I hope, gentlemen, that you will not have cause to regret the obliging advances that you have made to me in this matter, and for which I am sincerely grateful to you. If you will be so good as to add to the proofs of the Beethoven Symphonies such of the songs of Beethoven (or Weber) as you would like me to transcribe for piano solo, I will then give you a positive answer as to that little work, which I shall be delighted to do for you, but to which I cannot assent beforehand, not knowing of which songs you are the proprietors. If "Leyer und Schwert" was published by you, I will do that with pleasure. I think that these songs, or at any rate four or five of them, would be rather satisfactory for the piano.
Accept, gentlemen, the expression of my high esteem.
F. Liszt
Florence, January 3rd, 1839
18. To Princess Christine Belgiojoso in Paris
[Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.— Addressed to the celebrated writer and patriot. In 1837 a charity concert took place in her salons, at which Liszt and Thalberg both played.]
It would be self-conceit in me, Princess, to complain of your silence. Your letters have always been for me a favor, a charm. I am not meaning to say that I have the slightest right to them. Nevertheless, as you do not reply to me any more, I hope you will at least permit me to tell you how very much I feel the very slightest marks of your kindness, and what a price I set upon your remembrance.
Some numbers of the Gazette or Revue Musicale, which have accidentally fallen into my hands at the house of one of my Russian friends (for in this happy country of the Arts, and of music in particular, you can well imagine that no one is foolish enough to spend a thirty francs' subscription on the Revue Musicale), have informed me that you had decidedly raised altar for altar, and made your charming salon echo with magnificent harmonies. I confess that this is perhaps the one regret of my winter. I should so immensely have liked to be there to admire you, to applaud you. Several people who had the honor of being present at these choice evenings have spoken to me about them with enthusiasm.
What a contrast to the tiresome musical soliloquies (I do not know what other name to give to this invention of mine) with which I contrived to gratify the Romans, and which I am quite capable of importing to Paris, so unbounded does my impudence become! Imagine that, wearied with warfare, not being able to compose a programme which would have common sense, I have ventured to give a series of concerts all by myself, affecting the Louis XIV. style, and saying cavalierly to the public, "The concert is—myself." For the curiosity of the thing I copy one of the programmes of the soliloquies for you:—
1. Overture to William Tell, performed by M. L.