I count on your not letting this year elapse
without coming again for a few days to your room at the
Altenburg, where you are certain of being always most cordially
welcome, for we shall make no changes.
If you have a quarter of an hour to spare do write a piece of a
few pages for Hallberger, without making him wait any longer, for
I especially want one of your loose works to appear in the first
copy of the "Pianoforte."
The Princess bids me give you her best compliments, to which I
add the expression of frank and cordial friendship of your very
devoted
F. Liszt
August 6th, 1856.
Have you received my things in score? Continue to address me at
Weymar.
160. To Joachim Raff
You would be making a great mistake if you put any mistrust in my
conduct, and I can assure you with a perfectly good conscience
that to me there is nothing more agreeable and more to be desired
than to rely entirely on one's friends. With regard to the
Wiesbaden affair, I must necessarily await a definite invitation
from the concert directors before I can give a definite answer. I
think I have too often shown that I am ready and willing, for it
to be necessary for me to say more on that point. I was again at
Sondershausen last Sunday, and promised to go there again in the
course of next winter. The orchestra there, under its conductor
Stein (whose acquaintance I had not made until now), has
performed two of my Symphonic Poems - "Les Preludes" and
"Mazeppa" - with really uncommon spirit and excellence. Should
there be a similar willingness in Wiesbaden, it will of course be
a pleasure to me to accept the invitation of the concert
directors; so also I am greatly obliged to you for being so
helpful toward the spread and sympathetic understanding of my
works. But from your letter I see that you will not be staying
much longer in Wiesbaden, and as I am not acquainted with the
present circumstances there I cannot reckon beforehand on the
friendly reception without which public performances always prove
very unfruitful for composers. According, therefore, to whether
these circumstances show themselves favorable or unfavorable to
my honest endeavors, I will come, or I will remain at home.
I give you my heartiest good wishes for the performance of your
"King Alfred" [an opera of Raff's]. Your two "Tanz-Capricen"
(bolero and valse) have been sent me by Hallberger, and I have
already recommended a speedy edition of both.
This afternoon I start for Gran. In the middle of September I
shall get to Stuttgart and go to Zurich. Letters can be always
addressed to me at Weymar, and before the end of October I shall
be back here again.
With best greetings and thanks, yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, August 7th, 1856
161. To Anton Rubinstein
I much regret, dear Rubinstein, to have missed your visit to
Weymar, and, while thanking you most sincerely for your kind
intention, I am going to beg you to grant me full reparation by a
second visit when I return.
By the news which reaches me from the Altenburg I learn that you
think of spending part of the winter in Berlin, and will there
give your "Paradise Lost," which will doubtless be a piece well
found, and from which you will derive benefit. Please do not fail
to let me know in good time which day it is to be performed, for
I am set upon being present at this first performance, and shall
certainly come to Berlin unless anything absolutely unavoidable
prevents me.
I expect to be back at Weymar towards the end of October, and to
set seriously to work again, a thing which is not possible
elsewhere. The rehearsals of my Mass are going on here admirably,
and I expect we shall have a very fine performance at Gran on the
31st, where, moreover, there will be so many other things and
people of quite a different importance to be seen and heard, that
they will scarcely hear three bars of my Mass. Happily my work
has the good luck to have two general preliminary rehearsals,
public ones, at Pest next week, and a final rehearsal at Gran
itself. Zellner will probably be there, and you will hear about
it from him. Possibly also the same Mass will be given on the
28th September (the day of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of
Bohemia) at Prague, whence they have just written to me to that
effect. You will give me great pleasure, my dear Rubinstein, if
you will write me something about your autumn and winter plans;
and if by chance I can be of use to you in any way show me the
friendship of disposing entirely of me, as of one who is your
very sincerely affectionate and devoted
F. Liszt Pest, August 21st, 1856
Address always to Weymar.
I am still expecting to go by Stuttgart to Zurich towards the
middle of September, but it is possible that Prague may occasion
me a fortnight's delay.
162. To Eduard Liszt
[Pest,] Friday, September 5th, 1856
Dearest Eduard,
Yesterday's performance of my Mass was quite according to my
intentions, and was more successful and effective by far than all
the preceding ones. Without exaggeration and with all Christian
modesty I can assure you that many tears were shed, and that the
very numerous audience (the church of the Stadtpfarrei [I.e., the
parish church] was thronged), as well as the performers, had
raised themselves, body and soul, into my contemplation of the
sacred mysteries of the Mass...and everything was but a humble
prayer to the Almighty and to the Redeemer!
