Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 42 : --and to this danger every executive artist is especially exposed, if he does not take

--and to this danger every executive artist is especially exposed, if he does not take courage resolutely and on principle to stand earnestly and consistently by his conviction, and to produce those works which he knows to be the best, whether people like them or not.

It is of no consequence, then, in how far my faint-heartedness in regard to Schumann's pianoforte compositions might possibly be excused by the all-ruling taste of the day, but I did without thinking of it thereby set a bad example, for which I can hardly make amends again. The stream of custom and the slavery of the artist, who is directed to the encouragement and applause of the mult.i.tude for the maintenance and improvement of his existence and his renown, is such a pull-back, that, even to the better- minded and more courageous ones, among whom I am proud to reckon myself, it is intensely difficult to preserve their better ego in the face of all the covetous, distracted, and--despite their large number--backward-in-paying We.

There is in Art a pernicious offence, of which most of us are guilty through carelessness and fickleness; I might call it the Pilate offence. Cla.s.sical doing, and cla.s.sical playing, which have become the fas.h.i.+on of late years, and which may be regarded as an improvement, on the whole, in our musical state of things, hide in many a one this fault, without eradicating it:--I might say more on this point, but it would lead me too far.

For my part I need not, at least, reproach myself with having ever denied my sympathy and reverence for Schumann; and a hundred of the younger companions in Art in all lands could bear witness that I have always expressly directed them to a thorough study of his works, and have strengthened and refreshed myself by them.

If these particulars have not wearied you, dear Wasielewski, I will gladly continue them, and tell you about everything from my second visit to Leipzig (at the end of 1841) which was brought about by Schumann, up to my last meeting with him at Dusseldorf (in 1851). Friendly greetings

From yours most sincerely,

F. Liszt

Weymar, January 9th, 1857.

172. To General Alexis von Lwoff in St. Petersburg

[1799-1877; in addition to his military position, he was a celebrated violinist, and conductor of the Imperial Court-Singers at St. Petersburg.]

Your Excellency and My Honored Friend,

Permit me to think that I am not quite effaced from your recollection, and to avail myself of the medium of Mdlle. Martha de Sabinin to recall myself to you more particularly. It being her wish to find herself in pleasant relations with the chief representatives of music in St. Petersburg, it was natural that I should introduce her in the first instance to you, and recommend her to you first and foremost as the protegee of Her Imperial Majesty the Grand d.u.c.h.ess Marie Pawlowna, as well as of the reigning Grand d.u.c.h.ess of Saxe-Weymar (in whose service she has been for several years as Court Pianist and Professor at the Inst.i.tute for Young Ladies of the n.o.bility),--and, secondly, as a clever woman and excellent musician and pianist, who, after having gone through the most conscientious study, is perfectly fitted to teach others in a most agreeable manner.She especially excels in her execution of cla.s.sical music and ensemble; and, this side of music being, from what I hear, more and more cultivated at St. Petersburg, especially through your care, I am pleased to think that Mdlle. de Sabinin will easily find an opportunity of coming out advantageously in this line. I much regret that you have, as yet, neglected Weymar since I have been settled here. It would have been a pleasure to me to place at your disposal a musical personnel, which has been justly spoken of with praise, for the performance of your "Stabat Mater"

and other of your compositions, which we should have great pleasure in applauding. Let me hope that you will not always be so rigorous towards us, and pray accept the expressions of high esteem and respect with which I shall always be, dear and honored friend,

Your Excellency's very obedient servant,

F. Liszt

Weymar, January 10th, 1857

173. To Johann Von Herbeck in Vienna

[Hofcapellmeister (Court conductor), and an excellent conductor (1831-1877).--The above letter, as well as a later one addressed to the same musician, was published in "Johann Herbeck. Ein Lebensbild von seinem Sohne Ludwig." Vienna, Gutmann, 1885.--Date in Herbeck's handwriting.]

[Received January 12th, 1857]

Dear Sir,

On my somewhat delayed return to Weymar I find your friendly letter, for which I send you my

sincere and warmest thanks. I am very much pleased to learn from you that you have succeeded, thanks to your careful and intelligent preparation, in making such a good effect with the "Faust" (Student) Chorus. [It was the first choral composition which was conducted by Liszt in Vienna, and with the very same Mannergesangverein which Herbeck conducted.] This light little piece has been pretty successfully given several times by Mannergesangvereinen [Vocal societies of male voices] in Cologne, Berlin, etc., and even in Paris. When I published it fifteen years ago, I did not think much about making allowance for any possible laxity in the intonation of the singers; but today, when my experience has taught me better, I should probably write the somewhat steep and slippery pa.s.sage as follows:--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with a vocal score musical excerpt at the point where the singer sings "Die Ko-chin hat ihr Gift gestellt, da ward zu eng ihr in der Welt, etc."]

Probably this version would also be more effective--with the alteration in the last verse (in honor of prosody!):--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with a vocal score musical excerpt at the point where the singer sings "ha, sie pfeift auf dem letzten Loch."]

I shall venture shortly to send you (by Herr Haslinger), my dear sir, a couple of other Quartets for male voices to look through.

If, after doing so, you think you may risk a public performance of them, I leave the matter entirely in your hands.

