It
would certainly be a great pleasure to me, dear friend, if I
could be present at the performance in Vienna on the 26th
February, to enjoy your intelligent and inspired performance, but
I am prevented from doing this by various circumstances (an
explanation of which would lead me too far).
I beg you therefore not to induce the directors to invite me,
because I might not be in a position to make my excuses. So
please do you undertake the office of unchaining Prometheus in
Vienna; this labour of Hercules will become you well [Footnote
below]. There are certainly no powerful eagles to hack and rend
in pieces the Titan's liver - but there is a whole host of ravens
and creeping vermin ready to do it. - Once more best thanks and
greetings from your most highly esteeming and very devoted
F. Liszt
[It took place on the 26th February, 1860. Herbeck notes as
follows about it in his diary: "Prometheus, Symphonic Poem,
pleased fairly. Chorus of Tritons pleased extremely. The
Vintagers' and Reapers' choruses and concluding chorus pleased,
but of course there was a formally organized opposition hissing.
They had sworn the overthrow of this music, without even
knowing a note of it."]
232. To Dr. Franz Brendel.
So then it has happened well that the editor of the Neue
Zeitschrift has also become the editor of my "Gesammelte Lieder."
Best thanks, dear friend, for the means you have taken to promote
this. Kahnt has only to come to an understanding with
Schlesinger; I on my side do not wish to place any limitation on
his rights. Whether a transcription of this or that song may be
made I do not know; if this should be the case I will only beg
Kahnt to let me know of any such chance transcriptions before
allowing them to appear, mainly because it would not be pleasant
to me if any really too stupid arrangements should come out. This
is only a matter of artistic consideration - beyond that I have
neither restriction nor reservation to make to the proposed
edition. As soon as Kahnt is in order with Schlesinger I am
satisfied with everything. This or that song may then appear
singly, or transcribed for guitar or zither; so much the better
if Kahnt can thereby make it pay. N.B. - I should be glad if, in
bringing out the songs singly, the same outside cover could be
employed as in the complete edition, on account of the index.
Probably Kahnt will say nothing against this, as the back of the
cover serves as an advertisement of the entire collection of
songs.
Yesterday evening Fraulein Berghaus (a daughter of the Potsdam
professor) sang two numbers, Freudvoll and leidvoll and Es muss
ein Wunderbares sein (out of the sixth part), at a concert given
by Singer and Cossmann.
