Raff's "King Alfred" Is A Much More Successful And Important
Work; And, Without Wishing To Injure Kittl, There Is In Raff
Quite Other Musical Stuff And Grist.
[Steckt doch in Raff ein
ganz anderer musikalischer Kern and Kerl:
Untranslatable play on
words.]
During your last stay in Weymar I spoke to you of Vesque's new
opera "Der lustige Rath." Various local circumstances have
delayed the performance at Vienna of this really pretty, nicely
worked out opera. The mise-en-scene does not require any special
efforts; the piece only requires a somewhat piquant and not
unskillful soprano singer. Altogether the opera appears to me to
be written in a charming style, not too superficially
conservative, and to be one of the best among the new operas
mezzo-carattere. In case you still have time and are not
indisposed to give the opera in Frankfort, I can send you the
score. You would do Vesque an essential service if you could give
the opera soon, and would have friendly relations with him, for
Vesque is a cultivated, intelligent, and first-rate man. [Vesque
von Puttlingen (pseudonym, Hoven), 1803-83, Councillor of the
Austrian Foreign Ministry, composer of songs and operas.] There
are not too many such!
Yours in all friendship,
F. Liszt
Weimar, February 27th, 1853
98. To Heinrich Brockhaus, Bookseller in Leipzig
[Published in a German translation: La Mara, "Letters of
Musicians during Five Centuries, vol. ii., 1887.]
My dear Mr. Brockhaus,
In thanking you for your kind mention of the notice joined to my
name in the Conversations Lexikon, I wish above all things not to
go beyond the limits of most scrupulous delicacy, which in these
sorts of things have always appeared to me all the more desirable
to maintain because they are so very often passed. Consequently I
will only allow myself to point out three misstatements of fact
in the article about myself: firstly, my supposed title of ex-St.
Simonien; secondly, my supposed journey to America; thirdly, my
diploma of the University of Konigsberg, which my biographer
arbitrarily changes into a diploma of Doctor of Music, which was
not the one given to me. -
I have never had the honor of belonging to the association, or,
to put it better, to the religious and political family of St.
Simonisme. Notwithstanding my personal sympathy with this or that
member of it, my zeal has been but little beyond that which
Heine, Boerne, and twenty others whose names are in the
Conversations Lexikon showed at the same period, and they limited
themselves to following pretty often the eloquent preachings of
the Salle Taitbout. Among my numerous tailors' bills, I can
certify that there is not one to be found of a bleu-barbot coat
[The dress of the St. Simonists.]; and, as I have mentioned
Heine, I ought to add that my fervor was far short of his, for I
never thought of wishing to "Commune through space with the
Child-lake Father," by correspondence or dedication, as he has
done!
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