There is not the slightest hurry about the Ma.s.s, [For men's voices. On the occasion of the Mozart Festival in Vienna in 1856, conducted by Liszt, he had played portions of this Ma.s.s to Herbeck, and the latter felt himself, as he wrote to Liszt, "electrified by the spirit of this work and its creator," and set himself "at the same time the artistic duty of a worthy rendering of this Song of Praise."] and I fear that the preparation of this work will cost you and your singers some trouble. Before all else it requires the utmost certainty in intonation, which can only be attained by practicing the parts singly (especially the middle parts, second tenor and first ba.s.s)--and then, above all, religious absorption, meditation, expansion, ecstasy, shadow, light, soaring--in a word, Catholic devotion and inspiration. The "Credo," as if built on a rock, should sound as steadfast as the dogma itself; a mystic and ecstatic joy should pervade the "Sanctus;" the "Agnus Dei" (as well as the "Miserere" in the "Gloria") should be accentuated, in a tender and deeply elegiac manner, by the most fervent sympathy with the Pa.s.sion of Christ; and the "Dona n.o.bis pacem," expressive of reconciliation and full of faith, should float away like sweet-smelling incense. The Church composer is both preacher and priest, and what the word fails to bring to our powers of perception the tone makes winged and clear.

You know all this at least as well as I do, and I must apologize for repeating it to you. If the extent of the chorus allows of it, it might perhaps be desirable to add a few more wind instruments (clarinets, ba.s.soon, horns, indeed even a couple of trombones) to support the voices more. If you think so too, please send me a line to say so, and I will at once send you a small score of the wind instruments. [Herbeck himself undertook, at Liszt's desire (which, as he wrote, filled him with joy and pride), to write the instrumental accompaniment to the Ma.s.s.] You shall have the vocal parts from Jena immediately. For today accept once more my best thanks, together with the a.s.surance of the highest esteem of

Yours ever,

F. Liszt

174. To Professor Franz Gotze in Leipzig

[The celebrated singer in Leipzig (1814-88); was a pupil of Spohr's, and was first violinist in the Weimar Hofcapelle, then went on to the stage, and both as a lyric tenor and as a singer of Lieder was incomparable. He was the first who publicly went in for Liszt's songs, in which his pupils imitated him.]

Dear Friend,

In consequence of an invitation of the directors, I shall have the honor of having several of my works performed at the concert on the 26th February for the Orchestral Pension Fund in Leipzig, and very much wish that you would do me the kindness to sing two of my songs ("Kling leise, mein Lied" and "Englein du mit blondem Haar"), and to rejoice the public with your ardent and beautifully artistic rendering of these little things.

Fraulein Riese is so good as to bring you the new edition of my six first songs (amongst which is the "Englein" in A major)--a couple more numbers will shortly follow.

Grant me my request, dear friend, and rest a.s.sured beforehand of the best thanks, with which I remain,

Yours in most sincere friends.h.i.+p, F. Liszt

Weymar, February 1st, 1857

175. To Dionys Pruckner in Vienna

Weymar, February 11th, 1857

From all sides, dearest Dionysius, I hear the best and most brilliant accounts of you. Without being surprised at this I am extremely pleased about it. To make a firm footing in Vienna as a pianoforte player is no small task, especially under present circ.u.mstances! If one succeeds in this, one can, with the utmost confidence, make a name throughout Europe. It is very important for you, dear friend, to appear often in public, so as to make yourself feel at home with them. In production the public have far more to care about the artist than he has to care about them, or indeed to let himself be embarra.s.sed by them. At home, our whole life through, we have to study and to devise how to mature our work and to attain as near as possible to our ideal of Art.

But when we enter the concert-room the feeling ought not to leave us, that, just by our conscientious and persevering striving, we stand somewhat higher than the public, and that we have to represent our portion of "Menschheits-Wurde," [Manhood's dignity]

as Schiller says. Let us not err through false modesty, and let us hold fast to the true, which is much more difficult to practice and much more rare to find. The artist--in our sense-- should be neither the servant nor the master of the public. He remains the bearer of the Beautiful in the inexhaustible variety which is appointed to human thought and perception--and this inviolable consciousness alone a.s.sures his authority.

Through your father I learn that you are thinking of going to Munich in the course of the spring. I, on my side, had also the intention of giving you a rendez-vous there. But yesterday I definitely accepted the conductors.h.i.+p of the Musical Festival of the Lower-Rhine, which will take place this year in Aix-la- Chapelle at Whitsuntide, on the 31st May, and could not undertake a long journey before then, in order not to break in on my work too much.

At the beginning of September we shall have grand festivities here in honor of the centenary of Carl August. Rietschel's Schiller and Goethe group will then be put up, and there will be a great deal of music on this occasion at the theater, for which I must prepare. I hope we shall see each other before then.

Bronsart is in Paris. You shall have his Trio very soon. Bulow is playing in Rostock, Bremen, and Hamburg. The Aix-la-Chapelle Committee have also invited him to the Musical Festival. Singer goes next week to Rotterdam, and on the 26th February a couple of my Symphonic Poems will be given at the Gewandhaus (directed by myself). I yesterday finished the score of another new one, Die Hunnenschlacht, [The Battle of the Huns] which I should like to bring out in Vienna when there is an opportunity.

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