David, who was present as leader of the orchestra,
"disapproved" - according to Eckardt - of Liszt's composing
tendency, but continued, till his life's end, "filled with
admiration for the incomparable artist and genial man," in the
friendliest relations with Liszt.]
Before I go to bed let me give you my most sincere and heartfelt
thanks, my very dear friend, which I owe you for this evening.
You have proved yourself anew such a thorough gentleman
[Gentleman, put in English by Liszt] and high-standing artist at
this evening's concert.
That is nothing new in you, but it gives me pleasure, as your old
friend, to repeat old things to you, and to remain ever yours
most gratefully,
Franz Liszt
178. To Wladimir Stassoff in St. Petersburg
[A Russian writer, a musical and art critic, at present director
of the Imperial Public Library at St. Petersburg.]
An illness, not in the least dangerous, but very inconvenient,
since it obliges me to keep my bed rather often (as at this
moment), has deprived me of the pleasure of replying sooner to
your very kind letter, firstly to thank you for it, and also to
tell you how delighted I shall be to make acquaintance with Mr.
Scroff's manuscripts, which you kindly introduce to me in so
persuasive a manner. Many people who have the advantage of
knowing Mr. Seroff, among others Mr. de Lenz and Prince Eugene
Wittgenstein, have spoken of him to me with great praise, as an
artist who unites to real talent a most conscientious
intelligence. It will be of great interest to me to estimate the
work to which he has devoted himself with such praiseworthy
perseverance, and thus to avail myself of the opportunity offered
to me of hearing those sublime works of the LAST PERIOD (I
purposely put aside
the inappropriate word MANNER, and even the term STYLE) of
Beethoven - works which, whatever Mr. Oulibicheff and other
learned men may say who succeed more easily in POURING FORTH in
these matters than in being well versed [A play on words - verser
and verse.] in them, will remain the crowning point of
Beethoven's greatness.
With regard to the edition of these scores of Mr. Seroff's for
two pianos, I will willingly do what you wish, though at the same
time confessing to you that my credit with the editors is not
worth much more than my credit with the above-mentioned learned
men, as these latter do their best to keep all sorts of cock-and-
bull stories going, which prevent the editors from running any
risk in mad enterprises they have so peremptorily been pointed
out to be! And, more than this, you are not ignorant that
arrangements for two pianos - the only ones adapted to show the
design and the grouping of ideas of certain works - are but little
in favor with music-sellers and very unsaleable, as the great
mass of pianists is scarcely capable of PLAYING ON the piano, and
cares very little (except sometimes for form's sake and human
respect) for the interest of intelligence and feeling which might
attach to the promenades of their fingers.
