Letters of Franz Liszt Volume I Part 55

Your very devoted

F. Liszt

Weymar, November 2nd, 1859

224. To Johann von Herbeck.

Dear Friend,

I only returned a few hours ago from Zwickau, and find your friendly letter here, in reply to which I must excuse myself for not having been able to fulfill your wish so soon as I had intended, in respect to the Schubert Marches. This delay, which was very unpleasant to me, was occasioned by an indisposition which obliged me to keep my bed for a whole week at the end of October. The Weymar and Jena Schiller Festivals, following on the top of that, made it utterly impossible for me to get on with the instrumentation of the Marches. But I promise you that you shall have the score by Christmas at latest.

"Prometheus" will present himself to you by the end of this month. If after looking through the score, dear friend, you think the work suitable for a performance in Vienna, I shall be glad.

If not, I beg you to tell me so with perfect candor, and without the slightest scruple of thereby wounding my vanity. Whether the stomach of the critics and of the public will be able to digest such a liver cut out of the vulture as this of my "Prometheus,"

or whether at the very first bars all will not be lost, I cannot determine; but still less would I prepare superfluous disagreeables for you by the performance of my "Tonschmiererei;"

[Tone-daubing] of such ill-odor from the beginning!

Decide therefore entirely according to your own judicious opinion--and, whatever that may be, rest a.s.sured of the sincere acknowledgment and esteem with which I remain

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

F. Liszt

November 18th, 1859

225. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

Of the three prize essays (which I return to you herewith) the one with the motto "Try all things and maintain the best" is, according to my opinion, very significant and suitable to the definite solving of the question. The writer develops his thesis with so safe, so rightly apprehending, and so far grasping a logic that it shows convincingly that the now indispensable practice is in complete union with the results of the theory. It is to be hoped that our excellent colleague and friend Lobe will also give his weighty judgment in favor of this prize essay, and will also scientifically explain his motives for doing so--for I cannot suppose that Lobe is in agreement with the opponents of the enharmonic system, whose theory would make us have to do musical penance.

In the two other essays with the mottoes "Our eyes see, but they require the light to do so," and "Look, this is what man has done!" there is much that is true and worthy of consideration (especially in the former), which might be made prominent after reading through all the essays sent in.

Come to an understanding next with Lobe about the final business of the causes for the award of the prize, and let me have a draft of it. It cannot be otherwise than profitable if the affair is treated somewhat exhaustively and thoroughly, which you, dear friend, in conjunction with Lobe and Weitzmann, are much better able to do than my humble self, since I, as Hauptmann justly observes, should appear to be too much prejudiced by my own practice. In matters of harmony, as in other greater matters, I believe also that Nature is in everlasting union with Genius.

"What one promises, the other surely performs." And Beethoven was quite right to a.s.sert his right to allow that which was forbidden by Kirnberger, Marpurg, Albrechtsberger, etc.!--Science must only investigate more and more the nature of things and the freedom of genius, and become experienced in their further development.----- -----

Ever faithfully yours,

F. Liszt

[Weimar,] December 1st, 1859

I quite agree with your project of giving two prizes. The first prize will be awarded to the above-mentioned treatise, unless, which I doubt, a still more successful one should be sent in.

226. To Anton Rubenstein

Certainly, my very honored friend, I shall not leave off taking a very sincere and loyal part in the unfolding of the career that you are pursuing with such rare prowess, and all that you can tell me of your doings in composition and musical conducting will always find in me a lively interest. Thank you, therefore, for your nice letter, which contains also a promise which I shall be very much pleased to see you fulfill--namely, that of your visit next spring, in company with your Opera in four acts--and probably also with your "Song of Songs," which you do not mention to me, but which I am none the less desirous, on that account, of knowing.

Have you thought well to give your "Paradise Lost" at St.

