Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 27 : 7. "Festklange."8. "Heroide funebre."9. "Hungaria."By Chr

7. "Festklange."

8. "Heroide funebre."

9. "Hungaria."

By Christmas I intend to bring out the scores of all these--which would make about fifteen hundred plates in octavo size.

The post affair in regard to your letter with the article on Raff's "Fruehlingsboten" is very unpleasant to me. Neither has come into my hands, or else I should a.s.suredly have let you know much sooner. What has become of it cannot now be traced; a similar thing happened also with a ma.n.u.script sent to me from Dresden, which was never able to be found. Excuse me, dear friend, for the carelessness which you supposed I had shown, of which I am in this case not guilty, as Pohl has already written to you by my request--and continue to keep for me always your sympathetic friends.h.i.+p, with which I remain, in complete harmonious unison,

Yours most truly and gratefully,

F. Liszt

112. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

Whilst you are trotting about in Leipzig aus Rand und Band,[Uncontrolledly; a pun on the words Rand and Band (edge of the paper and volume), Brendel being editor of a paper.] I have been obliged to keep my bed, owing to a slight indisposition. The reading of your article in the Jahrbuchern [Year-books] has given me a pleasant hour, and I thank you heartily for the value and significance which you accord to my influence and endeavour here, both in this article and in the topographic section of your book.

As long as I remain here we will take care that Weimar does not get into a bad way.

I hope to be quite on my legs again in a few days. My present indisposition is nothing but an overstrain and knock-up, which a couple of days' rest and some h.o.m.oeopathic powder will easily set right. Probably we shall see one another in the early days of next week at Leipzig; but don't let us speak of it before-hand, as I have already been three times prevented from making this little trip.

The Orpheus article was sent to you yesterday. Perhaps it would still be possible to let it appear in the next number of the paper; if not, then it can appear the following week. The order of succession which I gave you by letter appears to me the right one, and begins with the Orpheus. This article is moreover as good as new, for, as your paper allowed me more s.p.a.ce, I profited by it to make the earlier articles twice as long.["Gesammelte Schriften." vol. iii., 1.]

There are several points in your writing that we will soon talk over viva voca. I am still really very weak today, and merely wanted to write to thank you, and to tell you of my speedy advent in Leipzig (probably next Tuesday or Wednesday).

Yours in friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

Wednesday, April 26th, 1854

Your commissions to Cornelius and letter to Cotta have been attended to.

113. To Louis Kohler

Dear Friend,

I am going once more to give you a pleasure. By today's post you will receive Richard Wagner's medallion. A friend of mine, Prince Eugene Sayn-Wittgenstein, modeled it last autumn in Paris, and I consider it the best likeness that exists of Wagner.

A thousand thanks for all the kind things you write and think of me. I very much wish that you should be in agreement with my present and my next work. If I could only dispose of my time better! But it is a wretched misery to have to spend one's time upon so many useless things and people, when one's head is quite full of other things!--Well, it must be so. G.o.d grant only patience and perseverance! I cannot remember for certain whether I have already sent you the Avant-propos to my Symphonic Poems, which I have in the meantime had printed on the occasion of their performance here. In any case I send them, together with the portrait for which you asked. I am now working at the ninth number (Hungaria)--the eight others are perfectly ready; but it will certainly be next spring before they appear in score.

Of pianoforte music I have nothing more to send you (until the "Annees de Pelerinage" appear at Schott's), except the little "Berceuse," which has found a place in the "Nuptial Alb.u.m" of Haslinger. Perhaps the continuous pedal D-flat will amuse you.

The thing ought properly to be played in an American rocking- chair with a Nargileh for accompaniment, in tempo comodissimo con sentimento, so that the player may, w.i.l.l.y-nilly, give himself up to a dreamy condition, rocked by the regular movement of the chair-rhythm. It is only when the B-flat minor comes in that there are a couple of painful accents...But why am I talking such nonsense with you?--Your very perspicuous discovery of my intention in the second motive of the Sonata--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with a 2-measure score excerpt from his Sonata]

in contrast with the previous hammer-blows--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with another 2-measure score excerpt from his Sonata, similar to the first excerpt above except the melody is transposed and the rhythm is slightly different]

perhaps led me to it.

