The rest do not deserve the honor of being mentioned…at least, with a few exceptions,—to be conciliatory, like Eusebius.
In six weeks to two months I shall send you my twelve Studies and a half-dozen of "Fantasiestucke" ("Impressions et Poemes")—I consider them less bad than others of my making. I shall be happy to think that they do not displease you.
May I confess to you that I was not very much struck with Henselt's Studies, and that I found them not up to their reputation? I don't know whether you share my opinion, but they appear to me, on the whole, very careless. They are pretty to listen to, they are very pretty to look at, the effect is excellent, the edition (thanks to our friend Hofmeister) is most carefully done; but, all counted, I question whether H. is anything but a distinguished mediocrity. [How highly Liszt thought, later on, of Henselt's Concerto and other of his compositions is well known, and is spoken of in a subsequent letter to Baroness Wrangel, in May, 1883.] For the rest, he is very young, and will doubtless develop. Let us, at least, hope so.
I am extremely sorry that I cannot come and pay you a little visit at Leipzig at present. It is one of my keenest desires to make your personal acquaintance and to pass some days with you. But as that is not possible now, let us, at least, try not to be entirely separated, and let us combat, as far as we can, the laziness about writing, which is, I think, equally in us both.
In a fortnight I am returning to Venice. I shall be back in Milan at the time of the coronation (towards the end of August). Next winter I expect to pass in Rome, if the cholera or some other plague does not stop it. I will not induce you to come to Italy. Your sympathies would be too deeply wounded there. If they have even heard that Beethoven and Weber ever existed, it is as much as they have done.
Will you not have what you have sent me printed? Haslinger would have it gladly, I think, and it would be a great pleasure to me to see my name associated with yours.
If I might make a request, I would ask you to write some trios, or a quintet or septet. It seems to me that you would do that admirably, and for a long time nothing remarkable in that line has been published. If ever you determine to do so, let me know at once, as I should be anxious to have the honor of making them known to the public. Adieu, my dear Monsieur Schumann; keep me always in affectionate remembrance, and accept once more my warm sympathy and devotion.
F. Liszt
14. To the "Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde" in Vienna
[Society of Musical Dilettanti, or Amateur Musical Society.
Autograph in the Archives of the Society in Vienna]