Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 24 : Whether also the t.i.tle Kunstwerk der Zukunft [Art Work of the Future.]should be emplo

Whether also the t.i.tle Kunstwerk der Zukunft [Art Work of the Future.]should be employed, or what other definition should be the axis of our united efforts in the opening number, I will put on one side for the present. The full discussion of this and other things I will keep for your next visit to Weymar. Raff's opera is announced for this day fortnight (Sunday, April 17th).

If it is agreeable to you to come here sooner, you will be most welcome at any moment. This time and every time that you come to Weymar, I beg you to stay with me, both for your own convenience and mine.

Forster's exact address I will send you very soon, although I conclude that letters addressed Herr Hofrath Ernst Forster would be safely delivered by the post office. Stahr is the best person to give you information about Herr von Hauenschild (Max Waldau-- not Count, as far as I know), and Hettner is a Professor in Jena.

Further, it is my opinion that you had better not send your communications to these gentlemen until we have settled some of the chief points in this matter.

I shall undertake a security of four hundred thalers on this proposed agreement between us, in return for a receipt from the management which you will give me. I cannot at present hold out the prospect of further support; yet it is possible that I may succeed in getting three to five hundred thalers annually, under certain conditions, for which there is no personal ground whatever (and which I hinted to you in our last conversation in Leipzig), for the pages of The Present and Future.

Remember me kindly to your wife, and be a.s.sured of the entire willingness of

Yours truly,

F. Liszt

Weymar, April 3rd, 1853

100. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

Good advice is seldom cheap, and I must honestly confess that in my present very fluctuating circ.u.mstances I am not rich enough to help you efficaciously by lending you a helping hand, however much I might wish to do so. Stahr's refusal is very much to be regretted, for, in order to attain your end and to influence the world of literature, you positively require more literary men of great note to join you. Next to the money question the formation of the nucleus of management is the most important matter in this undertaking. However zealous and self-sacrificing you and Schlonbach [Arnold Schlonbach, journalist, died long ago.] may be in devoting your talents and powers to the paper, yet I doubt whether you will be able to keep it going unless you get some further capable men of talent as co-operators. This brings us, however, again to the money question, which I unfortunately am not in a position to solve. To be obliged to give it up after six months would be a far worse fate than not to begin it at all.

Therefore, before everything, the moral guarantee must be forthcoming for its continuance, and for the constantly increasing spread of the paper, and these depend princ.i.p.ally on the guarantee which the first five or six co-operators warrant.

You remark quite truly that, if Wagner would take an interest in the matter, it would be of the greatest help. Perhaps he might be persuaded to do so, and I will willingly start the subject to him.

The t.i.tle, size (as well as the limits of the paper, and cover), and fortnightly issue give me thorough satisfaction, and according to my opinion nothing more need be altered in these three particulars. A weekly issue has its advantages-- nevertheless I have always thought that two papers per month are on the whole better than four. But whether it is possible and advisable to make the first start as early as July I much question. "Tout vient a point a qui sait attendre," says the French proverb. It certainly is important to seize the right moment, and that must be decided by you. Let me only beg you not to give too much weight to pa.s.sing and local influences, and only to come forward when you can hold your ground with quiet, deliberate courage. Retreat belongs to the enemy. For us it is "Gradatim vincimus."

The matter of the security remains as promised. If you should not be ready by July, October would be just as favorable, if not more so--only, in Heaven's name, no backward step when once started!-- Some articles of provision and ammunition seem to me to be absolutely necessary before you begin. Two months are a short time to get them ready, and I scarcely think it will be possible for you to be ready for action by July. Have you written yet to Wagner? You must not expect much from Hettner without Stahr. But, through Hinrichs or Franz, Hauenschild might perhaps be won over.

I advise you to stick fast to Schwind. One of his last pictures, "Beethoven's Fancy," bought by the King of Greece, points to him above all others as the representative of painting in your paper.

May I beg you also to send a few lines to Kurnberger to tell him that I have given you his ma.n.u.script? It would be discourteous if I were to leave him without any answer, and, as I cannot say anything further to him, we should save useless circ.u.mlocution if you would be so good as to correspond with him direct.

Incidentally you would also save me another letter about nothing, if you would write to Lenz (on the subject of this conference).

Whilst I am talking with you, Senora Pepita Oliva is doing her favorite tricks at the theater, which are more prized and rated higher than they deserve, so I am a.s.sured. "J'aime mieux y croire qu'y aller voir." [I would rather take it for granted than go and see it.] The brothers Wieniawski have also been here some days.

The violinist is a virtuoso of importance,--that is to say, in the ordinary, but not quite correct, sense of this word; for Virtuoso comes from Virtu, and should neither be so falsified nor so misapplied.

Yours very truly,

F. Liszt

April 30th, 1853.

