Will you, dear friend, be so kind as to express my acknowledgments to Mr. de Fourcaud, [Musical and Art Correspondent of the Paris Gaulois, with outspoken Wagner tendencies and opinions.] and accept the expression of my cordial affection?
F. Liszt.
Budapest, April 6th, 1885.
In a few days I shall be back at Weimar.
359. To Lina Ramann.
[Weimar] April 27th, 1885.
I am sending you at once, my very dear friend, the volumes of scores which I have by me in Weimar. [Works of Palestrina's.] The celebrated Missa Papoe Marcelli is not amongst them, but can easily be found; the last edition of it by Amelli, Milan, the editor-in-chief of the Church-Music paper there. I got him to add a few indications of expression because, according to my opinion, without such indications any further editions of Palestrina and Lassus—the two great Cardinals of old Catholic Church-music— would serve only for reading, and not for actual performances. Of course no one can fix with absolute certainty the figures to the basses of Palestrina and Lassus; yet there are determining points from which one can steer.
The best model of all is and will continue to be—Wagner's arrangement of Palestrina's "Stabat Mater"—with marks of expression and plan of the division of the voices into semi- chorus, solos, and complete chorus.
Wagner made this model arrangement at the time when he was conductor in Dresden. It appeared 15 years later, published by Kahnt. It is to be hoped that people will gradually regulate themselves by this with judgment—and time.
Faithfully yours,