Letters of Franz Liszt
Chapter 2 : 7. To Abbe F. de Lamennais [Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigne

7. To Abbe F. de Lamennais

[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.-- Addressed to the celebrated French author (1782-1854), who followed his brilliant apology of Catholicism, "Essai sur l'Indifference en Matiere de Religion" (Essay on Indifference in Matters of Religion, 1817-1823), by the "Paroles d'un Croyant"

(Words of a Believer, 1834), a veritable "Ode to revolution in the sublimest biblical style," and sought to bring religious and political liberty into accord with true religiousness. The latter work made an unheard-of sensation, but brought upon him the anathema of the Church. He obtained a great influence over Liszt, who was on intimate terms with him.]

Four months have actually pa.s.sed, dear Father, since we parted, and I feel very sad at not getting a word from you!--at the same time I do not wish to complain, for it seems to me that you can never doubt my deep and filial affection...Much more, I even know that you have been willing to accept it, and, however humble it may be, to count it for something...What more then can I desire?...

Eugene, whose brotherly friends.h.i.+p becomes dearer to me day by day, has often given me good tidings of you. The last time I saw him he told me confidentially that you were working at a sort of Introduction, or developed Preface to your works.--Although I know perfectly well that my interest counts for nothing in this matter, I may be permitted nevertheless to tell you how glad I am to know that you are occupied with this work. To yourself, first of all, I think you owe it--your name and glory will s.h.i.+ne out all the more powerfully for it. And, secondly, for the public it will be a work of art the more (and this commodity becomes rather rare as time goes on), and which will besides have the double advantage of aiding and fixing them in the understanding of your past works, whilst at the same time preparing them for, and initiating them into, your future thoughts.

And, lastly, for us who love you, and who would glory and be proud to be one day called your disciples, we rejoice in it because the world will learn to know you better by this means, and because it will probably be another opportunity for us to show our sympathetic admiration as well as our unalterable devotion for you.

Unless something very unforeseen occurs, I shall come again and beg you to receive me for a few days towards the middle of July; I trust sufficiently to your sincerity to tell me that you would rather not have me if my individuality would trouble or bother you too much.--Before that, I shall have the honor of sending you a little work, to which I have had the audacity to tack a great name--yours.--It is an instrumental De profundis. The plain-song that you like so much is preserved in it with the Faburden.

Perhaps this may give you a little pleasure, at any rate, I have done it in remembrance of some hours pa.s.sed (I should say "lived") at La Chenaie.

Farewell, dear Father. I don't give you any news of Paris,--you know all that. You know that Ballanche wants to be an Academician, and accepts Salvandy and Dupaty as compet.i.tors,--you know the little check of January,--the miserable petty intrigues of court and newspaper and vestry;--in a word, you know how men are wanting in n.o.ble and generous sentiments, and how they make the most of their own ign.o.ble ends and interests, to which their words and actions yet give the lie.

Farewell once more, dear Father. Think as often as possible of all the good you have done, and of that which men have a right to expect of you. Think sometimes also of the help and the wealth of affection that you have showered on me in particular, and may the remembrance of this be sweet to you!...

Yours ever, for life--from heart and soul,

F. Liszt

January 14th, 1835

Tomorrow morning I have to leave for two months. If you should be so good as to write to me before my return, please address always, 61, Rue de Provence. My mother will take care that I have your kind letter.

8. To his Mother

[From a copy, by Mr. Vladimir Sta.s.soff of St. Petersburg, the original of which is in Russia. The letter in itself is unimportant, but it is the only one to Liszt's mother which the editor could get, and gives a fresh proof of the devotion of the artist to his mother.]

Dear Mother,

Please send me at once, without any delay, the Pianist's Glossary, which you will get at Lemonier's, Rue de l'Ech.e.l.le.

Simply put it in a cover, and put it in the post (General Office), and I shall get it, at latest, by Monday or Tuesday.--

Address to Mr. Hermann Cohen, Grande Rue, No. 8.

[Cohen was a frequently mentioned pupil and favorite of Liszt's who was born at Hamburg in 1820, much thought of as a pianist in Paris, and immortalised as "Puzzi" by George Sand ("Lettres d'un Voyageur"); he followed Liszt to Geneva, and gave lessons there.

In 1850 he entered the order of Carmelites, and, under the name of Pater Augustin, died in Berlin in January 1871, whither he had gone with French prisoners.]

