Yours most truly,
F. Liszt
Weymar, December 2nd, 1860
The first performance of "Rienzi" is announced for the second day of the Christmas holidays. I have engaged to conduct the rehearsals, but at the same time have positively refused to conduct the performances. Herr Musik-director Stor undertakes that. [After the opposition of a coterie that was inimical to Liszt, to which, as is well known, Cornelius's "Barber of Baghdad" fell a sacrifice, Liszt had finally resigned his post as conductor of the theater.]
248. To the Music Publisher C.F. Kahnt
.—. With regard to the publishing of my Songs for men's voices I do not wish in the least to hurry you, dear sir—yet I should be glad if you could advertise the things soon—and possibly on the back of the title-page of my songs (?), if that does not seem impracticable to you. The two collections (the songs and the men's songs) have a certain connection, and that is why I make this suggestion, about which you must decide. A couple of months ago Louis Kohler wrote to me in his witty, friendly manner, "You really owed us some Quartets for men's voices, which Bierbruder ["Beer-drinkers," "brothers of the glass">[ metamorphosed into demi-gods!" and when the songs were published, I was already intending to let the men's songs follow shortly after. As most of these latter are tolerably short, I think that the score of the twelve will not require more than forty, or at the most fifty, plates (small size). Economy might be employed in publishing the parts by having them well copied. Of course engraving is always the best, but I do not want to precipitate you into a too ruinous outlay—and if the copying is done by an experienced copyist it looks very well, and is quite easy to read.
I am writing to Schuberth by the next post to tell him (what he might know without that) how unwillingly and how seldom I meddle with dedications—especially dedications to people and societies that I don't at all know, as he would like me to do! In the somewhat numerous works of mine that have appeared of late years you will find very few dedications. The twelve Symphonic Poems have none. The Gran Mass is also without one—and in the Songs I have left out the earlier dedications. Therefore, before I try in America a method which I have almost given up in Europe, some time may yet elapse. Schuberth means thoroughly well by me, for which I am obliged to him—but he means well in his own way, which cannot always be mine.
May I beg another little favor of you? At the Court concert on the 1st January I should like to let the Reiter-Marsch of F. Schubert (not Julius!), which I instrumented, be performed, and I have no longer either the score or the parts. You would lay me under an obligation if you could quickly send them to me. I have never heard the piece; and as it has already been given with success in Vienna and Leipzig I may almost venture to expect that the company here may be bold enough to go half-way in the same direction!—
Possibly I shall also attempt the Mephisto Waltz the same evening, as well as a couple of my orchestrated songs. (I may mention, by the way, that I have orchestrated six songs of Schubert's—"the Erlkonig, Gretchen, the junge Nonne, the Doppelganger, Mignon, and Abschied"—and three of my own— "Loreley, Mignon, and the three Zigeuner." Later on, if a weak moment should come over you, I should be glad to impose these three latter upon you in score—but you shall hear them first.)
A thousand apologies for all this random talk about compositions, and best greetings from yours in all friendliness,