Weymar, December 6th, 1857
190. To Alexander Ritter in Stettin.
Dear friend,
Your tidings sound as incredible as they are pleasant. And I must
admit, what has long been proved to me, that you are a valiant
and excellent friend, and prove your friendship splendidly by the
success of your venturesome undertaking. Specially do I give you
my best thanks for the pregnant and poetic form which you gave to
the Tasso programme. Later on, as you have broken the ice in so
happy a fashion, we can push on with
[Here, Liszt illustrates with a musical score excerpt of the
beginning of the Symphonic Poem "Festklange."
and other such corrupt things in Stettin! -
I was not able to attend to your letter about the matter of the
parts of the Flying Dutchman until after my return to Weymar.
Herr von Dingelstedt spoke to me about the idea in regard to the
fee for Wagner (from the Stettin Directors), and the reply to you
from the Secretary Jacobi will be to that effect. If, as I
presume, you can so arrange that this idea is carried out, and
that Wagner receives his fee, the parts shall be sent you from
here.
I visited your dear sisters many times in Dresden, and had some
delightful chats with them.
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unpublished opera of Lassen's.] will again be given next Sunday,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.
