Blandine (died
1872) became afterwards the wife of Emile Ollivier; Cosima is the
widow of Wagner.] Who knows?
Perhaps later on these girls will do
you honor in a small way by coming out advantageously with some
new composition by their master Reinecke, to the great applause
of Papa!
Hiller shows tact and taste in making sure of you as a coadjutor
at the Rhenish Conservatorium, which seems to be taking a turn
not to be leaky everywhere. Cologne has much good,
notwithstanding its objectionable nooks. Until now the musical
ground there has been choked up rather than truly cultivated!
People are somewhat coarse and stupidly vain there; I know not
what stir of bales, current calculations, and cargoes incessantly
comes across the things of Art. It would be unjust, however, not
to recognize. the vital energy, the wealth of vigor, the
praiseworthy activity of this country, in which a group of
intelligent men, nobly devoted to their task, may bring about
fine results, more easily than elsewhere.
At any rate I approve of what you have done, and compliment you
on having accepted Hiller's offer, [Namely, a position as
Professor at the Conservatorium of Cologne, which Reinecke
occupied from 1851 to 1854.] and shall have pleasure in sending
to your new address some of my latest publications, which will
appear towards the end of May (amongst others a new edition,
completely altered and well corrected, I hope, of my twelve great
Etudes, the Concerto without orchestra dedicated to Henselt, and
the six "Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses"). I have also
written a very melancholy Polonaise, and some other trifles which
you will perhaps like to look over.
Let me hear from you soon, my dear Mr. Reinecke, and depend,
under all circumstances, on the faithful attachment of
Yours affectionately and sincerely,
F. Liszt
Eilsen, March 19th, 1851
73. To Dr. Eduard Liszt in Vienna
[An uncle of Liszt's (that is, the younger half-brother of his
father), although Liszt was accustomed to call him his cousin: a
noble and very important man, who became Solicitor-General in
Vienna, where he died February 8th, 1879. Franz Liszt clung to
him with ardor, as his dearest relation and friend, and in March,
1867, made over to him the hereditary knighthood.]
[Weimar, 1851]
Dear, excellent Eduard ,
It will be a real joy to me to take part in your joy, and I thank
you very cordially for having thought first of me as godfather to
your child. I accept that office very willingly, and make sincere
wishes that this son may be worthy of his father, and may help to
increase the honor of our name. Alas! it has been only too much
neglected and even compromised by the bulk of our relations, who
have been wanting either in noble sentiments, or in intelligence
and talent - some even in education and the first necessary
elements - to give a superior impulse to their career and to
deserve serious consideration and esteem. Thank God it is
otherwise with you, and I cannot tell you what a sweet and noble
satisfaction I derive from this. The intelligent constancy which
you have used to conquer the numerous difficulties which impeded
your way; the solid instruction you have acquired; the
distinguished talents you have developed; the healthy and wise
morality that you have ever kept in your actions and speech; your
sincere filial piety towards your mother; your attachment,
resulting from reflection and conviction, to the precepts of the
Catholic religion; these twenty years, in fine, that you have
passed and employed so honorably, - all this is worthy of the
truest praises, and gives you the fullest right to the regard and
esteem of honest and sensible people. So I am pleased to see that
you are beginning to reap the fruits of your care, and the
distinguished post to which you have just been appointed [He had
been made Assistant Public Prosecutor in 1850.] seems to justify
the hopes that you confided to me formerly, and which I treated,
probably wrongly, as so much naive ambition. At the point at
which you have arrived it would be entirely out of place for me
to poke advice and counsel out of season at you. Permit me, for
the sake of the lively friendship I bear you, and the ties of
relationship which bind us together, to make this one and only
recommendation, "Remain true to yourself!" Remain true to all you
feel to be highest, noblest, most right and most pure in your
heart! Don't ever try to be or to become something (unless there
were opportune and immediate occasion for it), but work
diligently and with perseverance to be and to become more and
more some one. - Since the difficult and formidable duty has
fallen upon you of judging men, and of pronouncing on their
innocence or guilt, prove well your heart and soul, that you may
not be found guilty yourself at the tribunal of the Supreme
Judge, - and under grave and decisive circumstances learn not to
give ear to any one but your conscience and your God! -
Austria has shown lately a remarkable activity, and a military
and diplomatic energy the service of which we cannot deny for the
re-establishment of her credit and political position. Certainly
by the prevision of a great number of exclusive Austrians - a
prevision which, moreover, I have never shared - it is probable
that the Russian alliance will have been a stroke of diplomatic
genius very favorable to the Vienna Cabinet, and that, in
consequence of this close alliance, the monarchical status quo
will be consolidated in Europe, notwithstanding all the
democratic ferments and dissolving elements which are evidently,
whatever people may say, at their period of ebb. I do not
precisely believe in a state of tranquility and indefinite peace,
but simply in a certain amount of order in the midst of disorder
for a round dozen of years, the main spring of this order being
naturally at Petersburg.
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