Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 51 : Born 1837. Is also a writer on music.]Dear Sir and Friend, Owing to your affectionate u

Born 1837. Is also a writer on music.]

Dear Sir and Friend,

Owing to your affectionate understanding of what I have striven after in the "Dante Symphony" and the "Ideale", you have a special right to both works. Allow me to offer them to you as a token of my sincere attachment, as also of the grateful remembrance which I keep of the Prague performance. [At Porges'

initiative the medical students had invited Liszt, in 1858, to a concert, at which his Dante Symphony and the Icdeale were given.

In 1859 Bulow was also invited at Porges' inducement.] Taking your kindness for granted, I beg you to give the other two copies to Herr Professor Mildner and Herr Dr. Ambros with my best thanks.

It is to be hoped that this year's "Medical" Concert will have favorable results. My valiant son-in-law, H. von Bulow, cannot fail to be recognized among you as an eminent musician and n.o.ble character. I thank you and Herr Musil (to whom I beg you to remember me most kindly) for offering Bulow this opportunity of doing something in Prague.--There is no doubt that he will fulfill all your expectations.

For the next "Medical" Concert I willingly place myself at your disposal. Possibly we might on this occasion venture on the Symphonic Poem No. I "Ce qu'on entered sur la Montagne"--the chorus "An die Kunstler," and the "Faust Symphony?"--The respected medical men would thus take the initiative in the new musical pathology!--

For the Tonkunstler-Versammlung, etc. [Meeting of Musicians], in Leipzig at the beginning of June Dr. Brendel is expecting you, and I rejoice at the thought of meeting you again there. If the affair is not too much hampered in its natural course by local miseries and malevolence, it may do much for the bettering of our suffering musical position. In any case we will not fail in doing our part towards it.

With highest esteem, yours most truly,

F. Liszt

Weymar, March 10th, 1859

210. To Capellmeister Max Seifriz in Lowenberg

[Autograph in the possession of Herr Alexander Meyer Cohn in Berlin.]

Dear Friend,

I feel the most heartfelt sympathy with you in your sad days at Lowenberg, and trust with you that they will not last much longer. When there is a suitable opportunity, express to our Prince my heartfelt, grateful devotion. Then tell me quite openly and candidly whether my visit to Lowenberg, in the course of next month, will be welcome and will make no trouble. I had planned to spend the Easter week there, and only await preliminary tidings from you to announce myself by letter to His Highness. Dr.

Brendel wished at the same time to pay his respects to the Prince. The press of work upon him just now especially will only allow him to stay a couple of days with you; but I for my part, if I am a.s.sured that my visit will not come inopportunely, should like to prolong my stay a little. Perhaps, as you are so kindly intending to invite Damrosch, it might be arranged for him to come at the same time. It would be a great pleasure to me to see the valiant friend and comrade in Art again with you.

I give you once more my best thanks for the kind attention which you have caused to be bestowed on my works. The many attacks on me which I have to bear enhance still more the value I place on the sympathy and concurrence of my friends.

By today's post I send you the scores of the Dante Symphony, the "Ideale," and the Goethe March, which have just come out--the former merely to read through (as a memento of the Dresden performance, which served as a rehearsal to me, after which several alterations in the score occurred to me)-but the other two might not be wholly unsuitable for a performance with your gallant orchestra, to whom I beg you to remember me most kindly.

May the things be welcome to you, dear friend, as a token of the very high esteem of

Yours in all friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

Weymar, March 22nd, 1859

211. To Eduard Liszt

Warmest thanks for all you have done, said, and felt, dearest Eduard. I hope that I am only going a few steps in front of you, and that in a couple of years the same distinction will fall to your lot, in which I shall then have the same pleasure as is granted to you today. [This would be the bestowing of the t.i.tle of n.o.bility on Liszt, who, however, as is well known, never used it.]

Herewith my letter of thanks to S. E. von Bach. [Austrian Minister of the Interior.] Perhaps you would think it well to deliver the letter yourself. Take the opportunity of remembering me to Wurzbach, who has always been most friendly to me. I will write to Daniel one of these next days. The Princess goes tomorrow to Munich, where Kaulbach is painting the portrait of Princess Marie. On the 30th of this month I again make a visit to Prince Hohenzollern at Lowenberg (Shlesia), and shall then soon take up my quarters at Leipzig, where we shall have to live through some rather warm days on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd June. For the rest there are good prospects for us there; and, even if dishonesty and malevolence make the utmost exertions (as we may expect they will do), this can do us but very little injury (where it does not help us).

You have possibly already heard that the Schiller Festival in Weymar has been frustrated by the imprudence of Dingelstedt. In spite of that I am composing the Introduction to the Festival by Halm, which may find its use here or elsewhere. With heartfelt thanks and greetings, your

F. Liszt

[Weimar,] April 5th, 1859

212. To N. N., Music-Director at Weimer

[Autograph in the possession of Herr Gille, Privy Councillor in Jena.]

Dear Herr Music-Director,

I learn today by chance of the measures which have been taken a posteriori against the concert conducted and arranged by Herr Gotze [Carl Gotze, chorister, afterwards music-director.] and sincerely regret that a Weimar music-director and Weymar Court musician could deem such a thing suitable.

I, with my exceptional and only occasional dealings with the orchestra here, can only draw your attention to the fact of how deplorably such occurrences run counter to a nice feeling of decorum, and still more to the n.o.bler artist feeling.

With compliments,

F. Liszt

April 17th, 1859

213. To Peter Cornelius In Vienna Weymar

May 23rd, 1859

Dearest Friend,

I learn with joy from your letter (which has just crossed mine from Lowenberg), that things are going well and comfortably with you in Vienna. It is easy to see that your stay there, when once you have made a firm footing, will become very advantageous--and whatever I can do towards helping this you may be sure I shall do. Herewith a few lines for Herr von Villers, Secretary of the Saxon Emba.s.sy (where you will learn his address). He is one of my older friends who has remained very dear to me. In his refined poetic and musical feeling many kindred tones will sound for you.

Tell him all about Weymar and play him something from the "Barbier". [Cornelius' Opera] Although he lives somewhat a part, he can prove himself agreeable to you in many things,--firstly, by his own personal intercourse--and then also by his relations with Baron Stockhausen (the Hanoverian Amba.s.sador), at whose house there is frequently really good music, etc.--Don't delay, therefore, looking up Villers.

For today I must beg you also to get the Prologue for the Leipzig days [The Leipzig Tonkunstler-Versammlung (Meeting of Musicians), from which the Allgemeine Deutsche Musikverein (Universal German Musical Society) sprang] ready as quickly as possible. I shall settle down at the end of this week (Sat.u.r.day) in Leipzig--Hotel de Pologne. It would be very good of you if you could send me the Prologue to Leipzig within eight days. Address to Brendel, Mittelstra.s.se, 24. I still do not possess a single copy of my Ma.s.s, because I sent on the two or three that had been previously sent to me at once to M[usic]-D[irector] Riedel for studying the work. But my cousin, Dr. Eduard Liszt, will certainly be delighted to give you your copy at once. You have only to tell Daniel to bring it to you, if you have not time to call on Eduard.

Frau von Milde, Bulow, Bronsart, Draseke, La.s.sen, etc., etc., etc., are coming to Leipzig from Monday, 30th May, until Sunday, 4th June. You must not fail us, dearest friend, and we await you with open arms and loving hearts. Your

F. Liszt

The Princess stays a little longer in Munich, and will not get to Leipzig till towards the end of this month. Remember me most respectfully and warmly to Hebbel.

Best greetings to Catinelli.

Once more, please send the "Prologue".