Will you ask Apt whether he would be disposed to do it?
The studying of it would not give the least trouble. It requires
only a baritone or bass for the solo part, and an ordinary chorus
of men's voices without any accompaniment. -
Leaving it entirely in your hands to act about it as you may
think best, and either to promote the performance or to let it
alone, I remain, with best thanks and high esteem,
Yours very truly,
F. Liszt
October 30th, 1859
My composition to Halm's festival play has been sent through H.
von Dingelstedt to Herr Thome, and will probably be performed on
the 9th or 10th November. [The festival play was given in Prague
under the theater conductor Thome. The music to it was never
published. The Weimar archives probably possess the score.] Write
and tell me how the matter is settled.
223. To Ingeborg Stark
[A pupil of Liszt's, who afterwards married Liszt's pupil Hans
von Bronsart, now General Manager of the Weimar Court theater:
she was also known as a composer.]
It is very charming and graceful of you, dear Mademoiselle Inga,
to remember the 22nd October so kindly, and I should have thanked
you sooner for your letter, which gave me sincere pleasure, had I
not been kept to my bed for nearly a week in consequence of much
emotion and fatigue.
Through our friend Bronsart I have had some preliminary good
tidings of you; you have fulfilled your role of charmer in the
best possible manner, and Bronsart is full of raptures about you.
But all this is ancient history for you, something like a chapter
of Rollin on the history of the Medes, - after whom come the
Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans...
For the present it is the turn of Russia, which you are in the
way of conquering, and I see from here the enchantment of your
admirers of St. Petersburg, who are all ears and all eyes around
the piano where you are enthroned.
Will you remember me affectionately to Prince Odoyewski, and give
a friendly shake hand [Written in English by Liszt] from me to
Mr. Martynoff. As for our dear Tartar, [The composer Alexander
Seroff] tell him how much I am attached to him; he will be all
the more agreeably persuaded of this if you tell him. Ask him
also to write to me after your first concert, for I would not
risk offending your modesty so far as to beg you to send me an
exact account of your undoubted successes. But I don't intend on
that account to let you stand still as regards letter-writing,
and you will give me great pleasure if, for example, you will
continue your history of the musical prowess of Rubinstein (that
you have begun so well).
You know that I am truly interested in what he is doing,
considering that he has all that is wanting to compose good and
beautiful things, provided that he does not persist in writing
straight off too hurriedly, and guards a little against excess in
the very exercise of these grand qualities.
