It would have been a pleasure to me to place
at your disposal a musical personnel, which has been justly
spoken of with praise, for the performance of your "Stabat Mater"
and other of your compositions, which we should have great
pleasure in applauding. Let me hope that you will not always be
so rigorous towards us, and pray accept the expressions of high
esteem and respect with which I shall always be, dear and honored
friend,
Your Excellency's very obedient servant,
F. Liszt
Weymar, January 10th, 1857
173. To Johann Von Herbeck in Vienna
[Hofcapellmeister (Court conductor), and an excellent conductor
(1831-1877). - The above letter, as well as a later one addressed
to the same musician, was published in "Johann Herbeck. Ein
Lebensbild von seinem Sohne Ludwig." Vienna, Gutmann, 1885. - Date
in Herbeck's handwriting.]
[Received January 12th, 1857]
Dear Sir,
On my somewhat delayed return to Weymar I find your friendly
letter, for which I send you my
sincere and warmest thanks. I am very much pleased to learn from
you that you have succeeded, thanks to your careful and
intelligent preparation, in making such a good effect with the
"Faust" (Student) Chorus. [It was the first choral composition
which was conducted by Liszt in Vienna, and with the very same
Mannergesangverein which Herbeck conducted.] This light little
piece has been pretty successfully given several times by
Mannergesangvereinen [Vocal societies of male voices] in Cologne,
Berlin, etc., and even in Paris.
