He need not be afraid that I shall
belabor him with manuscripts or urge him to untimely or useless
sacrifices...(I need not waste more words over the purity of my
intentions!) But I think it is desirable that, if Kahnt consents
to become editor of the Neue Zeitschrift, I should put him on his
guard about several things beforehand which do not come exactly
within the sphere of your activity, but which may essentially
help to the better success of the undertaking. A couple of hours
will be ample for it, and as I shall not be absent from Weymar
during the coming weeks Kahnt will find me any day. Perhaps it
could be arranged for you to come to Weymar with him for a day,
and then we three can make matters perfectly clear and
satisfactory.
Although it is very difficult to me to make time for the more
necessary things, yet I am quite at your service with a short
article for the trial-number on Wagner's "Rheingold." I had
arranged the article so as to do for the New Year's number - you
shall have it in four to five days. Dispose of it as suits you
best. In case the "Clara Schumann" article does not appear in the
next number of the paper, and we do not have to wait too long for
the trial-number, it would be well perhaps to put it in there.
Possibly it might also be reprinted in the trial-number.
I am glad that you, dear friend, after some "jerks and wrenches,"
have come together again with the pseudo-Musician of the Future,
Rubinstein. He is a clever fellow, possessed of talent and
character in an exceptional degree, and therefore no one can be
more just to him than I have been for years. Still I do not want
to preach to him - he may sow his wild oats and fish deeper in the
Mendelssohn waters, and even swim away if he likes. But sooner or
later I am certain he will give up the apparent and the
formalistic for the organically Real, if he does not want to
stand still. Give him my most friendly greetings; as soon as our
concert affairs are settled here I shall write and invite him to
give one of his orchestral works here.
Do not let yourself be grieved at the ever-widening schism in
Leipzig about which you write to me. We have nothing to lose by
it; we must only understand how to assert our full rights in
order to attain them. That is the task, which will not be
accomplished in a day nor in a year. Indeed, it is as it is
written in the Gospel, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the
laborers are few!" Therefore we are not to make ourselves over-
anxious - only to remain firm, again to remain firm - the rest will
come of itself! -
I will do my utmost for Fraulein Riese, [Pianoforte teacher in
Leipzig, who for years went every Sunday to Weimar to study with
Liszt; died 1860] that she may not repent the somewhat trying
journey. It is a splendid and plucky determination of hers to
come regularly to Weymar, and I hope she will gain thereby much
pleasure and satisfaction.
Nauenburg's proposal of a Tonkunstler-Versammlung (meeting of
musicians) in Weymar is very flattering to me; the same was
written to me from several other sides. Hitherto I have always
abstained from it, because I thought it was more prudent not to
sell the bear's skin before the bear is shot. Moreover the
ordinary fine talk without deeds ["much cry and little wool"] is
very distasteful to me: let friend Kuhmstedt [Professor at a
school, and Music Director at Eisenach; died 1858] sing that kind
of philosophical fiortures in Eisenach; I have no talent for it.
None the less we can return to the Nauenburg proposition at a
convenient opportunity, and see how it could be best carried out.
According to my opinion, Leipzig would be the most suitable
place - and the summer a good time for it.
I consider Raff's polemic entirely harmless. Your readers will
get a lesson in history from it, for which they can but be
grateful to you - and we need not be anxious about Pohl. It will
not puzzle him to eat his way out suitably and wittily.
Yours ever,
F. Liszt December 1st, 1854
128. To J.W. von Wasielewski in Bonn
[Formerly Conductor of the Town Vocal-Union at Bonn (born 1822),
afterwards at Dresden; then again in Bonn as Music Director, and
living since 1884 in Sondershausen. Widely known as a literary
man through his biographies of Schumann and Beethoven, and also
through his book "The Violin and its Masters," etc.]
Dear Friend,
Owing to the somewhat long detour of the "Pesther Lloyd," in
which the friendly lines of remembrance have been reprinted which
you dedicated to the "Altenburg" in the Cologne paper, I only
heard of these a few days ago. [Written on the occasion of a
week's visit to Liszt at the Altenburg at Weimar, at which time
A. Rubinstein was also the Master's guest.] Please therefore to
excuse the delay in my thanks, which are none the less sincere
and heartfelt.
I have heard many accounts of your most successful concert
performances in Bonn, all of which unite in giving you due praise
for your excellent conducting. At the beginning of January
concert affairs here, which have hitherto been in a vacillating
and fluctuating condition, owing to various local circumstances,
will take a more settled turn; I will send you the complete
programme shortly. By today's post you will receive the "Songs
and Sayings" from the last period of the "Minnesang," arranged
for four voices by W. Stade (of Jena). It is an interesting work,
and the editors would be very much indebted to you if you would
have the kindness to give a couple of numbers of them at your
concerts.
