Letters of Franz Liszt Volume II Part 25

F. Liszt

Villa d'Este, January l0th, 1870

I shall remain here till the end of April, and then go direct to Weimar.

99. To C. F. Kahnt, the Music Publisher

Dear Friend,

The life's object of the Neue Zeitschrift remains firmly to stand by the colors of Rheingold and the Nibelungen, and unfailingly to represent the interests of the Deutsche Musikverein. This embraces all essential consequences for us.

At the end of next week I will send you the piano-forte score of the Beethoven Cantata, and write full particulars to Riedel.

By the middle of April I hope to reach Weimar. Best thanks for sending the Ave maris stella--and in all friendliness I remain yours,

F. Liszt

Rome, February 14th, 1870

100. To Herr Gille, councillor of justice

Dear Friend,

The best thing I have to tell you today is that we shall soon see each other again. At the beginning of April I shall visit Bulow in Florence, and then go direct to Weimar.

Last week I had a correspondence with Riedel about matters of the Tonkunstler-Versammhung. The most important points are as follows:--The utmost economy that is possible to making a perfectly suitable orchestra and chorus. The s.p.a.ces at our disposal in Weimar (churches, theater and refreshment room) will not allow of any great expenditure as regards the personnel. It is to be hoped that Muller-Hartung can obtain a respectable contingent for the Beethoven Ma.s.s, which will lessen the number of outside co-operators; and I in like manner reckon chiefly on the Weimar Vocal Union for the more important numbers of the concert programme-Psalm by Schulz-Beuthen, Prometheus by Saint- Saens, my Beethoven Cantata, etc. The arrangement of the orchestra is to be as it was at the Carl August Festival and at the Tonkunstler-Versammlung of '61--10 first violins, 6 to 7 double ba.s.ses, etc. Riedel conducts Beethoven's Ma.s.s; La.s.sen the concerts in the theater; and Muller-Hartung my Cantata.

Conzertmeister David and Director h.e.l.lmesberger will preside over the 1st violins. Both gentlemen will also determine about the performance of the Beethoven Quartet. Any other special violin virtuoso would be superfluous this time. Riedel must arrange the distribution of the solo parts of the Beethoven Ma.s.s according as he thinks best. Milde only requires, in my Cantata,

"Dieser Brave sei verpflichtet Das zu thun, was wir gedichtet."

["May this brave one be constrained That to do which we ordained."]

(Schober, 49. Goethe-Feier.)

I flatter myself, by-the-bye, that Milde will also find a pleasure in the "Sternen-Cantabile"--

[Here, Liszt ill.u.s.trates with a musical score excerpt where the words "Viel tau-send hal-ten nach-tig" ("Vide the accompanying page") are sung. It contained the Cantabile in question for Milde from Liszt's Beethoven Cantata.]

Riedel asks me who shall play the pianoforte?

If our meeting were at Jena I should decidedly invite Bulow to do it; he is the veritable Beethoven player and interpreter, the one who knows and who can do [Kenner und Konner]; but unfortunately the shades of Dingelstedt and Gutzkow warn him from Weimar's doors...

Meanwhile there is no hurry about the choice of a pianist (he or she). Only arrange the princ.i.p.al things in a suitable manner, the chorus, orchestra, solo singers and the Beethoven Quartet; all the rest will soon be arranged after my arrival at Weimar in the middle of April.

Yours most faithfully,

F. Liszt

Villa d'Este, February 26th, 1870

The piano arrangement of my Cantata must be written out again, and cannot therefore be sent off for 8 or 10 days. The entire work lasts about three-quarters of an hour. I am so far ready with it, that there are only two or three more pa.s.sages to be instrumented.

101. To the Baroness E. M. Schwartz in Crete

[Autograph in the Liszt Museum at Weimar.--The addressee was widely known as the writer Elpis Melena.]

My winter villeggiatura at the Villa d'Este is drawing to its close; the day after tomorrow I return to Rome, and when you receive these lines I shall be at Weimar. Address to me there till the middle of June.

