Scarcely had I returned to Weymar [From the Mozart Festival at Vienna.] when I again put on my travelling coat to help in Berlioz' concert at Gotha, which took place the day before yesterday—and the whole day yesterday was spent in rehearsals of "Cellini;" followed by a Court concert in the evening (in honor of H.R.H. the Prince Regent of Baden); so that this morning is the first leisure moment I have had to take up my pen again and my position…at my writing-table. I profit by it first of all to tell you how happy I am in this earnest intimacy, as sincerely felt as it is conscientiously considered—this real intimacy of ideas and feelings at the same time—which has been cemented between us in these latter years, and which my stay in Vienna has fully confirmed. All noble sentiments require the full air of generous conviction, which maintains us in a region superior to the trials, accidents, and troubles of this life. Thanks to Heaven, we two breathe this air together, and thus we shall remain inseparably united until our last day!
I am sending you after this the document which serves as a basis to the Bach-Gesellschaft [Bach Society], from which it will be easy to make out an analogous one for the publication of Mozart's complete works. I earnestly invite and beg you to carry out this project to its realization.
According to my ideas, the "Friends of Music in Austria" should constitute and set the matter going, and the Royal State Press should be employed for it, especially as one can foresee that special favors might be obtained from the Ministry. Probably the whole Festival Committee of the Mozart Celebration will also consent to this undertaking, in the sense that, by an edition of Mozart's works, critically explained, equally beautifully printed, and revised by a committee appointed for it, a universally useful, lasting, and living monument to the glorious Master will be formed, which will bring honor and even material gain to all Austrian lovers of music and to the city of Vienna itself. Without doubt, if the matter is rightly conducted, it will also pay well and be pretty easy to carry through. In about twelve years the whole edition can be completed. In the composition of the Committee of Revision I stipulate to call your attention to a few names. Spohr, Meyerbeer, Fetis, Otto Jahn, Oulibicheff, Dr. Hartel—among foreigners these ought especially to have a share in the matter; and a special rubric must be given to the cost of revision. The work of proof-correcting, as well as the special explanations, commentaries, comparisons of the different editions, ought not to be expected gratis; therefore a fixed sum should be applied to it. Haslinger, Spina, and Gloggl, being Vienna publishers, ought specially to be considered, and would be the best to direct the propagation and regular sending out of the volume, which is to appear on the 27th of January every year.
At Spina's you would find several volumes of the Bach- Gesellschaft, to which is always added a list of the subscribers and a statement of accounts for the past year.
I advise you to keep on good terms with Zellner, who was the first to air the subject in his paper (after I had invited him to do so), and to get him into the proposed Committee, if the matter be taken up in earnest. In the Committee of Revision Schmidt (the librarian) and Holz must not be forgotten. With regard to my humble self, I don't want to be put forward, but simply to take my place in alphabetical order; but please explain beforehand that I am ready to undertake any work which they may think fit to apportion to me. I likewise undertake to invite the Grand Duke of Weimar, the Duke of Gotha, etc., to become subscribers.
The whole affair must bear the impress of an Art enterprise—and in this sense the invitation to a Mozart-Verein [Mozart Union] must be couched. (I leave you to decide whether you prefer the word Mozart-Gesellschaft [Mozart Society] or Mozart-herein for the Publication of the Complete Works of Mozart, or any other title.) Together with this I repeat that certainly there is no need to fear any loss in this matter, but that probably there will be a not insignificant gain. This gain, according to my ideas, should be formed into a capital, until the edition is completed, to be then employed, or perhaps not till later, by the Society of Austrian Lovers of Music for some artistic purpose to be decided upon.
.—. Be so good as to give Herr Krall the sum (24 florins) for the four seats kindly placed at my disposal for the two concerts of the Mozart Festival. Although I have only paid in cash six gulden of the amount, because the other gentlemen insisted on sending me several gulden, yet I expressly wish that the receipts should not be any smaller through me—any more than that the performance should suffer by my conducting!—Therefore please don't forget the twenty-four gulden.
Berlioz arrived here yesterday evening, and I shall be over head and ears in work with Cellini, the great Court concert on the 17th, and the performance of Berlioz' Faust in the course of next week, the preparations for which I have undertaken.
Cellini I shall conduct—with the two others I only direct the rehearsals.
In faithful friendship thy Saturday, February 9th, 1856.
F. Liszt