I rejoice beforehand
at all the incitement and forcible matter contained in it. You
will shortly receive a circular with a letter from E. Hallberger
(Stuttgart), who asks me to undertake the choice of pieces to
appear in his edition of the "Pianoforte." Do send something soon
to it; it is to be hoped that the establishing and spreading of
this collection will prove quite satisfactory.
Fare you well in your work, dear friend, and think affectionately
of
Yours ever sincerely,
F. Liszt
Weymar, July 9th, 1856.
P.S. - In your next letter send me your exact address.
155. To Hoffmann von Fallersleben
[The well-known poet (1798-1874), who was living at that time in
Weimar; was an intimate friend of Liszt, and in 1854 founded,
with him, the Neu-Weimar-Verein, which, under the presidency of
Liszt, was joined by all the most distinguished musicians,
authors, and painters of Weimar.]
Dear Friend,
In your [The second person singular is employed in this letter]
pleasant villeggiatura, where you will find no lack of the
Beautiful and Good, let yourself also be welcomed by a friend of
the New-Weymar
School, who is truly yours. It is true I have nothing new to tell
you. You already know that the Grand Duke received your poem on
the morning of his birthday, and said the kindest things about it
to me later on. Most of our colleagues of the Neu-Weimar-Verein
are away and scattered in various countries; - Singer in Pesth;
Soupper [Eugen v. Soupper, concert singer, a countryman of
Liszt's, was in Weimar in 1855-56.] in Paris, where he is trying
the solitude of a crowd (according to Chateaubriand's expression,
"the crowd, that vast desert - not dessert - of men"); Stor [Music
director in Weimar; died 1889.] at the bathing-place Heringsdorf,
probably drawn there by a secret affinity between his herring
form and the name of the place; Winterberger in Holland, to
inspect the Haarlem and other organs, which he will certainly do
in a masterly way; and Preller goes today to Kiel. On the
Altenburg no change worth mentioning has taken place: visits of
strangers to me fail not summer or winter, and, still less, works
which have become my life's task. I might almost sing, like
Hoffmann von Fallersleben,
"Hier sitz ich fest, ein Fels im Meer, Woran die Wellen toben; 's
geht drunter, dran and druber her - Ich bleibe fortan oben" -
["Here firm I sit, a rock sea-girt, On which the waves are
dashing, But I remain above, unhurt, Nor heed the waters'
lashing."]
if only there were more waves and less marsh! -
My travelling plans are still somewhat vacillating, because I
cannot yet decide whether I shall go to Hungary or not.
