[A highly gifted pupil of Liszt, born in 1854 in Russian Poland, died in 1885 at Brussels, where he was Professor in the Conservatoire.]
Dear Friend,
Thinking that you would spend some weeks at Berlin, I sent the day before yesterday a letter for you to our friend Bosendorfer, begging him to have it punctually delivered to you. This letter enclosed another, which you will remit to Paris to Madame la Comtesse Taida Rczewazska. She promised me lately at Rome to take an interest in your success at Paris, and I assured her that your talent and intellectual gifts would not make her patronage irksome. Therefore be careful not to give me the lie, and to show yourself of an amiable disposition at Countess Rczewazska's.
I forgot to ask her where she lives in Paris; but you will find out without difficulty from some compatriot, or from other people of the world, which is society. Enclosed are a few lines of introduction to the illustrious, indefatigable and unageing publicist, Emile de Girardin. They say of him in joke that he has an idea every day. If he were to reach the age of Methuselah ideas would certainly never fail him.
At one time there used to be music in his salon; he understands
it quite as well as the late M. Thiers or the Marechal MacMahon.
However, if M. de Girardin invites you, play there, as I did when
I was last in Paris (in the year '66).—
An excellent recipe against unjust criticisms (of the kind like that of M. X. which you quote to me) is to criticise oneself thoroughly before and after—and finally to remain perfectly calm and follow one's own road!
Cordially yours,
F. Liszt
Budapest, December 13th, 1877
An enthusiastic account of your success at Vienna was given me by
Mme. Tony Raal, who yesterday evening played Tausig's
"Zigeunerweisen" admirably at a concert of M. de Swert. [A
Belgian violoncellist, recently deceased]