I Had
Known Wieck And His Daughter From Vienna Days, And Was Friendly
With Both.
None the less I refused to see Wieck again in Dresden,
as he had made himself so unfriendly to Schumann; and, breaking
off all further intercourse with him, I took Schumann's side
entirely, as seemed to me only right and natural.
Wieck without
delay richly requited me for this after my first appearance in
Leipzig, where he aired his bitter feelings against me in several
papers. One of my earlier pupils, by name Hermann Cohen - a native
of Hamburg, who in later years aroused much attention in France,
and who, as a monk, had taken the name of Frere Augustin (Carme
dechausse [Barefooted Carmelite]) - was the scapegoat in Leipzig
for Wieck's publicly inflamed scandal, so that Cohen was obliged
to bring an action for damage by libel against Wieck, which
action Hermann won with the assistance of Dr. Friederici,
barrister-at-law.
In Leipzig Schumann and I were together every day and all day
long - and my comprehension of his works became thereby more
familiar and intimate. Since my first acquaintance with his
compositions, I have played many of them in private circles in
Milan, Vienna, etc., but without being able to win over my
hearers to them. They lay, happily, much too far removed from the
insipid taste, which at that time absolutely dominated, for it to
be possible for any one to thrust them into the commonplace
circle of approbation. The public did not care for them, and the
majority of pianists did not understand them. In Leipzig even,
where I played the "Carneval" at my second concert in the
Gewandhaus, I did not succeed in obtaining my usual applause. The
musicians, together with those who were supposed to understand
music, had (with few exceptions) their ears still too tightly
stopped up to be able to comprehend this charming, tasteful
"Carneval," the various numbers of which are harmoniously
combined in such artistic fancy. I do not doubt that, later on,
this work will maintain its natural place in universal
recognition by the side of the "Thirty-three Variations on a
Waltz of Diabelli" by Beethoven (to which, in my opinion, it is
superior even in melodic invention and importance). The frequent
ill-success of my performances of Schumann's compositions, both
in private circles and in public, discouraged me from including
and keeping them in the programmes of my concerts which followed
so rapidly on one another - programmes which, partly from want of
time and partly from carelessness and satiety of the "Glanz-
Periode" ["Splendor period"] of my pianoforte-playing, I seldom,
except in the rarest cases, planned myself, but gave them now
into this one's hands, and now that one, to choose what they
liked. That was a mistake, as I discovered later and deeply
regretted, when I had learned to understand that for the artist
who wishes to be worthy of the name of artist the danger of not
pleasing the public is a far less one than that of allowing
oneself to be decided by its humors
- and to this danger every executive artist is especially
exposed, if he does not take courage resolutely and on principle
to stand earnestly and consistently by his conviction, and to
produce those works which he knows to be the best, whether people
like them or not.
It is of no consequence, then, in how far my faint-heartedness in
regard to Schumann's pianoforte compositions might possibly be
excused by the all-ruling taste of the day, but I did without
thinking of it thereby set a bad example, for which I can hardly
make amends again. The stream of custom and the slavery of the
artist, who is directed to the encouragement and applause of the
multitude for the maintenance and improvement of his existence
and his renown, is such a pull-back, that, even to the better-
minded and more courageous ones, among whom I am proud to reckon
myself, it is intensely difficult to preserve their better ego in
the face of all the covetous, distracted, and - despite their
large number - backward-in-paying We.
There is in Art a pernicious offence, of which most of us are
guilty through carelessness and fickleness; I might call it the
Pilate offence. Classical doing, and classical playing, which
have become the fashion of late years, and which may be regarded
as an improvement, on the whole, in our musical state of things,
hide in many a one this fault, without eradicating it: - I might
say more on this point, but it would lead me too far.
For my part I need not, at least, reproach myself with having
ever denied my sympathy and reverence for Schumann; and a hundred
of the younger companions in Art in all lands could bear witness
that I have always expressly directed them to a thorough study of
his works, and have strengthened and refreshed myself by them.
If these particulars have not wearied you, dear Wasielewski, I
will gladly continue them, and tell you about everything from my
second visit to Leipzig (at the end of 1841) which was brought
about by Schumann, up to my last meeting with him at Dusseldorf
(in 1851). Friendly greetings
From yours most sincerely,
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 9th, 1857.
172. To General Alexis von Lwoff in St. Petersburg
[1799-1877; in addition to his military position, he was a
celebrated violinist, and conductor of the Imperial Court-Singers
at St. Petersburg.]
Your Excellency and My Honored Friend,
Permit me to think that I am not quite effaced from your
recollection, and to avail myself of the medium of Mdlle. Martha
de Sabinin to recall myself to you more particularly. It being
her wish to find herself in pleasant relations with the chief
representatives of music in St. Petersburg, it was natural that I
should introduce her in the first instance to you, and recommend
her to you first and foremost as the protegee of Her Imperial
Majesty the Grand Duchess Marie Pawlowna, as well as of the
reigning Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weymar (in whose service she has
been for several years as Court Pianist and Professor at the
Institute for Young Ladies of the Nobility), - and, secondly, as a
clever woman and excellent musician and pianist, who, after
having gone through the most conscientious study, is perfectly
fitted to teach others in a most agreeable manner. She
especially excels in her execution of classical music and
ensemble; and, this side of music being, from what I hear, more
and more cultivated at St. Petersburg, especially through your
care, I am pleased to think that Mdlle.
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