June 3rd, 1855
139. To Dr. Franz Brendel
[Weimar, June 1855]
Dear Friend,
Best thanks for your munificence. The weed [Cigars] is very welcome, and you will have to answer for it if it induces me to importune you with some more columns. Meanwhile I send you the proofs of the second Berlioz article, together with a fresh provision of manuscripts, and with the next proofs you will get the end.
I will also send you very soon a report of the Dusseldorf Musical Festival (not by me), the authorship of which I beg you to keep strictly anonymous. Probably he will be piquant and forcible. On the whole, and also in detail, the Dusseldorf Musical Festival can only be described as a great success, and I, for my part, rejoice in this and every success without particularly envying it. My task is quite a different one, the solution of which is by no means troubled thereby.
If you should by any chance have read that I am going to America (!—there are many people who would be glad to have me out of sight!), and that a Leipzig virtuoso (in Leipzig such animals as virtuosi are seldom to be met with!) is going to take my place here, you can simply laugh, as I have done, at this old canard— but don't say anything to contradict it in your paper; such bad jokes are not worth noticing, and are only good as finding food for inquisitive Philistines. In a few days I hope to be able again to do something serious with my work, and shall not leave Weymar until my journey to Hungary (at the end of August). Gutzkow's appointment is still in suspense, but is not impossible. Have you read Frau Marr's (Sangalli's) brochure, brought out by Otto Wigand? The pages which she devotes to my work here may perhaps interest you, and I have absolutely nothing to complain of in them, especially in view of the fact that I have not hitherto been able to go "hand in hand" with Marr. Marr has, moreover, according to what he told me, given in his resignation as artistic Director, [At the Weimar Court theater] and one cannot get clear about the entire theater-management for some weeks to come. I keep myself very passive in the matter, and don't fish in troubled waters. Thus much is certain—that if Weymar wants to do anything regular, it cannot do without my ideas and influence. About the rest I don't need to trouble myself. Last Sunday we held a satisfactory performance of "Tannhauser" in honor of the Princess of Prussia—and next Monday the opera will be repeated.
Friendly greetings to your wife from your almost too active fellow-worker and friend,
F. Liszt
I am writing to Fraulein Riese one of these next days, to invite her to the performance of my Mass at Jena. [The Mass for male voices was performed there in the latter half of June.]