A Prologue which will be again given this season), and asks
me particularly to push on as fast as possible the copying of all
the parts. Now one must kill the bear before selling his skin -
that is to say, translate the libretto, fit it to the music, and
arrange the score for the performance at Weymar.
According to what we arranged verbally, I spoke about it to
Cornelius, who accepts the work of translator with pleasure, and
will fulfill it promptly, and, I am persuaded, to your
satisfaction. The only thing wanting is for you to come at once,
and spend a fortnight at Weymar to finish everything. I give you
then rendez-vous at the Altenburg, where your former quarters
await you. No one will bother you there, and you can give
yourself up to cultivating murrendos [La Mara thinks there was a
joke in connection with this; I cannot help thinking it is a
corruption of morendo, and that perhaps Rubinstein joked about
cultivating a particular touch or nuance. - Translator's note] to
your heart's content whenever the fancy takes you. Try therefore
not to be too long over your farewells to the Tannhausers of the
banks of the Rhine (and if by chance Madame S. is there, pack
yourself off secretly so as not to provoke a scene of too much
frenzy), so as to get to Weymar by 1st to 3rd September, for your
score must be given to be copied by the 15th to the 20th. I will
keep your three books till you come, and will give them you back
at the Altenburg, and I take great pleasure in advance in your
success on our stage.
A revoir then, my dear Rubinstein, in a week's time.
Yours ever in friendship,
F. Liszt
Write me simply a word to fix the date of your arrival, so that I
may let Cornelius know, as he is gone for a week to his mother, a
few hours away from here.
In the matter of news I will tell you that my instrument with
three keyboards is installed in the second etage of the
Altenburg, and that I have finished the first part of my Faust
Symphony (a third of the whole) - the two other parts will be
ready in November, I hope.
I shall also have a little friendly quarrel to pick with you,
which I reserve for our after-tea conversations.
A bientot!
120. To Alexander Ritter in Dresden.
[Ritter at this time joined the Weimar Hofcapelle (Court
orchestra); was afterwards music director at Stettin, and lives
now in Munich; is celebrated as the composer of the operas "Der
Faule Hans" and "Wem die Krone."]
Hearty good wishes on your marriage, dear friend. I reproach
myself for disturbing you in your honeymoon. Well, a little music
to it won't hurt anybody. So come as soon as it is agreeable to
you. The matter is not so very pressing; I only beg you to send a
few lines in reply to Herr Jacobi, the secretary of the Court
theater, who wrote to you previously, and to tell him the date of
your arrival in Weymar. As your marriage takes place on the 12th
of this month, you are quite justified in asking for a few days'
respite. If it suits you to stay a fortnight longer in Dresden,
then fix the 1st of October for your coming to Weymar. With
regard to your quarters, I am quite ready to help you in word and
deed.
In case Pohl is in Dresden you can tell him that his wife is also
engaged from the 15th of September (on which date the theater
here reopens). I wrote yesterday to Brendel, in order to get
Pohl's exact present address. I expect the answer tomorrow, and
Herr Jacobi will immediately write to Frau Pohl.
Meanwhile remember me most kindly to your wife, and dispose
entirely - without ceremony - of
Yours most sincerely,
F. Liszt
Weymar, September 6th, 1854
121. To Bernhard Cossmann, Schloss Chanceaux bei Loches in
Touraine
Weymar, September 8th, 1854
Dear Friend,
Whilst you are promenading at your leisure beneath the fine oaks,
beeches, birches, horse-chestnuts, etc., of Chanceaux, I have the
sotte chance [Silly opportunity] of gaping chanceusement
[doubtfully] to the crows of Weymar, where we have certainly no
Chanceaux, but pretty well of gens sots [stupid people] im Loch
[In this hole. All plays upon words, and given therefore in the
original.] (near Loches!!). This almost attains to the height of
punning of our friend Berlioz, does not it? - I should not be able
to keep on such heights, and therefore I hasten to descend to
more temperate regions (des regions plus temperees),-"le Clavecin
bien tempere of J. S. Bach," for example, or to some "Beau lieu"
with or without marque au nez (Marconnay). [A play on words. The
name of the Intendant of the Weimar Court theater was Beaulieu-
Marconnay.] (I implore you to keep this execrable improvisation
to yourself, for, in my position as Maitre de Chapelle, I should
run the risk of being fined by the "Hofamt" [office in the royal
household] for allowing myself such an application of Berlioz's
treatise on instrumentation - but I really don't know what
tarantula of a pun is biting me at this moment!)
Mr. de Beaulieu has just done two graceful acts for me, for which
I am very grateful. Madame Pohl is engaged as harpist to the
Weymar Kapelle, and A. Ritter of Dresden - the brother of Hans de
Bulow's friend - as violinist in place of little Abel, who is
leaving us to go and probably assassinate some Cain at a second
or third desk in an orchestra, somewhere!
A. Ritter is going to marry Mdlle.
