Our little Weymar has remained, as usual,
pretty tame since you left; but in a week's time we shall be
celebrating here the centenary of Schiller's birth with all the
enthusiasm of which we are susceptible (which is not saying
much).
On the 9th November the music that I have composed for Halm's
Festival-play, "A Hundred Years Ago," will be given at the
theater, and Jena has put on its festival programme my chorus "An
die Kuenstler," which will terminate the ceremony of the 11th
(Friday next).
In addition you will find in the Schiller number of the Leipzig
Illustrirte Zeitung, which will appear on the 12th November, a
Festival song "im Volkston" [In the style of a folk-song] of my
composition. Do not be shocked at the extreme simplicity of this
song; it was not the occasion to make a display of musical
knowledge - but simply to write forty bars or so which could be
quite easily sung and remembered by tutti quanti. In order to do
this I had to dress my Muse in a blouse, or, if you prefer a more
German comparison, "ich habe der Dame eine bayrische Joppe
angezogen!" ["I have dressed the lady in a Bavarian jacket."]
How are you getting on with your truly Samsonic Variations - and
with your Fugue "Martha"? Don't make too great a martyr of
yourself over it, and reserve for yourself also the better
part...that of Mary. [She had written a fugue on the musical
letters of the names Martha and Maria [Mary] - the names of her
friends, the sisters Von Sabinin.]
As I have mentioned this name I will tell you that Princess Marie
Hohenlohe will spend her winter in Vienna.
I, for my part, shall not stir from the Altenburg, where I am
reckoning on finishing my Elizabeth, and on living more and more
as a recluse - indeed, even a little like a bear - but not in the
style of those estimable citizens of the woods, whom the
impresarii of small pleasures degrade by making them dance in the
market-places to the sound of their flutes and drums! I shall
rather choose a model ideal of a bear - be sure of that - and the
flutes and drums which might lead me into the slightest future
temptation of cutting capers have still to be invented.
Will you be so good, dear Mademoiselle Inga, as to present my
very affectionate respects to Madame, your mother, as well as my
best remembrances and compliments to la Sagesse Olivia - [Liszt's
name for the sister of Ingeborg Stark] and believe me invariably
Your very devoted
F. Liszt
Weymar, November 2nd, 1859
224.