When will your Cretan volume, crowned [Untranslatable pun on the words "cretois" and "crete."] with erudition and philh.e.l.lenism, be finished? Shall you return this summer for its publication? I hope you will, and I will confess to you without any compliments that you are among the very small number of my friends whose absence I feel to be a privation. Now, to accustom one's self to this kind of privation does not become easier with age.

You doubtless know the novel of your great historical friend, published now by the "Gaulois" (if I am not mistaken) under the t.i.tle "La Domination du Moine" (or "Clelia.") I question whether another of your friends--less historical although very distinguished--M. St. Rene Taillandier, recently appointed Secretary General to the Minister of Public Instruction, would subscribe to many copies of G.'s novel for the Imperial libraries; but he will have a fine opportunity of ministerial revenge when the biographer of the hero of l'unita italiana (not the "cattolica," relegated to Turin) brings out "la Crete," in which the Cretans will at last be relieved from the anathema of their Epimenides narrated in St. Paul's Epistle to t.i.tus,-- "Cretenses semper mendaces, malae bestiae, ventres pigri."--In the matter of "mendaces" and "ventres pagri" there would be a tremendous compet.i.tion with the rest of Europe.

My plans for the spring and summer remain always the same.

Weimar--from the 10th April till the 20th June--with the Tonkunstler-Versammlung (which has the honor of counting you amongst its ill.u.s.trious members); then in the last week of May I should be very much tempted to be present at the famous "Pa.s.sion Play" at Ober-Ammergau; at the end of August I shall go to my odd friend August at Szegzard (Hungary), who is anxious that a new Ma.s.s of mine should be performed on the day of the dedication of a church (29th September); and in October I shall return to Rome.

I suppose you receive the Allgemeine Zeitung. It gives but too much news, and little edifying, about serious things here by its "Roman Letters," no less widespread than badly put together. If you want to obtain complete information on these difficult questions you must read l' Univers and the letters of Veuillot, or at least l'Unita cattolica; but it would be exacting too much from your impartiality. Moreover you have better things to do than to read; your chief duty is to make yourself read, consequently to write and to write again;--in a secondary manner occupy yourself a little with your beautiful vines, and, above all, don't forget to bring soon some samples of their excellent product, which will enliven our material and intellectual "substantials," at which, hoping to partic.i.p.ate again in the year of grace 1870, I am,

Your very affectionate and very devoted servant,

F. Liszt

Villa d'Este, March 15th, 1870

As handy gossip I send you the following: they say that Odo Russet [sic] will shortly go to England for his wife's confinement, and will not return to his post in Rome. It is also said that Schlozer will pay a visit here in the spring;--and that the daughter of Countess Garcia is to marry a nephew of Cardinal Antonelli, and will bring a fortune of ten thousand pounds sterling.

Tarnowski will return to his Penates in Gallicia at Easter, and will write to you. Wider continues to be president of the German circle. Next door to one another, there are many concerts given at the Sala Dante, and our friend Sgambati is acquiring more and more the reputation of a great artist, which he merits. Remenyi spent the winter in Hungary. I should very much like to invite him to come to the Tonkunstler-Versammlung at Weimar; but our programme is already over-full. In any case I shall meet Rem.

again at Szegzard.

102. To Camille Saint-Saens

Dear Friend,

The rehearsals of your "Noces de Promethee" (Marriage of Prometheus) are proceeding well at Weimar and Jena; we shall pay particular attention to the 4 harps, the saxophones, etc. But what is of the greatest consequence is yourself. I have announced your coming at the Court and in the town. A revoir then! Try to be here on the 24th, [Saint-Saens came to Weimar for the Tonkunstler-Versammlung of the "Allgemeine Deutsche Musik- Verein," with which the Beethoven Centenary was simultaneously celebrated; and for the first time, on the 27th May, 1870, Saint- Saens' name appeared on the programme of these concerts. He also appeared as a pianist, and Liszt played with him at a Matinee on two grand pianos.]--and believe me yours ever in sincere friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

Weimar, May 12th, 1870

103. To Johann von Herbeck