-
It would have been very pleasant to me to renew our visit of last
year to you at Dusseldorf, and I was indeed touched by the
gracious remembrance of it which your letter gives me; but, alas!
an unfortunate accident which has happened to my mother, by which
she nearly broke her leg in coming downstairs, has obliged her to
keep her bed for more than nine weeks, and even now she can only
walk with the help of crutches, and it will be some months before
she is all right again.
Forced as she was to remain at Weymar, I have not liked to leave
her all this summer, and had to give up the pleasure of a holiday
excursion. - The Princess Wittgenstein, and her daughter (who has
become a tall and charming young girl), desire me to give their
very affectionate remembrances to you and Robert, to which 1 add
my most sincere wishes for the speedy restoration of our friend,
and cordial assurances of my constant friendship.
F. Liszt
87. To Carl Czerny
[Autograph in the archives of the Musik-Verein in Vienna. The
date is wanting; it may be placed, judging from Liszt's letter of
October 30th, 1852, at the above-mentioned date.]
[September or October, 1852]
My Dear, Honored Master And Friend,
Permit me to recommend particularly to you Professor Jahn [The
afterwards celebrated biographer of Mozart], with whose many
interesting works of criticism and musical literature you are
doubtless familiar (among others his Introduction to the original
score of Beethoven's "Leonora," published by Hartel in Leipzig).
Mr. Jahn's object in going to Vienna is to collect documents for
a biography of Beethoven, which will, I am persuaded, supply a
want so much felt hitherto by the public and by artists. May I
beg you - in honor of the great man whom you have had the merit of
comprehending and admiring, long before the common herd joined in
chorus around his name - to open the treasures of your
reminiscences and knowledge to Mr. Jahn, and accept beforehand my
sincere thanks for the good service you will render to Art in
this matter?
It is with unchangeable attachment that I remain, dear master,
your very grateful and devoted
F. Liszt
P.S. - When will the "Gradus ad Parnassum" come out? - You will
receive the copy of my Studies, which are dedicated to you,
through Mr. Lowy in a few days.
88. To Breitkopf and Hartel
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney]
Weymar, October 30th, 1852
My Dear Mr. Hartel,
I have given up to a friend the piano which you have been so good
as to lend me for some years, and he (as I have already informed
you verbally) asks me to let him defer the payment of it till the
end of this month. I therefore take this opportunity of proposing
to you either to let you immediately have the sum fixed upon for
the piano (400 thalers), or else to make a settlement of
reciprocal terms up to now, by which we shall be quits towards
each other.
