I Profit By It First Of All To
Tell You How Happy I Am In This Earnest Intimacy, As Sincerely
Felt as it is conscientiously considered - this real intimacy of
ideas and feelings at the same time - which has been
Cemented
between us in these latter years, and which my stay in Vienna has
fully confirmed. All noble sentiments require the full air of
generous conviction, which maintains us in a region superior to
the trials, accidents, and troubles of this life. Thanks to
Heaven, we two breathe this air together, and thus we shall
remain inseparably united until our last day!
I am sending you after this the document which serves as a basis
to the Bach-Gesellschaft [Bach Society], from which it will be
easy to make out an analogous one for the publication of Mozart's
complete works. I earnestly invite and beg you to carry out this
project to its realization.
According to my ideas, the "Friends of Music in Austria" should
constitute and set the matter going, and the Royal State Press
should be employed for it, especially as one can foresee that
special favors might be obtained from the Ministry. Probably the
whole Festival Committee of the Mozart Celebration will also
consent to this undertaking, in the sense that, by an edition of
Mozart's works, critically explained, equally beautifully
printed, and revised by a committee appointed for it, a
universally useful, lasting, and living monument to the glorious
Master will be formed, which will bring honor and even material
gain to all Austrian lovers of music and to the city of Vienna
itself. Without doubt, if the matter is rightly conducted, it
will also pay well and be pretty easy to carry through. In about
twelve years the whole edition can be completed. In the
composition of the Committee of Revision I stipulate to call your
attention to a few names. Spohr, Meyerbeer, Fetis, Otto Jahn,
Oulibicheff, Dr. Hartel - among foreigners these ought especially
to have a share in the matter; and a special rubric must be given
to the cost of revision. The work of proof-correcting, as well as
the special explanations, commentaries, comparisons of the
different editions, ought not to be expected gratis; therefore a
fixed sum should be applied to it. Haslinger, Spina, and Gloggl,
being Vienna publishers, ought specially to be considered, and
would be the best to direct the propagation and regular sending
out of the volume, which is to appear on the 27th of January
every year.
At Spina's you would find several volumes of the Bach-
Gesellschaft, to which is always added a list of the subscribers
and a statement of accounts for the past year.
I advise you to keep on good terms with Zellner, who was the
first to air the subject in his paper (after I had invited him to
do so), and to get him into the proposed Committee, if the matter
be taken up in earnest. In the Committee of Revision Schmidt (the
librarian) and Holz must not be forgotten.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 135 of 244
Words from 70190 to 70697
of 127569
