149. To Dr. von Seiler, Mayor of Vienna. [Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet, of Valentigney.]
Dear Sir,
As it was not permitted me to see Your Worship again at home before my departure, I venture to express once more in these few lines my warmest thanks for the very great kindness shown to me during my stay in Vienna, the remembrance of which will not fade from my grateful thoughts.
The worthy example which you, dear Mr. Mayor, and the Town Council of Vienna have given on the occasion of the Mozart Festival, guaranteed and attained the desired prosperity and success of the affair. This example will doubtless bring forth fruit in other places, so that the whole artist society will owe you the most grateful acknowledgments for it. As regards myself and my modest services on that occasion, I am very happy to think from the kind letter signed by yourself and Herr Councillor Riedel von Riedenau, that what I did so gladly was well done—and I only cherish the wish that coming years may offer me an opportunity of devoting my poor, but seriously well-intentioned services in the cause of music to the city of Vienna, whose musical traditions shine forth so gloriously. Accept, dear sir, the assurance of high esteem with which I have the honor to remain
Your most obliged
F. Liszt
Weymar, February 10th, 1856
150. To Dr. Franz Brendel
Dear Friend,
Before everything else I must give you my warmest thanks for the manifold proofs of your friendship and attachment which you have given me lately; especially has the article in the last number but one of the paper, taken from the concluding chapter of your musical history, truly rejoiced me, and I should have written you at once a couple of lines in grateful acknowledgment had I not been so very much engaged, on my return here, that I have had no leisure hour until now. In Leipzig I could only stay from the time of one train to the other, and could not go to see any one except Hartel, whom it was necessary for me to see. Scarcely had I arrived here than I had to go to Gotha (where I was present at Berlioz' concert), and the previous week we had enough to do with the preparations and rehearsals of "Cellini" and the Court concert. The performance this time was really capital. Caspari had studied his part admirably, and made a good thing of it; the opera, thanks to him, made quite a different impression from what it did formerly, when poor Beck (now the proprietor of a cafe in Prague, where I saw him lately) had to fit himself as best he could into the Cellini jacket!—Probably Pohl will send you a full account, and also mention the concert which took place the day before yesterday at the Castle. Berlioz conducted it, and Fraulein Bianchi very much pleased the nobility as well as the rest of the audience—so that she is again engaged for a small concert next Thursday.