In Carl's Sonatas [Carl Ritter], which I have read with much
interest, there is a decidedly musical germ; only I hope that by
degrees more juicy fruit may spring from it.
Cornelius is bringing his completed opera back to Weymar at the
end of this month. [Doubtless "Der Barbier von Baghdad."] Lassen,
who is getting on splendidly with his ("Frauenlob "), has
composed several exquisite songs between whiles. "Landgraf
Ludwig's Brautfahrt" ["Landgrave Ludwig's Bridal Journey," an
unpublished opera of Lassen's.] will again be given next Sunday,
and from New Year (1858) Lassen will act as Grand Ducal Music
Conductor of Weymar. Gotze is retiring from work, and your friend
Stor undertakes his post as First Music Conductor. Damrosch, your
successor, has composed a quite remarkable Violin Concerto with a
Polonaise Finale, with which you will be pleased.
Recall me most kindly to your wife's remembrance, as one who
remains ever
Yours in all affection and devotion,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 7th, 1857
191. To Capellmeister Max Seifriz At Lowenberg
[Autograph in the possession of Herr Alexander Meyer Cohn in
Berlin. The addressee (1827-85) was, after 1854, conductor to
Prince Hohenzollern-Hechingen at Lowenberg in Silesia, until the
latter's death in 1869, when he became Court Conductor in
Stuttgart.]
Dear Herr Capellmeister,
With my very best thanks for your friendly letter I send you,
according to your wish, the score of the "Prometheus" choruses.
For the present I am not requiring it, and send it you with great
pleasure, so that you may be able to read it through at your
ease. I fear, alas! that the difficulty of some of the intonation
in the first choruses may make the studying of it a rather
detailed matter to you. Such irksomeness unfortunately attaches
to all my works, not excepting the Ave Maria, which I might
nevertheless venture to recommend to you next, if you have any
intention of performing a vocal work of my composition. It was
published by Breitkopf & Hartel (score and parts), and has been
pretty favorably received at various performances of it.
I wrote yesterday to His Royal Highness, and expressed my special
thanks for the kind attention in inviting Herr von Bulow during
my stay at L. I rejoice immensely at the thought of these days,
in which musical matter will by no means be wanting to us.
Meanwhile remember me most kindly to your orchestra, which
preserves so well its high renown, and accept, my dear sir, the
assurance of high esteem with which I remain
Yours in all friendship,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 24th, 1857
In the early part of April you shall hear when I am coming to
Lowenberg.
192. To Alexander Seroff
My dear Sir,
By what I said in the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik, [1858, No. 1,
in the article "Oulibicheff and Seroff."] on New Year's Day, of
your remarkable articles on Oulibicheff, you will have seen to
what point I take your ideas into consideration, and how closely
we meet in our musical convictions. To the sincere eulogies which
I have had much pleasure in addressing to you in public, it
remains to me to add those which I owe you for the conscientious
work that you have had the kindness to communicate to me by
sending me the pianoforte score of Beethoven's Quartet in C sharp
minor. Without the least exaggeration, I don't think anything of
its kind could have been better done, as much on account of the
intelligent division of the parts between the two pianos, as by
the skill with which you have appropriated to the piano the style
of this Quartet, without forcing or disfiguring anything.
In this latter task there are without doubt some impossibilities
which one cannot fail to recognize, and, whatever effort we may
make, we shall never succeed in rendering on our instrument
either the intensity or the delicacy of the violin bow. In the
same manner the coloring, and the fine nuances of the violin,
viola, and violoncello will always escape us - but in spite of
this it is due to you in justice to recognize that your work
identifies itself as far as possible with the sentiment and
thought of the original, and that you have frequently succeeded
in supplementing the poverty and defects inherent in such an
arrangement.
About six weeks ago I sent your manuscript to Mr. Schott, the
editor, at Mainz, recommending him to publish your arrangement.
Up to the present time I have received no reply, which, however,
seems to me a good sign. As soon as ever I hear his determination
I will let you know. Possibly in the course of the summer you
will find a few weeks' leisure to make a journey into these parts
and to bring us the complete collection of your arrangements of
Beethoven's latter instrumental works. In that case let me beg of
you, my dear sir, not to forget me, and to rest assured
beforehand of the lively interest that I shall take in your work,
which it would be doubly interesting to me to go through with
you. Bearing in mind the original, we should probably find,
between us, some details to modify previous to a definite
publication.
For today allow me to thank you once more, my dear sir, very
cordially for having associated me in thought with your beautiful
work, and pray accept the expression of very sincere and
affectionate regard of
Yours very truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 8th, 1858
193. To Basil von Engelhardt
[A very intelligent musical amateur, a friend of Glinka's, and
publisher of several of his works]
Sir,
Whilst giving you my very sincere thanks for so kindly sending me
the Glinka scores published by your friends, I am much pleased to
be able at the same time to inform you that the Capriccio on the
melody of the "Jota Aragonese" has just been performed (on New
Year's Day) at a grand Court concert with most complete success.
Even at the rehearsal the intelligent musicians whom I am proud
to count among the members of our orchestra had been both struck
and delighted by the lively and piquant originality of this
charming piece, so delicately cut and proportioned, and finished
with such taste and art!
