I must express myself not entirely in accord beforehand with your plan for your son, although I consider your way of looking at the present state of things by no means a wrong one. I am also convinced that, when it comes to settling definitely, the talents and capabilities, as well as the bent of mind, of your child will be satisfactory to you. If the young one has a mind for a uniform—well, let it be so. To cut one's way through life with a sabre is indeed for the most part pleasanter than any other mode…The business paper for the Princess I will keep till her return, unless you write to me to forward it to her in Rome.
May I bother you with a commission for provisions? Forgive me for the way in which I am always making use of you, but I do so want to make a little joke for Bulow, and I have no one now in Vienna who could help me in it except just you. It is about sending a pretty considerable amount of Hungarian Paprika [Hungarian, Turkish, or Spanish pepper from Hungary] and a little barrel of Pfefferoni (little green Hungarian pepper-plants preserved in vinegar). Please ask Capellmeister Doppler where these things are to be procured genuine, and send them me as soon as possible to Weymar. I won't hide from you that I intend to go shares with Bulow, as I am particularly fond of Paprika and Pfefferoni. So take care that there is enough sent, and that it arrives in good condition.—And as this will give you occasion to see Doppler, give him my warm thanks for the instrumentation of the Pester Carnaval (in which musical Paprika and Pfefferoni are not wanting). He has again been most successful in it, and I intend to push on in the autumn the publication of the six Rhapsodies for orchestra, for which indeed I shall have to obtain the permission or consent of three separate publishers (Schott, Senff, Haslinger)—a circumstance which may of itself occasion some delay, especially if the gentlemen behave in regard to my wish as Spina did in so unpleasantly surprising a manner in regard to the instrumentation of the Schubert Marches. To tell you this incident briefly: I wrote to Dachs and asked him to request Spina in my name either to publish the three Marches himself in score—without any remuneration for me!—or else to give me permission to bring them out through another publisher. Spina's answer, as Dachs gave me to understand, was that he could not consent to either the one or the other of my proposals (which were certainly reasonable enough)! And thus I must wait until Spina can hit on a better plan! When I have an opportunity, I shall venture to apply to him direct.
For the present, in consideration of the fact that Paprika and Pfefferoni make one very thirsty, a barrel of Gumpoldskirchner (with a slightly sharp, flowery after-taste) would be very welcome to me, if by chance you are able to find a good kind and cheap.—Forgive me for all these Lucullian extravagances!—
I will write soon to Cornelius. Give him my heartfelt greetings. Also please remember me kindly to Dr. Kulke. I will give him my thanks by letter on the first opportunity for his Prometheus articles, as I would have already done through Cornelius, had he not started so suddenly.—
Now farewell, dearest Eduard. Spare yourself and take care of your health. Assure your dear wife of my heartfelt attachment, and kiss your children for your faithful
F. Liszt
Weymar, July 9th, 1860
238. To Ingeborg Stark
[Summer, 1860]
If a sort of idiosyncrasy against letters did not hold me back I should have told you long ago what pleasure your charming letter from Paris gave me, and what a sincere part I have taken in your late successes, dear enchantress. But you must know all that far better than I could succeed in writing it.