It will be difficult to persuade her that walks on the shore at
Ostend ought to be preferable to the charm of the talks on the
"Goethe Platz," and even at the "Erb-Prinz," which she will again
favor with her presence towards the middle of June, I hope.
Tausig also promises me to spend a fortnight here.
Mlle. Brandt sang several songs admirably yesterday morning at the "Hofgartnerei" I shall accompany her in yours tomorrow.
Yours in cordial friendship,
F. Liszt
Weimar, May 29th, 1871
Till the end of June address—Weimar.
109. To Marie Lipsius
Dear and kindest Biographer,
Again an excellent suggestion; follow it without hesitation and present us ere long with a pleasantly powerful and characteristic portrait of Tausig. [Liszt's great pupil (born in 1841) had died in Leipzig on the 17th July, 187l.] In what year of the fifties his father brought him to Weimar, I do not now recollect; but I do remember how greatly astonished I was at his extraordinary talent when I first heard him play. The intellectual claws and pinions were already giving signs of mighty power in the youth who was scarcely 14 years of age, and somewhat delicate in appearance. I felt some compunction in undertaking to give him further instruction, determined not to undertake the task, and therefore informed the father that in the case of such a stupendous organisation the wisest plan was to leave it free, independent development without a teacher. However Tausig insisted upon remaining with me. He studied immoderately; as a rule kept very much to himself while in Weimar, and got into various little scrapes in consequence of his quick, ironical humor. I was accused of being over-indulgent with him, and of thus spoiling him; but I really could not have acted otherwise, and I loved him with all my heart. On various occasions when I had to undertake short journeys in connection with the performances of my works he accompanied me; among other places to Dresden, Prague and Vienna. Subsequently he lived in Vienna for some length of time, and got up some concerts there with the view of having some Symphonic Poems performed which he himself conducted—but he was unable to get a proper start. He had to struggle on and to endure many privations before attaining the success he deserved. His brilliant vocation did not become firmly established till a few years ago, in Berlin, Leipzig, etc.
In the spring of '69 I met Tausig in Paris (after the "Tannhauser" scandal), and returned with him to Weimar for the Tonkunstler-Versammlung. Bulow conducted the Faust Symphony by heart (at the rehearsals most accurately mentioning the letters!), and Tausig played the A major Concerto marvellously. Since then I have seen him only twice: last May at the Tonkunstler-Versammlung in Weimar (where he played Beethoven's E- flat major Concerto) and now…