An excellent little work by our friend Weitzmann lies before us again: "The New Science of Harmony at Variance with the Old." The "Album Leaves for the Emancipation of Fifths" as a supplement are stirring; and the "Anthology of Classical Following Fifths," with quotations from Hiller and Hauptmann,. is especially instructive. In Harmony, as in other things, it is no longer a question of reforming what has been laid aside, but rather of the fulfilling of the law.———

On any day, my dear friend, you will be heartily welcome to

Yours very gratefully,

F. Liszt

December 30th, 1860

Towards the middle of January I am going to Paris or a couple of weeks to see my mother (who is still constantly ill).

251. To Dr. Franz Brendel.

[Beginning of January, 1861]

Dear Friend,

A thousand thanks for your letter, and still more excuses that I have delayed so long with my answer. On New Year's Day we had a grand Court-concert—on the top of which there was a banquet at the Erbprinz, which lasted till four o'clock in the morning; on the other days perpetual dinners and suppers, at which I was also obliged to be present. Besides all this, the final revision of my second concerto (and a couple of smaller piano pieces) occupied me much. Schott had undertaken the publication of them, and I did not wish to annoy him by letting the somewhat numerous alterations which had to be made in them wait to be corrected until the proofs were printed, etc., etc.