In any case I shall venture to
send this work, with the request that you will accept it as a
token of my gratitude for the favorable opinion which you
entertain of my artistic efforts.
At this moment I have to compliment you also very much on your
arrangement of the Hungarian "Volkslieder" [Folk Songs]. For
several years past I have been occupied with a similar work, and
next winter I think of publishing the result of my national
studies in a pretty big volume of "Hungarian Rhapsodies." Your
transcriptions have interested me much through the correct
perception of the melodies, and their elegant though simple
style.
Senff [The well-known Leipzig music publisher.] showed me also in
manuscript a book of Russian melodies, that seemed to me most
successful. When will it come out?
If by any chance you have a spare copy of your new work, the
exact title of which I do not remember, but it is somewhat as
follows, "Opern am Clavier" [Operas at the Piano] or "Opern fur
Clavierspieler" [Operas for Pianoforte Players] (or, in French,
"Repertoire d'Opera pour les Pianistes"), I should be much
obliged if you would let me have one.
Accept, dear sir, my best respects, and believe me
Yours truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, April 16th, 1852
80. To Carl Reinecke
My dear Mr. Reinecke,
A very good friend of mine, Professor Weyden of Cologne, who has
just been spending a few days with me here, kindly promises to
give you these few lines and to tell you what pleasure your
present of the "Variations on a Theme of Bach" has given me. It
is a very eminent work, and perfectly successful in its actual
form. While complimenting you sincerely upon it, I must also add
my thanks that you have joined my name to it.
I should have liked to be able to send you some of my new works
for piano, of which I spoke to you before; but, as I have been
altering them and touching them up, the publication of them has
been delayed; nevertheless, I expect that in the course of this
summer the twelve "Grandes Etudes" (definitive edition) and the
"Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses" will successively appear,
and in December or January next the "Annees de Pelerinage, Suite
de Compositions pour le Piano," and the complete collection of my
"Hungarian Rhapsodies." Meanwhile, let me offer you the "Concert
Solo" and the two Polonaises which were written at Eilsen shortly
after your visit to me there.
Joachim starts tomorrow for London, and I have commissioned him
to persuade you to come and see me at Weymar on his return. I
have been much attached to him this winter, and I hold his talent
as well as himself in high esteem and true sympathy. -
Try not to delay too long the pleasure I should have in hearing
your trio; I shall be delighted to make the acquaintance of
Madame Reinecke, and would not wish to be among the last to
congratulate you on your happiness.
In cordial friendship, yours ever,
F. Liszt
Weymar, April 16th, 1852
81. To Carl Czerny
[Autograph in the archives of the Musik-Verein in Vienna.]
My dearest and most honored Master and Friend,
A melancholy event which has thrown our Court into deep mourning-
-the sudden death of the Duchess Bernard of Saxe-Weimar - has not
allowed of my presenting your letter to Her Imperial Highness the
Grand Duchess until a day or two ago. She has been pleased to
receive your letter and your intentions with marked kindness, the
expression of which you will find in the accompanying letter
which she charged Baron de Vitzthum to write you in her name.
May I beg you then to advise Mr. Schott to send me immediately on
the publication of your "Gradus ad Parnassum" a dedication copy,
which I will get suitably bound in velvet here, and which I will
immediately remit to H.I.H. - As regards the form of dedication, I
advise you to choose the most simple: -
Gradus ad Parnassum, etc.,
Compose et tres respectueusement dedie a Son Altesse Imperiale et
Royale Madame la Grande Duchesse de Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Marie
Paulowna, par Ch. Czerny.
[Composed and most respectfully dedicated to Her Royal and
Imperial Highness Marie Paulowna, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-
Eisenach by Ch. Czerny.]
Or if the title be in German: -
Componirt und I. kais. kon. Hoheit der Frau Grossherzogin zu
Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach Marie Paulowna, in tiefster Ehrfurcht
gewidmet, von C. Cz.
What you tell me of the prodigious activity of your Muse obliges
me to make a somewhat shameful acknowledgment of my relative
slowness and idleness. The pupil is far from the master in this
as in other points. Nevertheless I think I have made a better use
of the last three years than of the preceding ones; for one thing
I have gone through a rather severe work of revision, and have
remodeled entirely several of my old works (amongst others the
Studies which are dedicated to you, and of which I will send you
a copy of the definitive edition in a few weeks, and the "Album
d'un Voyageur," which will reappear very considerably corrected,
increased, and transformed under the title of "Annees de
Pelerinage, Suite de Compositions pour le Piano-Suisse et
Italie"): for another thing I have been continuing writing in
proportion as ideas came to me, and I fancy I have arrived at
last at that point where the style is adequate to the thought.
Unfortunately my outside occupations absorb much of my time.
