a. To work hard at the Piano.
b. To help towards your independence by making yourself capable of cutting a good figure as conductor.
c. To venture on the performance of your "Macbeth" sorceries and other of your compositions, with the reservation of not hearing yourself immediately proclaimed king by the sorcerers of criticism.
Shall you make your appearance at the composition competition next year? I invite you to do so.
You know that H. Richter has been appointed conductor to the National Theater of Pest, and will conduct "Lohengrin" there at the end of September. He will find, I trust, honor and satisfaction in more firmly implanting in his country the sublime works of Wagner, and in making the orchestra, the stage and the public profit by the exemplary rules and practices of M. de Bulow at Munich. Needless to say that I shall endeavor to make Richter's task as easy as possible to him.
Count Tyszkiewicz, in passing lately through Weimar, was kind enough to explain to me his new system of musical mathematics, and to show me his tables of figures honored with commendatory letters from Mr. Gevaert and several notabilities. If, by means of his figures and measures, Tysz. succeeds, as you claim for him, in demonstrating that X…is a "pyramid," this will be a more pyramidal glory even than the system.
Next Thursday I go to Eichstatt (Bavaria), where the (German) St. Cecilia Society meets. Its founder and president F. Witt—a much respected ecclesiastic, conductor of the Cathedral, composer and editor of two newspapers of sacred music published by Pustet at Ratisbon—gives evidence of a great capacity and a persevering zeal in endeavoring seriously to improve the uses and customs of Church music, and, by continuous publications, to propagate the old works of repute as well as the new ones of this class that are deserving of recommendation.—A pamphlet by Witt, which appeared in the spring, "uber das Dirigiren der Kirchenmusik" ["about the conducting of Church music">[, corrects some grievous errors and furnishes much profitable instruction.
I shall be much obliged if you will send me a printed account of your fete of the 10th September; on that day I shall be in Rome, and shall not return thence till toward the end of October, to settle at Pest for the winter.
Remember me most kindly to your brother Joseph, [The excellent Violoncellist Joseph Servais, who died in 1885 at the age of 35] to Godebski and his wife, and believe, dear Franz, in my steadfast feelings of devoted affection.
F. Liszt