Volume II Part 2 (1/2)
”O Freunde, nicht diese Tone, sondern lasst uns angenchmere anstimmen!” [A quotation from Schiller's ”Ode to joy” in Beethoven's ”Choral Syhter ones let us sing”] (I ah the sense of the apostrophe remains clearly present, especially in st the ”iven in your letter and the newspaper (which reached me at the same time in some 16 numbers with Pohl's parcel) My most earnest wishes are, first and fore, and blossoemeine Deutsche Musik-Verein With God's help I will also support this in other fashi+on thantowill be the chief factor in strengthening and extending the Allgemeine Deutsche Musik-Verein, which comprises in itself the entire development and advancement of Art
Various reasons led me to recommend Carlsruhe to you in my last letter as the , that is, supposing that HRH the Grand Duke gives his countenance to the ard to the disposal of the theater, orchestra, and chorus It behoves Bulow, as conductor of the musical performances, to undertake to ”pave the way” towards a favorable promise on the Grand Duke's side Within two to three months the necessary prelis from you about the further plans andto ue--rather with all due acknowledgue has already accomplished and may still accomplish--yet it seems to me that the present political relations of the Austrian monarchy wouldin Prague just now On the other hand I am of opinion that a more direct influence than has yet been possible on South Ger condition, would be of service
Stuttgart in particular, through Pruckner, Singer, Stark, etc, ht behave at it differently from what it did at a previous Musical Festival in Carlsruhe!
Dr Gille's interest in the statutes and deliberations of the MV [Musik-Verein] is very advantageous, as also Pohl's previous reether with the Leipzig acids and gases, will be sure to suit hiood deal of news lately froelstedt, Gille, and Stor To the latter my ansill be little satisfactory; but I cannot continue with hi Dominant of his spasmodic vanity serve as the Funda to Gille by the next post, and also to Muller, who rejoiced s-Blatt [remembrance] from Weimar, (in the 8th November issue of the ”Zeitschrift,” which I have only now received) Will you, dear friend, when you have an opportunity, give my best thanks to Kulke for his article upon Symphony and Symphonic Poem--and also the enclosed lines to Fraulein Nikolas, fro little note?
Already es of the score of my ”Elizabeth” are written out complete (in my own little craes--and the piano-arrangeust I shall send the entire work
to Carl Gotze at Weiether with the ”Canticus of St Francis,” which I co [”Cantico del Sole,” for baritone solo, an Kahnt] It would certainly be pleasanter for s with me--but, between ourselves, I cannot entertain the idea of a speedy return to Germany If later there seems a likelihood of a termination to my stay in Rome, you, dear friend, shall be the first to hear of it
With hearty greetings to your wife, I remain
Yours in sincere and friendly attachment,
F Liszt
Rome, July 12th, 1862
Your little co shall be attended to Let ain There is absolutely nothing to tell you from here that could interest you In spite of the heat I shall spend the summer months in Rome
7 To Dr Franz Brendel
[Letters 7, 8, 9, 18, and 24 to Brendel have been partially published in La Mara's ”Musikerbriefe” (Letters of Musicians), Vol II]
What a delightful bunch of surprises your letter brings me, dear friend! So Pohl has really set to work on the Faust brochure--and Schuberth is actually not going to let the piano-arrangement of the ”Faust Symphony” lie in a box till it is out of date How curious it all sounds, just because it is so exactly the right thing and what I desired!--If you are back in Leipzig please send me soon a couple of copies of the Faust brochure (those nu Pohl's articles have not reached ement of the Faust Symphony (a few copies when convenient) I have as yet received nothing of the parcel which Kahnt announced as having sent s; and as I have fished out here a very talented young pianist, Sgambati [A pupil of Liszt's, and now one of the first pianoforte players and composers of Italy; has been, since 1871, Professor at the Academia Sta Cecilia in Rome] by name, who makes a first-rate partner in duets, and who, for example, plays the Dante Symphony boldly and correctly, it would be a pleasure to h the whole cycle of the Syood therefore, dear friend, as to ask Hartel for the whole lot in the 2-pianoforte arrangement (a double copy of each Sy, as Ifroee,” which Hartels have already sent me?
