Very honored, dear Friend,
In order not to become too monotonous I won't thank you any more. Nevertheless your transcription of my Orpheus for Piano, Violin and Violoncello charms me, and I beg that you will send it either to Hartel direct, so that he may publish it at once, or else to yours very gratefully, so that I may remit it to him, after having had the pleasure of reading and hearing it at Budapest, whither, by next Thursday, will have returned
Your much-attached fellow-disciple,
F. Liszt.
Florence, Tuesday, January 27th, 1885.
Goodbye till we meet in May at Carlsruhe.
358. To Madame Malwine Tardieu.
I am writing to the director of our "Musik-Verein" to write to you, dear friend. You will tell Mademoiselle Kufferath, better than any one else can, how agreeable it will be to everybody, and to myself in particular, if she takes part in the concerts at Carlsruhe—in the last days of May. [This did not come to anything. Saint-Saens' "Deluge," in which she was to have sung, was not performed at Carlsruhe, and meanwhile Fraulein Kufferath married and gave up her artistic career.]
Our "Musak-Verein" has not the advantage of material wealth; nevertheless we have existed bravely for 25 years without getting into debt, and faithfully put in practice our principal rule, which is to perform every year in different towns the valid works of contemporary composers of any country whatsoever (exclusive of works for the theater, with the exception of occasional vocal numbers). This rule, which is difficult to maintain, considering the expenses and the difficult preparations, distinguishes us from other musical societies and gives us the character of pioneers of progress. We have not been behindhand with the group of composers of young Musical Russia, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Borodine, Cui, etc., for we have been giving their works for four years past.
The very gracious Countess of Mercy-Argenteau has been making them known lately at Liege, with a brilliant success, quite justified by the qualities of the works and the charm of the patroness.