed herself very favorably about it, remarking that a Schubert spirit breathed in the composition. One of these days Fraulein Genast is again singing the "Loreley" at the Philharmonic Concert in Hamburg. Otten has specially begged her to do so. The same gentleman wrote about eighteen months ago to Frau von Milde that he must beg to remark "that in regard to the choice of compositions to be performed Robert Schumann is the extreme limit to whom his programme could extend!"

I cannot quite remember whether I sent Gotze a copy of my songs.

Please ask him, and if I have not yet done so let me know. Gotze has a special claim to them, for in earlier years he had the courage to sing several of my nonent.i.ties--and I will see that he has a copy at once. At the same time ask Fraulein Gotze also whether she has received the copy of the Ballade Leonore. [Liszt had composed this melodrama for Auguste Gotze, and frequently performed it, as well as his later melodramas, with her.] From several places (and quite lately from Carlsruhe and Brunswick) orders for this Ballade have come to me, which--between ourselves--are not convenient to me. My copyist has already had to make at least nine copies of it, which is a pretty good expense. Nevertheless a tenth shall willingly be made, if the one which was intended for Fraulein Gotze did not reach her, of which I am somewhat in doubt, owing to the many demands which the Leonore has brought with it, and which have made me somewhat confused.

It would really be the best for me if Kahnt or Schuberth would save me the trouble of making further copies by publis.h.i.+ng the "Leonore". But I should not wish in any way to incommode the publisher, and certainly not to offer anything without knowing that it would be welcome. Under present circ.u.mstances a very p.r.o.nounced reserve has become my rule. My business is simply to continue working unremittingly, and quietly to await the rest.

Accordingly I submit myself without difficulty to your experience as editor in regard to my Munich letter [To Wilkoszewski]-- although I could maintain good grounds forpublis.h.i.+ng it.

Certainly it is always the gentlemanly thing entirely to ignore certain things and people. You may therefore be quite right in putting aside all other considerations; and as I am convinced of your most sincere friends.h.i.+p I willingly leave you to decide whether my coming forward in such matters is of use or not. In case you had thought it advisable for my letter to be printed in the "Neue Zeitschrift" (which I left to your judgment), it would have had of necessity to be printed without the slightest alteration, because I have purposely written it thus clearly to Herr W., and any alteration in it might be taken as cowardice (which is far from me). But probably it is better to abandon the matter for a while, and to be somewhat more severe on another occasion. The pack of ragam.u.f.fins has richly deserved to be treated as ragam.u.f.fins!

This evening is Wagner's first concert in Paris. I expect little good to him from it, and consider such a step on Wagner's part as a mistake. In consequence of this opinion our correspondence is for the time suspended. More about this viva voce--as well as about "Tristan and Isolde." A performance of the Opera was desired--that is to say, commanded for the 8th April (the birthday of the Grand d.u.c.h.ess). But Frau von Milde cannot undertake the chief part--and on that account the parts and score sent to us from Carlsruhe will be sent back again at once!

Has Wagner given his opinion more decidedly about a "Tristan"

performance in Leipzig? Can you let me know the contents of his letter?

With heartfelt greetings, your

F. Liszt

Weymar, January 25th, 1860

If you should see Schuberth, tell him that I have something to communicate to him that would perhaps repay him for the trouble of coming to see me here for a couple of hours. I have no intention of coming to Leipzig for the present. Tell him that delays of this kind make me "nervos" [nervous] (He knows what the word "nervos" means with me.)

233. To Friedrich Hebbel

[Communicated by Dr. Felix Bamberg, from the original]

The words which you write to me bear the two-fold eloquence of the praiseworthy man in the fore-rank of Art, and of the friend dearly loved and highly respected by me. Accept my warmest thanks for it, and please excuse me for not having told you sooner what a strengthening and healing effect your letter made on me. Work of all sorts and a long absence from here occasioned this delay.

In the interim I was often with you in thought; only the day before yesterday I read to the Princess your two glorious Sonnets an den Kunstler ["To the Artist"], "Ob Du auch bilden magst, was unverganglich"--"Und ob mich diese Zweifel brennen mussen?"["Whether thou canst form what is imperishable": "And whether these doubts must burn me."]--

From Weymar I have nothing interesting nor especially agreeable to tell you. This winter will pa.s.s away pretty quietly and insignificantly at the theater, with repertoire works and pieces that will bring in money, and in society with the customary pleasures. A new drama by Rost, "Ludwig der Eiserne," made some sensation, as is peculiar to the very popular productions of this author, who has achieved a public-house notoriety here. The n.o.bles ought to have appeared in it yoked to the plough, but on Dingelstedt's advice Rost toned down that scene!--A translation by Frau Schuselka (who has performed here sometimes) of the "Pere prodigue" of Dumas fils was to have come on the boards; but it appears that there are scruples about making such very ominous demands on the customary powers of digestion of our un-lavish fathers of families! Amongst other inconveniences the piece also contains logarithms, to which the respectable German Philistine cannot attain.