Besides these, I expect in the same parcel the Marches which Schuberth has published (the ”Goethe Marsch” and the Duke of Coburg) and the ”Kunstler Festzug” [Artists' procession] (for 4 hands), which I ordered previously--
The ”Legend of St Elizabeth” is written out to the very last note of the score; I have now only to finish a part of the piano arrangeement of the Introduction, the Crusaders' March, and the final procession--which shall be done by the end of this month at latest Then I send the whole to Weiether with a couple of other smaller manuscripts What will be its ulti asMeanwhile I will try one or two little excursions into the country (to Albano, Frascati, Rocca di Papa--and a little farther still, to the ”Macchia serena” near Corneto, where in earlier times much robbery and violence took place!), and before the end of Septeain, and to continue my musical deeds of ”robbery and murder”! Would that I only could hear, like you, the Sondershausen orchestra, and were able to conjure friend Stein and his brave phalanx into the Colosseum! The locality would assuredly be no less attractive than the ”Loh,” [The Sondershausen concerts are, as is well known, given in the ”Lohgarten”] and Berlioz's Harold Syne [One of Liszt's Symphonic Poems], would sound there quite ”sonderschauslich” [curious]
[Play of words on Sondershausen and ”sonderbar” or ”sonderlich”]
I often iine the orchestra set up there, with the execrated instruments of percussion in an arcade--our well--wishers Rietz, Taubert, and other braggarts of criticism close by (or in the Aquariu on the ”Pulvinare,” and thea show in the reserved seats of the Subsellia, as senators and ambassadors used to do!--
Tell Stein of this idea, and give hient care and pains that he so very kindly gives to ards the performances of the Sondershausen orchestra I am quite of your opinion, and I repeat that they are not only not outdone, but are even not often equalled in their sustained richness, their judicious and liberal choice of works, as well as in their precision, drilling, and refinement--It is only a shame that no suitable concert-hall has been built in Sondershausen The orchestra has long deserved such an attention; should such a thing ever fall to their lot, pray urge upon Stein to spread out the Podium of the orchestra as far as possible, and not to submit to the usual li in the Gewandhaus, the Odeonsaal in Munich, etc, etc, and also, alas, in Lowenberg The concert- hall of the Paris Conservatoire offers in this respect the right proportions, and a good part of the effect produced by the performances there is to be ascribed to this favorable condition--
According to what I hear Bulow is not disposed to mix himself up in the prelily some one else must be entrusted with the afore- h Buloas the best suited for it If you do not care to enter at once into direct communication with Devrient, Pohl would be the best man to ”pioneer” the way It would not be any particular trouble to hio from Baden to Carlsruhe, and to persuade Devrient to favor the matter This is before all else needful, for without Devrient's co-operation nothing of the sort can be undertaken in Carlsruhe If the Tonkunstler-Versa takes place not out of the theater season, then one or iven in conjunction with it, especially of Gluck's Operas; as also an ultra-classical Oratorio of Handel's iven over to the Carlsruhe Vocal Unions --
What ”astonishi+ng things” are you planning, dear friend? This word excites my curiosity; but, on the other hand, I share your superstition to speak only of actions accoain a really valuable colleague Has his ”History of the Sistine Chapel” coood as to send hter, Frau von Bulorites to er” is a s she says:--
”These 'Meistersinger' are, to Wagner's other conceptions, much the same as the 'Winter's Tale' is to Shakespeare's other works
Its phantasy is found in gaiety and drollery, and it has called up the Nureuilds, its poet- artisans, its pedants, its cavaliers, to draw forth the hest, the most ideal, poetry Exclusive of its sense and the destination of the work, one ht compare the artistic work of it with that of the Sacra) Equally with the sculptor, has the coraceful, most fantastic, most pure form,--boldness in perfection; and as at the botto it up with a grave and collected air, so in the 'Meistersinger' there is Hans Sachs, calm, profound, serene, who sustains and directs the action,” etc