I, for my part, have striven to do this; and,
if I have not succeeded, it at least testifies to my earnest
endeavour.
3. In the "Annees de Pelerinage" (Schott, Mainz) several of the
pieces are again taken from the "Album d'un Voyageur." The Album
brought out by Haslinger must not be quoted in the Catalogue,
because the work has not been carried out according to its
original plan, and Haslinger has given me back, in this case
also, the copyright and plates.
As the natural consequence of what I have said I beg you
therefore, dear sir, not to undertake any alteration in the
disposition and arrangement of my Catalogue, and only to add the
various enlargements and improvements, for which I have to thank
your overlooking and corrections, as I have now given them and
marked them. -
The title of the Catalogue might sound better thus in German: -
F. Liszt
"Thematischer Catalog." ["Thematic Catalogue"]
And the letters of the headings "Etudes - Harmonies - Annees de
Pelerinage - Ungarische Rhapsodien - Fantaisies on Airs from
Operas, etc.," must be rather large, and these headings separated
from the special title of the works.
I cannot agree with the admission of a supplementary Opus-
number, - but it is of consequence to me that the Catalogue should
come out speedily, in order to get as clear a survey as possible
of my works up to the present time (which, however, are by no
means sufficient for me).
Accept once more my best thanks, dear Sir, as also the assurance
of high esteem of
Yours most truly,
F. Liszt
January 17th, 1855.
P.S. - I take the liberty of keeping your edition of the Catalogue
here meanwhile, as it cannot be used for the arrangement of the
Hartel edition.
132. To Anton Rubinstein
Your fugue of this morning, my dear Rubinstein, is very little to
my taste, and I much prefer to it the Preludes that you wrote at
an earlier date in this same room, which, to my great surprise, I
found empty when I came to fetch you for the Berlioz rehearsal.
Is it a fact that this music works on your nerves? And, after the
specimen you had of it the other time at the Court, did the
resolution to hear more of it seem to you too hard to take? Or
have you taken amiss some words I said to you, which, I give you
my word, were nothing but a purely friendly proceeding on my
part? Whatever it may be, I don't want any explanations in
writing, and only send you these few lines to intimate that your
nocturnal flight was not a very agreeable surprise to me, and
that you would have done better in every way to hear the "Fuite
en Egypte" and the "Fantaisie sur la Tempete" of Shakespeare.
