Eilsen, June 6th, 1851
75. To Theodor Uhlig, Chamber Musician in Dresden
[Autograph in the possession of Herr Hermann Scholtz, Chamber virtuoso in Dresden.—The addressee, who was an intimate friend of Wagner's (see "Wagner's Letters to Uhlig, Fischer, Heine"— London: H. Grevel & Co., 1890), gained for himself a lasting name by his pianoforte score of Lohengrin. He died January, 1853.]
The perusal of your most kind and judicious article in Brendel's Musical Gazette on the "Goethe Foundation" [By Liszt, 1850. See "Gesammelte Schriften," vol. v.] confirms me in the belief that I could not fail to be understood by you in full intelligence of the cause. Allow me then, my dear Mr. Uhlig, to thank you very cordially for this new proof of your obligingness and of your sympathy—in French, as this language becomes more and more familiar and easy to me, whereas I am obliged to make an effort to patch up more or less unskillfully my very halting German syntax.
The very lucid explanation that you have made of my pamphlet, as well as the lines with which you have prefaced and followed it, have given me a real satisfaction, and one which I did not expect to receive through that paper, which, if I am not mistaken, had hitherto shown itself somewhat hostile to me personally, and to the ideas which they do me the small honor to imagine I possess. This impression has been still further increased in me by reading Mr. Brendel's following article on R. Wagner, which seems to me a rather arranged transition between the former point of view of the Leipzig school or pupils and the real point of view of things. The quotation Brendel makes of Stahr's article on the fifth performance of "Lohengrin" at Weymar, evidently indicates a conversion more thought than expressed on the part of the former, and at the performance of "Siegfried" I am persuaded that Leipzig will not be at all behindhand, as at "Lohengrin."
I do not know whether Mr. Wolf (the designer) has had the pleasure of meeting you yet at Dresden; I had commissioned him to make my excuses to you for the delay in sending the manuscript of Wiland. Unfortunately it is impossible for me to think of returning to Weymar before the end of July, and the manuscript is locked up among other papers which I could not put into strange hands. Believe me that I am really vexed at these delays, the cause of which is so sad for me.
If by chance you should repass by Cologne and Minden, it would be very nice if you could stay a day at Buckeburg (Eilsen), where I am obliged to stay till the 15th of July. I have not much pleasure to offer you, but in return we can talk there at our ease of the St. Graal…
My pamphlet "Lohengrin and Tannhauser" will appear in French at Brockhaus' towards the end of July. It will have at least the same circulation as the "Goethe Foundation," and I will send you by right one of the first copies.
Kind regards to Wagner, about whom I have written a great deal lately without writing to him; and believe me yours very sincerely,
F. Liszt