Perhaps I shall be able
shortly to tell you what I have heard, when the disjointed sounds
have united in shaping themselves harmoniously into an artistic
whole, from which a second part of my Symphonic Poem "Hungaria"
might well be formed.
Meanwhile I have ventured to send your poem to a couple of my
friends in Pest, who will delight in it like myself.
In spite of my illness I am spending glorious days here with
Wagner, and am satiating myself with his Nibelungen world, of
which our business musicians and chaff-threshing critics have as
yet no suspicion. It is to be hoped that this tremendous work may
succeed in being performed in the year 1859, and I, on my side,
will not neglect anything to forward this performance as soon as
possible - a performance which certainly implies many difficulties
and exertions. Wagner requires for the purpose a special theater
built for himself, and a not ordinary acting and orchestral
staff. It goes without saying that the work can only appear
before the world under his own conducting; and if, as is much to
be wished, this should take place in Germany, his pardon must be
obtained before everything. - I comfort myself with the saying,
"What must be will be!" And thus I expect to be also standing on
my legs again soon, and to be back in Weymar in the early days of
December. It will be very kind of you if you will not let too
long a time elapse without coming to see me. For today accept
once more my heartfelt thanks, and the assurance of sincere
friendship of your
F. Liszt
Zurich, November 14th, 1856
166. To Louis Kohler
Enclosed, dear friend, is a rough copy of the Prelude to
"Rheingold," which Wagner has handed me for you, and which will
be sure to give you great pleasure.
After having been obliged to keep my bed for a couple of weeks,
which has lengthened out my stay here, I am now making ready to
go with Wagner the day after tomorrow to St. Gall, there to
conduct a couple of my Symphonic Poems with a very respectable
orchestra (twenty violins, six double basses, etc.). Toward the
middle of December I shall be back in Weymar, and shall continue
to write my stuff! -
A thousand friendly greetings.
F. Liszt
Zurich, November 21st, 1856
167. To Eduard Liszt
St. Gall, November 24th, 1856
. - . A really significant concert took place yesterday at St.
Gall. Wagner conducted the Eroica Symphony, and I conducted in
his honor two of my Symphonic Poems.
