A thousand affectionate messages to Van II. from the Princess.
137. To Freiherr Beaulieu-Marconnay, Intendant of the Court theater at Weimar
[Autograph in the possession of Herr Hermann Scholtz, Kammer-
Virtuosos in Dresden. The addressee died in Dresden.]
Dear Baron,
It is not precisely a distraction, still less a forgetfulness, with which I might be reproached as regards the programme of this evening's concert. The indications which Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess condescends to give me are too precious to me for me not to be most anxious to fulfill at least all my duties. If, then, one of Beethoven's Symphonies does not figure in today's programme, it is because I thought I could better satisfy thus the intentions of H.R.H., and that I permitted myself to guess that which she has not taken the occasion to explain this time. The predilection of His Majesty the King of Saxony for Beethoven's Symphonies assuredly does honor to his taste for the Beautiful in music, and no one could more truly agree to that than I. I will only observe, on the one side, that Beethoven's Symphonies are extremely well known, and, on the other, that these admirable works are performed at Dresden by an orchestra having at its disposal far more considerable means than we have here, and that consequently our performance would run the risk of appearing rather provincial to His Majesty. Moreover if Dresden, following the example of Paris, London, Leipzig, Berlin, and a hundred other cities, stops at Beethoven (to whom, while he was living, they much preferred Haydn and Mozart), that is no reason why Weymar—I mean musical Weymar, which I make the modest pretension of representing—should keep absolutely to that. There is without doubt nothing better than to respect, admire, and study the illustrious dead; but why not also sometimes live with the living? We have tried this plan with Wagner, Berlioz, Schumann, and some others, and it would seem that it has not succeeded so badly up to now for there to be any occasion for us to alter our minds without urgent cause, and to put ourselves at the tail—of many other tails!—
The significance of the musical movement of which Weymar is the real center lies precisely in this initiative, of which the public does not generally understand much, but which none the less acquires its part of importance in the development of contemporary Art.
For the rest, dear Baron, I hasten to make all straight for this evening by following your advice, and I will ask Messrs. Singer and Cossmann to play with me Beethoven's magnificent trio (in B- flat—dedicated to the Archduke Rudolph), as No. 3 in the programme.
A thousand affectionate compliments, and
Yours ever,
F. Liszt