101. To Louis Kohler

Dear Friend,

You have again given me a real pleasure by your article on the Romanesca (in the last numbers of the Signale), for which I would gladly requite you. The best way to do this would be by a performance of "Lohengrin"; unfortunately there is very little prospect of that. Still it is not impossible that between the 19th and 26th of this month there may be a performance of this one work by royal command; and, as you are already so kindly disposed towards me, and have promised me to come to Weymar, do make yourself ready, and give me the great pleasure of your company for a few days--if possible, from the 19th to the 26th of this month. The marriage festivities of Princess Amalie of Sachs- Weymar and Prince Henry of the Netherlands, which will take place then, will be the occasion of a grand court concert on the 20th, and the performance of Marx's oratorio "Moses" on the 22nd or 24th, and probably a couple of other musical performances.

Joachim is also coming at the same time, and there will be no dearth of entertainment for us. Once more best thanks-and a safe journey--and a revoir--which will be a great pleasure to your very affectionate and obliged.

F. Liszt

Weymar, May 6th, 1853

102. To Louis Kohler

Dear Friend,

A safe journey--and "auf Wiedersehen" next year in Weymar at a chance performance of "Lohengrin"! There is now no probability of a Wagner performance here for a week or ten days, and probably the "Flying Dutchman" will then be chosen.

You ought to keep all my scribblings which appear henceforth.

Meanwhile I send you only the score of the Weber Polonaise, in which the working-out section (pages 19, 20, 21) will perhaps amuse you.

I am writing to Wagner today that he should himself offer you a copy of the "Nibelungen." You ought to receive it soon.

You will find a little packet of Plantaja cigars in your cloak.

May it help you to recall your Weymar visit, and think with warm remembrance of

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

F. Liszt

Weymar, May 24th, 1853

If you should stay some days in Berlin, ask Dorn why he has not yet sent me his score of the "Nibelungen"? Perhaps he has not had my letter in reply to his in which he mentioned that the score was coming.

When you have half an hour to spare, ask my pupil Winterberger [Composer, piano and organ virtuoso; born at Weimar 1834; was for a long time a Professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatorium; since then lives at Leipzig.] (through Schlesinger) to play you my "Prophete" Fugue on the organ. I consider this opus as one of my least bad productions--if you have not got a copy of it I will send you one on the first opportunity through Hartel.

Your box and cloak are just sent off "Station restante."

103. To Louis Kohler

"Kiraschio! Plimaschio!"

[The refrain of a journeyman's song, given by L. Kohler in his work "The Melody of Speech," in which "The cry of the natural man gives vent to itself in unbridled pleasure."]

Dear friend! Your work [The same work, "The Melody of Speech"

(Leipzig, J. J. Weber, 1853).] has given me a refres.h.i.+ng draught to quaff,--not exactly a theoretical "cure" water, such as the people promenading past my window are constrained to take, and which, thank Heaven, I neither require nor take; but a finely seasoned, delightfully comforting May drink,--and I thank you warmly for the lively, pleasant hours I have pa.s.sed with you in reading and singing your work. The objections with which the Philistines and pedants will arm themselves against you don't interest me in the least. You have certainly brought forth a fresh and exciting little book, and that is a great service not easily attained!--Be satisfied not to please the worse half of brave musicians, among which I might count myself, and write on cheerfully, regardless of shops and shopkeepers!--Specially do I give you my best thanks for the "Weymarasche Zeilen," and the very friendly quotation of my earlier songs. Later on, when I bring out a couple more numbers, I must make a somewhat remodeled edition of these earlier songs. There must, in particular, be some simplifications in the accompaniment. But that you have thought favorably and indulgently of these things, with a due regard to the inner impulse which brought them forth (in my "storm and stress" period), is very pleasant to me. The Lenau concluding song is charmingly composed--only publish some more like that, with or without comment!

I have just received a letter from Wagner for you, which he sends to me as he does not know your address. Take this opportunity of sending me your street and number; for I always address to Putzer and Heimann, which is too formal. At the beginning of July I enjoyed several Walhalla-days with Wagner, and I praise G.o.d for having created such a man. Of my further summer projects I will only say that at the end of September I shall conduct the Musical Festival at Carlsruhe, and at the beginning of October shall return to Weymar (where I shall spend the winter).

I have written to Haslinger and Spina to send you the "Hungarian Rhapsodies" and the "Soirees de Vienne" (songs after F. Schubert, in nine parts). The next time I pa.s.s through Leipzig I will tell Kistner that you must not fail to have a copy of the "Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses." The previously mentioned pieces you will have without delay. I have sent my Ma.s.s and Ave Maria to Marpurg by Raff. If you approve of these compositions I will gladly get a couple more copies in your honor. My Catalogue will not come out till next winter, as I have not yet had any time to revise it.