I flatter myself, by-the-bye, that Milde will also find a pleasure in the "Sternen-Cantabile"—
[Here, Liszt illustrates with a musical score excerpt where the words "Viel tau-send hal-ten nach-tig" ("Vide the accompanying page") are sung. It contained the Cantabile in question for Milde from Liszt's Beethoven Cantata.]
Riedel asks me who shall play the pianoforte?
If our meeting were at Jena I should decidedly invite Bulow to do it; he is the veritable Beethoven player and interpreter, the one who knows and who can do [Kenner und Konner]; but unfortunately the shades of Dingelstedt and Gutzkow warn him from Weimar's doors…
Meanwhile there is no hurry about the choice of a pianist (he or she). Only arrange the principal things in a suitable manner, the chorus, orchestra, solo singers and the Beethoven Quartet; all the rest will soon be arranged after my arrival at Weimar in the middle of April.
Yours most faithfully,
F. Liszt
Villa d'Este, February 26th, 1870
The piano arrangement of my Cantata must be written out again, and cannot therefore be sent off for 8 or 10 days. The entire work lasts about three-quarters of an hour. I am so far ready with it, that there are only two or three more passages to be instrumented.
101. To the Baroness E. M. Schwartz in Crete