Those estimable citizens of the woods, whom the
impresarii of small pleasures degrade by making them dance in the
market-places to the sound of their flutes and drums! I shall
rather choose a model ideal of a bear - be sure of that - and the
flutes and drums which might lead me into the slightest future
temptation of cutting capers have still to be invented.
Will you be so good, dear Mademoiselle Inga, as to present my
very affectionate respects to Madame, your mother, as well as my
best remembrances and compliments to la Sagesse Olivia - [Liszt's
name for the sister of Ingeborg Stark] and believe me invariably
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 assured of the sincere
acknowledgment and esteem with which I remain
Yours in all friendship,
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 assert 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.