I have an immense deal to do this morning, so that I have barely time to tell you that I love you with all my heart, and that I rejoice above everything at the prospect of seeing you again soon--that is to say, in six or eight months.

F. Liszt

You will hear of me from Mr. Pinondel, who pa.s.sed a day with us.

9. To the Abbe F. de Lamennais, La Chenaie

[Autograph in the possession of Mr. Marshall in London.]

[Paris, May 28th, 1836--according to the stamp of the post office]

Dear and venerable Father,

I shall expect you. Whatever sorrow there is in the depth of my soul, it will be sweet and consoling to me to see you again.

You are so wonderfully good to me! and I should suffer so much by being so long away from you!--

Au revoir then, once more--in eight days at latest it will be, will it not? I do nothing else than keep expecting you.

Yours, with the deepest respect and most sincere devotion,

F. Liszt

10. To Mademoiselle Lydie Pavy, of La Glaciere, Lyons

[Autograph in the possession of M. Etienne Charavay in Paris.]

St. Gervais, August 22nd [1836].

Your postscript deserves a punishment, and here it comes dated from St. Gervais. I do not know whether your charming sister-in- law, Madame Pavy, will consider this stamp of St. Gervais worthy to appear in her collection; be that as it may, it gives me no less a pleasure to converse a little with you who are always so charming, so versatile, so excellent, and, permit me to say, so kind to me.

Mademoiselle Merienne, whom I saw only quite lately (for you must know that during the whole month of July, of glorious memory, I have barely condescended to go down once or twice to Geneva; I was living in a little bit of a house on the mountain, whence, let me say parenthetically, it would have been quite easy for me to hurl sermons and letters at you); Mademoiselle Merienne (what shall I say to you after such an enormous parenthesis?), somewhat like (by way of a new parenthesis) those declaimed discourses of Plantade or Lhuillier, which put a stop to music whilst nevertheless admitting that there is such a thing, whether at the beginning or at the end--Mademoiselle Merienne--au diable Mademoiselle Merienne! You guess by this time that she gave me tidings of you, that she is a delightful and enchanting person, that she makes admirable portraits, and that mine, amongst others, has been a wonderful success. Etc., etc., and always etc...

And yet I do wish to talk to you about this good Mademoiselle Merienne, for she said a heap of charming things to me for your sake, which will certainly not astonish you. But how to set about it after all this preamble of parentheses? Ah, I have it!--In three or four weeks I shall come and knock at your door.--And then? Well, then we will chatter away at our ease. So much the worse for you if you are not satisfied with my cunning stratagem.

Now let us talk business; yes, seriously, let us talk business!

Has your brother returned from his journey? And is he well? And has no accident happened to him on the way? You are surprised, perhaps, at my anxiety; but by-and-bye you will understand it without difficulty, when I have explained to you how terribly interested I am in the fact of his journey being safely accomplished.

Just imagine that at this moment I have only 200 fr. in my purse (a ridiculously small sum for a traveler), and that it is M. Pavy who is to be my financial Providence, considering that it is to him that my mother has confided my little quarterly income of a thousand francs. Now at this point I must entrust you with a little secret, which at present is only known to two individuals, Messrs. Paccard and Roger (charming names for confidants, are not they?), and which I beg you to make known as quickly as possible to your brother. It concerns a little sc.r.a.p of paper (which these rogues of bankers call a draft, I believe), for a thousand francs, by which Messrs. Paccard and Roger are authorized by my signature, which is at the bottom, to demand the above sum of a thousand francs (which my mother entrusted to M. Pavy in Paris) from M. Pavy, junior, living at La Glaciere at Lyons, after the 22nd of August, 1836.

A thousand pardons for troubling you with these details, but I should never have had the courage to write direct to your brother, on account of my profound ignorance in money matters.

You tell me that you pa.s.sed part of the fine season in the country--why did not you arrange so as to tour for a little among the mountains of Switzerland? I should have had such pleasure in doing the honors, and Mademoiselle Merienne also...but don't let us speak any more of Mademoiselle Merienne (who, be it observed in parenthesis, must have already appeared a dozen times in this letter), for fear of again falling into inextricable parentheses.

Au revoir then; in five weeks at latest I shall come and warm myself at your "glacier."

F. Liszt