Farewell, my dear friend, and remain good to your

F. Liszt

Weymar, June 8th 1854

114. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

I have had to alter a good deal in the "Robert" article, especially in the division of the subjects. Do not be angry about it. It will only make a very little trouble, and it pleases me better like this. Ergo my present Varianten [various readings]

must be printed word for word in the next number.

If you have a couple of hours to spare, come next Sat.u.r.day to Halle. Schneider's "Weltgericht [Last Judgment] is to be given there by the united Liedertafel [Singing Societies] of Dessau, Magdeburg, Berlin, Halle, etc. (on Sat.u.r.day afternoon at 3 o'clock), and I have promised to be there. It would give me great pleasure to meet you at Halle; I shall put up at the Englischer Hof there. I hope you will accept my invitation, and therefore I shall say, Auf Wiedersehen [Au Revoir]!

Yours in friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

June 12th, 1854

It will be easy for you to find out for certain about the performance at Halle. In any case I shall come for the day fixed for the "Weltgericht" (a peculiar work, written, as it were, from a pedestal of his own!). At present it is announced for next Sat.u.r.day. Should there be any alteration, I shall arrange accordingly, and come later.--.

P.S.--The proofs must be very carefully revised, as there are a great many little alterations. Be so good as to revise the whole thing accurately yourself. When the article has appeared, please send me today's proofs back. ["Gesammelte Schriften," vol. iii., I.]

115. To Karl Klindworth in London

[A pupil of Liszt's, eminent both as a pianist, conductor, and musical editor; born at Hanover in 1830, lived in London, Moscow, and America; has, since 1882, been director of a music school in Berlin.]

Best thanks, dear Klindworth, for your nice letter. After the "Lamento" it seems a "Trionfo" is now about to be sounded. That gives me heartfelt pleasure. Your Murl-connection and Murl- wanderings [The Society of "Murls" (Moors, Devil-boys--that is to say, Anti-Philistines) was started at that time in Weimar. Liszt was Padischah (i.e. King or President); his pupils and adherents, Buelow, Cornelius, Pruckner, Remenyi, Laub, Cossmann, etc., etc., were Murls.] with Remenyi [A celebrated Hungarian violinist.] are an excellent dispensation of fate, and on July 6th, the day of your concert at Leicester, the Weimar Murls shall be invited to supper at the Altenburg, and Remenyi and Klindworth shall be toasted "for ever!"--[Liszt writes "for ever hoch leben la.s.sen."]

On July 8th I go from here to Rotterdam. The days of the performances are July 13th, 14th, and 15th. The last number but one of Brendel's paper (June 16th) contains the complete programme. The princ.i.p.al works will be Handel's "Israel in Egypt," Haydn's "Seasons," the Ninth Symphony, and a newly composed Psalm by Verhulst (the royal conductor of the Netherlands, director of the Euterpe Concerts in Leipzig about twelve years ago, and at present director of the Rotterdam Festivals). Roger, Pischek, Formes, Madame Ney, Miss Dolby, etc., have undertaken the solos, and the programme announces nine hundred members. It would be very-nice if you and Remenyi and Hagen [Theodor Hagen, a writer, known as a witty critic of his time under the name of "b.u.t.terbrod" [bread and b.u.t.ter] in the signale; died subsequently in America.] could come; in that case you would have to start at once, for on the 13th it begins, and on the 16th I leave Rotterdam--and go for a couple of days to Brussels, where I shall meet my two daughters.

A couple of Murls would look well in Rotterdam, and would make up to me in the best possible way for a lot of Philistinism which I shall probably have to put up with there (by contact with many honorable colleagues and companions in Art)...So, if you possibly can, come. We will then have a Murl-Musical Festival in my room.

(N.B.--I shall be staying with Mr. Hope, the banker.)

One has to get accustomed to the London atmosphere, and make one's stomach pretty solid with porter and port. For the rest, musical matters are not worse there than elsewhere, and one must even acknowledge some greatness in b.e.s.t.i.a.lity. If you can stand it, I am convinced that you will make a lucrative and pleasant position for yourself in London, and also gain a firm footing for the Murl propaganda ("une, indivisible et invincible") on the other side of La Manche, "ce qui sera une autre paire de manches." (In case you don't understand this joke, Remenyi must explain it to you.) So be of good courage and among good things!