you will find substance to prove your excellence as a conductor.
Well, dear friend, you know what it is brilliantly to arouse a flaming spirit out of dead notes.
Accept the assurance of my sincere esteem and affection.
F. Liszt
Rome, June 9th, 1868
67. To Dr. Franz Brendel
[This is the last of the many letters Liszt addressed to Brendel, who died a few months afterwards.]
Dear friend,
As might have been foreseen, I must unfortunately give up all thought of paying you and my friends of the Tonkunstler- Versammlung a visit this year. Were it possible for me to get away from here, I should today start for Munich, in honor of the "Meistersinger" which is to be performed next Sunday—and thence I should go to Weimar and Altenburg. In place of this I have to remain here till the end of the month. After that I mean to go to the neighborhood of Ancona for some sea baths. Please send me at once, in a wrapper, the notices of the Altenburg Musical Festival that have appeared in the Neue Zeitschrift.
Sgambati asks me to send you his kindest excuses. He would have much liked to wander to Germany, but he too is nailed here for this summer. His concerts in Florence with Wilhemj a few weeks ago were very successful. Sgambati is quite a phenomenal pianist for Italy, and is certain to do himself credit elsewhere on account of his sterling qualities, and his rare excellence as a virtuoso is combined with a personality of the greatest amiability and reliable artistic feeling. There is some talk of his getting an appointment in St. Petersburg.