Petersburg? I urged you strongly to do so, for it is a capital work, which does you great honor, and the place of which seems fixed in your concerts. And on this subject allow me to compliment you very sincerely upon the idea (all the less frequent as it is just) which has been uppermost in the distribution of the programme of these concerts. If it continues to predominate, and if in effect they take it into their heads at St. Petersburg to do justice (as you tell me) "to all the masters of all schools and of all times" (not excepting our own!), the famous verse

"'Tis from the North that light comes to us today"

will be justified, and even by Music! In France and Germany we are far from this--and cla.s.sical Pharisaism swells its voice there to make a diversion to Mercantilism, that rich disgraceful one, who succeeds perfectly well in making the princ.i.p.al papers and their numerous readers dance to the sounds of his harsh flute, whilst his antagonist (Pharisaism) only ends in "Improperias" and "Jeremiads"...not composed by Palestrina!

Your choice of the introduction to the second act of the Fliegender Hollander seems to me an excellent one, and I shall get the score (of this scene) copied for you, as it is very difficult to get a complete score of the Opera, and as I only possess the autograph, with which it would be a matter of conscience to me to part. In about a fortnight I will send you what you want for your programme.

Princess Marie Hohenlohe is at the present time at St.

Petersburg, and will be much delighted to see you again. Her husband does a good deal in the way of music, and plays several "Lieder ohne Worte" of his own composition very nicely. He and his wife will a.s.suredly have pleasure in being amongst the first to applaud at the time of the performances of your Opera in Vienna.

A revoir then, my dear Rubinstein, in the spring--and ever yours in sincere esteem and affection,

F. Liszt

Weymar, December 3rd, 1859

P.S.--When you see Mademoiselle Ingeborg Stark, please give her my very affectionate remembrances. If her journey from Paris should bring her back by Weymar she would be sure to find me there; for, in spite of what the papers say, which, among other fancies, have taken it into their heads to make me travel hither and thither, I shall not stir from here for several months, but continue to work my best--if only to prove to the "kindly critic"

and the idlers that it is very much to be regretted that I should have taken it into my head to turn composer!--This recalls the proverb, "On devient cuisinier, mais on nait rotisseur!"

[There does not seem to be any equivalent to this proverb in English: the nearest approach to it is, perhaps, "A poet is born, not made."]

227. To Dr. Franz Brendel

Dear Friend,

It is of great consequence to me not to delay any longer the publication of my "Gesammelte Lieder." Forgive me, therefore, if today I am somewhat troublesome to your friends.h.i.+p..--.

It seems to me that the best plan would be if, before you confer with Herr Schulze, you would first have a consultation with Klemm, and come to a thorough understanding on the matter with him. [Liszt evidently wished to have the songs engraved first at his own cost, and to let Klemm undertake the sale on commission.]

Beg him also, in my name, to show a friendly sympathy to the work. The songs can hold their ground in their present form (regardless of the criticism of our choking and quarrelling opponents which will infallibly follow!); and if a few singers could be found, not of the raw and superficial kind, who would boldly venture to sing songs by the notorious non-composer, Franz Liszt, they would probably find a public for them.

I think I told you that a couple of them made a furore in certain salons which are very much set against me, as posthumous songs of Schubert, and were encored!--Of course I have begged the singer to carry the joke on further.

Klemm need not therefore be in the least ashamed of undertaking the publication of the work in a friendly spirit.

Best thanks beforehand for your kind trouble in this matter--and ever faithfully yours,

F. Liszt

Weymar, December 6th, 1859

P.S.--I have just received your letter. The two K.'s--Kompel and Kahnt--shall be made most welcome. Pohl had already told me of Kahnt's coming; it will be a pleasure to me not to verlangweilen [To make the time hang heavily] his visit here (if that word is not quite German, still I consider it is comprehensible!). Julius Schuberth had also the intention of rescuing something [Namely, Liszt's composition] from Kuehn. [Music publisher] Your idea of giving Bronsart the conductors.h.i.+p of the Euterpe Concerts is a most excellent one. I suppose the letter which I wrote about this to P. Fischer (to your address) came to hand (?). The day before yesterday I also let Bronsart know that possibly some favorable openings might occur for him in Leipzig, and recommended him not to neglect them. Bronsart would be just in his right post in Leipzig, and I do not doubt that he would in every respect maintain it in the most honorable manner. In addition to this, it would be especially agreeable to me to begin constant intercourse with him as my next neighbor. He is now working at his Opera, and sent me a little while ago the libretto which he has himself composed to it, and which seems to me very successful in the most important scenes, as well as in the dialogue. [It was afterwards composed by his wife ("King Hiarne").]