For today allow me to thank you once more, my dear sir, very
cordially for having associated me in thought with your beautiful
work, and pray accept the expression of very sincere and
affectionate regard of
Yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 8th, 1858
193. To Basil von Engelhardt
[A very intelligent musical amateur, a friend of Glinka's, and
publisher of several of his works]
Sir,
Whilst giving you my very sincere thanks for so kindly sending me
the Glinka scores published by your friends, I am much pleased to
be able at the same time to inform you that the Capriccio on the
melody of the "Jota Aragonese" has just been performed (on New
Year's Day) at a grand Court concert with most complete success.
Even at the rehearsal the intelligent musicians whom I am proud
to count among the members of our orchestra had been both struck
and delighted by the lively and piquant originality of this
charming piece, so delicately cut and proportioned, and finished
with such taste and art! What delicious episodes, cleverly joined
to the principal subject (Letters A and B)! What fine nuances and
coloring divided among the different timbres of the orchestration
(Letters C to D)! What animation in the rhythmic movement from
one end to the other! How the happiest surprises spring
constantly out of the logical developments! and how everything is
in its right place, keeping the mind constantly on the watch,
caressing and tickling the ear by turns, without a single moment
of heaviness or fatigue! This is what we all felt at this
rehearsal; and the day after the performance we promised
ourselves to hear it again speedily, and to make acquaintance, as
speedily as possible, with Glinka's other works.
Will you, my dear musician, be so kind as to renew the expression
of my gratitude to Madame Schestakoff for the honor she has done
me in dedicating this work to me? And when you have time, do come
and hear it with your own ears at Weymar. I can assure you that
you will not have occasion to regret the troubles of a little
journey; and were it only the rhythm
[FIGURE: Music example in 2 staves, the upper 'wind and brass',
the lower 'string quartet']
that would be enough to make ample amends for them. I beg you,
sir, to accept the assurance of my sincere regard.
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 8th, 1858
P.S. - I shall be much obliged if you will send me two
supplementary parts of the quartet (first and second violin,
viola, and bass) of each of Glinka's works.
