Ever yours,
F. Liszt
October 10th, 1854
P.S.—Try to come and see me soon!
124. To Anton Rubinstein
Weimar, October 19th, 1854
Schott makes me ashamed, my dear Rubinstein. Here come the new proofs of the "Kamenoi-Ostrow," [Rubinstein had written a number of short pianoforte pieces named after the Emperor's summer residence near St. Petersburg.] which he addresses to me for you, and I have not yet sent you the previous ones! To excuse myself I must tell you that I am frightfully busy (especially at the theater), and that I did not want to put the proofs in a wrapper without writing and thanking you for your charming and clever letter from Leipzig. Well, here is the whole packet at last, which you can send direct to Schott. Nevertheless, I am in your debt for the carriage (which please beg Redslob to put to my account), and for ten crowns which I borrowed from you at the railway. As you are coming back here at the beginning of November we shall have plenty of time to settle these little matters.
The rehearsals of your "Chasseurs de Siberie" begin in the course of next week. You may trust in my zeal, and be assured that your work will be suitably prepared. I only beg you to be here about the 4th November, in order to give us your own ideas at the final rehearsals. If you decidedly prefer to be a spectator at the performance, I will willingly conduct the work—but perhaps at the general rehearsals the fancy may take you to mount the conductor's chair, as I proposed to you at first: whatever you definitely decide in this matter will only be agreeable to me. Therefore just do as you generally do, I beg you, without ceremony or bother of any kind.
How do you find yourself as regards the musical atmosphere of Leipzig? Has your "Ocean" obtained the suffrages of the Areopagus which must be its first judge? At which Gewandhaus Concert will Mr. Van II. be heard? If you already know anything positive as to your debuts in Leipzig, write it to me, with a continuation of the commentaries which amused me so much in your former letter. We have nothing of special news here which can interest you. Madame Wagner returns to Weymar the day after tomorrow, and next Sunday "Lohengrin" will be given. The Wednesday after that a new singer (Mdlle. Stoger, the daughter of the director at Prague), who possesses a beautiful voice and appears to be highly endowed, will make her debut in "Lucrezia Borgia." On the 24th October I expect Madame Schumann, whom you will already have seen and heard at Leipzig. When you have an opportunity please tell her not to delay her journey to Weymar, for I have made all the arrangements with Mr. de Beaulieu, etc., from the 24th to the 26th, for the Court Concert and for the one which will take place at the theater in her honor.
My "Faust" is finished, and I am going to give it to the copyist in a couple of days. I am very curious to make acquaintance with yours, and to see in how far the beaux-esprits differ whilst meeting on common ground! Your "murrendos" at Leipzig will have proved favorable to your conversations with the Muse, and I look forward to a fine Symphony. A revoir then, dear friend; on the 4th November, or the 5th at latest, we have the first performance of an unpublished tragedy, "Bernhard von Weymar," for which Raff has written a grand Overture and a March, and on the following days your general rehearsals.