Letters of Franz Liszt Volume II Part 85

F. Liszt

I shall be at Bayreuth on the 3rd July--the wedding day of my granddaughter Daniela.

From the 4th to the 18th July my excellent friends the Munkacsys will be my hosts at their castle of Colpach (Luxemburg), whence I shall return to Bayreuth, to stay there till the last performance on the 23rd August.

Would you send me Victor Hugo's "Le theater en liberte"? We will settle our accounts at Bayreuth.

383. To Eduard Reuss

My Dear Friend,

The weakness in my eyes is increasing, and on that account I cannot write to you "mano propria." I wish to bring good luck to Wilhelm Franz. Meanwhile I thank you heartily for making me G.o.dfather.

In sincere friends.h.i.+p yours most truly,

F. Liszt

Sondershausen, June 5th, 1886

384. To Frau Reuss-Belce, Opera-Singer to the Court of Baden

My Dear Lady,

The thanks which I have just expressed to your husband I double to you, as you have played the princ.i.p.al part in the family-drama of Wilhelm Franz.

With the most heartful wishes for the continued prosperity of parents and child I remain

Yours most truly,

F. Liszt

Sondershausen, June 5th, 1886

385. To Eduard Reuss

Very Dear Friend,

I have just received the enclosed reply from Hartel. Send him, therefore, the score with the Piano part, and recommend him to print this complete score--not the orchestral score alone--if possible by next October, that is to say, end of September. Then, for the present, two copies of the complete score will be wanted for performance--one for the conductor and one for the soloist who has so long had to play the Piano part out of the score, until you, perhaps with little delay, arrange the orchestral part for a second Piano, and the Concerto comes out in an edition like the E-flat Concerto.

Yours in all friends.h.i.+p,

F. Liszt

Weimar, June 22nd, 1886

N.B.--On the 1st July I am leaving here for a couple of months.

386. To Sophie Menter

Bayreuth, July 3rd, 1886

My very dear Friend,

Tomorrow, after the religious marriage of my granddaughter Daniela von Bulow to Professor Henry Thode (Art-historian), I betake myself to my excellent friends the Munkacsys, Chateau Colpach, Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.

On the 20th July I shall be back here again for the first 7-8 performances of the Festspiel [Festival Play]: then, alas! I must put myself under the, to me, very disagreeable cure at Kissingen, and in September an operation to the eyes is impending for me with Grafe at Halle.

For a month past I have been quite unable to read and almost unable to write, with much labor, a couple of lines. Two secretaries kindly help me by reading to me and writing letters at my dictation.

How delightful it would be to me, dear friend, to visit you at your fairy castle of Itter! But I do not see any opportunity of doing so at present. Perhaps you will come to Bayreuth, where, from the 20th July to the 7th August, will be staying

Your heartily sincere

F. Liszt

[This was the very last letter written by the Master's hand. He returned in bad health from Colpach to Bayreuth. Yet once again he heard "Parsifal" and "Tristan" then he lay down upon his death-bed, and at 11 o'clock on the night of the 31st July his great soul had pa.s.sed away into everlasting peace.]

Supplement of Some Letters Received During The Printing:

387 To Hofmarschall Freiherr Von Spiegel In Weimar

[Autograph in the Liszt-Museum at Weimar.]

Monsieur Le Grand Marechal,

I am very happy to learn through you that Her Imperial Highness the Grand d.u.c.h.ess has deigned to accept with kindness my translation of the beautiful work of Beethoven which I have permitted myself humbly to offer to her. For musicians, the original of this work marks the summit of perfection of the cla.s.sical style (an extremely arbitrary designation, in my opinion) among non-symphonic instrumental compositions.

Beethoven--as well as many great geniuses in the history of Art-- is like the ancient Ja.n.u.s; one of his two faces is turned towards the past, the other towards the future. The Septet to a certain extent marks the point of intersection, and is thus unreservedly admired both by the devotees of the past and the believers in the future.

On this account I thought there was a suitability in paying my respectful homage to Her Imperial Highness by means of it, until such time as I should be allowed to place a longer work at her feet, and one which will more particularly express my personal grat.i.tude.

It is only yesterday that the very flattering lines of Your Excellency have reached me. It is therefore not my fault that I have not sooner replied to the gracious request which you are pleased to make me with reference to my journey to Weimar.

Without any doubt I eagerly accept Your Excellency's invitation for the month of October. Allow me only to beg you to be so good as to let me know whether you consider it will be best for me to arrive at the beginning or end of the month. Not being entirely master of my time, I should be particularly glad to know from you the most favorable week.