As regards myself, I am quietly waiting for the spring, when I shall in all probability move on further--of course not to renew my occupation of conducting, as it is said I shall do in Munich, Berlin, or elsewhere--an occupation I have gladly given up;--but in order to be able to pursue my work further than I am able to do in Weymar, which to me is a more important matter.

Remember me most kindly to your wife, and be a.s.sured that I remain ever in truest devotion yours most faithfully,

F. Liszt

Weymar, February 5th, 1860.

234. To Dr. Franz Brendel

[February 1860]

Dear Friend,

Although as a general rule I consider that it is not the business of the Neue Zeitschrift to go in for polemics, yet it seems to me that the little notice that Hanslick has put in No. 49 of the Vienna Presse, Sat.u.r.day, the 18th February, is of such a kind that one must not ignore it.

The Presse is a paper with a tremendous circulation in the monarchy, and Hanslick counts among the leaders of our opponents; it would therefore be worth while to make an exception by coming forward on this occasion, unless (which I cannot as yet believe) your Vienna correspondent has been guilty of the mischievous conduct which Hanslick so severely reports. This point must first be made clear--whether in the third (or possibly an earlier) concert of Herr Boskowitz an exchange of a Schumann for a Liszt piece occurred. [Instead of the Liszt piece "Au bord d'une source," which stood on the programme, Boskowitz had played the "Jagdlied" from Schumann's "Waldscenen," which did not prevent a correspondent (namely, the correspondent of the Deutsche Musikzeitung, as the Neue Zeitschrift of 24th February, 1860, gave out) from loudly carping at the supposed Liszt composition.]

Possibly also your correspondent made use of the expression "The Vienna Press" in general, and did not refer specially to the paper Die Presse, [This was actually the case] or was referring to other remarks of Hanslick's...

This is only the second time for many years past, dear friend, that I have drawn your attention to notices in the paper. On the first occasion, when the Augsburger Allgemeine gave that infamous correspondence about the venality of the Neue Zeitschrift, your striking answer gave the most convincing proof of what part the opponents were studying to play!--I hope it will be possible to despatch Hanslick's notice (which I enclose) in a similar fas.h.i.+on. But it is necessary to get at the exact truth before inveighing against them--for Hanslick is no easy opponent, and if one once attacks him it must be with suitable weapons and without giving quarter. The words "denunciation proceedings," "Gessler caps of the party of the future," and especially the concluding sentence, "As long as Herr Brendel," etc., are a challenge, which deserves more than a faint-hearted reproof! I would also advise you to send a duplicate of your reply to the Presse in Vienna, at the same time as it is published in the Zeitschrift. The editors of the Presse will be certain to reject it, according to the usual method of the clique impartiality of those gentlemen. But the scandalous examples of the latter will be thus increased by one more.

It is easy also to see beforehand that Hanslick will not let the matter rest at this first notice, and will continue the discussion.

Hearty greetings.

F.L.P.S.--In case your Vienna correspondent should be quite in the wrong, it would be better simply to be silent and wait for a better opportunity.

235. To Dr. Franz Brendel

[March or April 1860]

Dear Friend,

Do not blame me if this time I follow Pohl's example and keep you waiting for the promised article. I have been working at it pretty continuously during the past week, and the sketch of it is quite ready; but I am not quite satisfied with it, and about Berlioz and Wagner I must say the right thing in the right manner. [No article of the kind by Liszt is contained in the Neue Zeitschrift for the year in question; probably it was unfinished.] This duty requires me to spend more time on it, and unfortunately I have so much on hand this week that it is hardly possible for me to busy myself with polemics. Tomorrow is again a grand Court concert; Bronsart and Fraulein Stark arrived yesterday; Frau von Bulow comes today, and I expect Hans on Sat.u.r.day. Besides this, there is still more important work for me, which will take up my time entirely till the end of this month.

Well, I will see to it that, if possible, Berlioz and Wagner do not remain forgotten!--

Let me first of all answer your questions.

Whether it would be desirable to hold the second Tonkunstler- Versammlung this year, I already left it to you, at our last meeting, to decide. In my opinion we might wait till next year without injury to the affair. [This was done.] As long as I myself have not made a secure and firm footing in Weymar, I cannot invite you to convene the meeting here. If you hold to the dates of the 17th, 18th, and 19th June, we are bound to Leipzig, where I can then tell you with certainty whether Weymar will suit for the next meeting.

It goes without saying that you, dear friend, must arrange about everything that I can undertake and do for the Tonkunstler- Versammlung. Only my personal help as conductor must be excepted.

At our next consultation we shall easily come to an understanding as to the desirability of one conductor or several.

I would indicate and emphasize, as absolutely necessary, the performance of new works by Bulow, Draseke, Bronsart, Singer, Seifriz, etc. I think I understand and can manage the art of programme-making in a masterly manner. When once matters have got so far, I will fix with you the programme of the three performances.