I give you my heartiest good wishes for the performance of your
"King Alfred" [an opera of Raff's]. Your two "Tanz-Capricen"
(bolero and valse) have been sent me by Hallberger, and I have
already recommended a speedy edition of both.
This afternoon I start for Gran. In the middle of September I
shall get to Stuttgart and go to Zurich. Letters can be always
addressed to me at Weymar, and before the end of October I shall
be back here again.
With best greetings and thanks, yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, August 7th, 1856
161. To Anton Rubinstein
I much regret, dear Rubinstein, to have missed your visit to
Weymar, and, while thanking you most sincerely for your kind
intention, I am going to beg you to grant me full reparation by a
second visit when I return.
By the news which reaches me from the Altenburg I learn that you
think of spending part of the winter in Berlin, and will there
give your "Paradise Lost," which will doubtless be a piece well
found, and from which you will derive benefit. Please do not fail
to let me know in good time which day it is to be performed, for
I am set upon being present at this first performance, and shall
certainly come to Berlin unless anything absolutely unavoidable
prevents me.
I expect to be back at Weymar towards the end of October, and to
set seriously to work again, a thing which is not possible
elsewhere. The rehearsals of my Mass are going on here admirably,
and I expect we shall have a very fine performance at Gran on the
31st, where, moreover, there will be so many other things and
people of quite a different importance to be seen and heard, that
they will scarcely hear three bars of my Mass. Happily my work
has the good luck to have two general preliminary rehearsals,
public ones, at Pest next week, and a final rehearsal at Gran
itself. Zellner will probably be there, and you will hear about
it from him. Possibly also the same Mass will be given on the
28th September (the day of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of
Bohemia) at Prague, whence they have just written to me to that
effect. You will give me great pleasure, my dear Rubinstein, if
you will write me something about your autumn and winter plans;
and if by chance I can be of use to you in any way show me the
friendship of disposing entirely of me, as of one who is your
very sincerely affectionate and devoted
F. Liszt Pest, August 21st, 1856
Address always to Weymar.
