To N. F. von Meck.
“Brailov, August 14th (26th), 1878.
“I have brought a great many interesting books with me, among them Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand. The book is rather carelessly written—without logical sequence, like a clever gossip relating his own reminiscences, but with many digressions. But it has much sincerity, a complete absence of pose, and remarkably clever portraiture of the people among whom she moved in her youth. Your library, too, contains many books I cannot put down when I have once opened them. Among these is a superb edition of de Musset, one of my favourite authors. To-day, looking through this volume, I became so absorbed in Andrea del Sarto that—seated upon the floor—I was compelled to read the whole work to the end. I am passionately fond of all de Musset’s dramatic works. How often have I thought of using one of his comedies or plays as an opera libretto! Unfortunately they are all too French, and not to be thought of in a translation; for instance, Le Chandelier, or On ne badine pas avec l’amour. Some, less local in character, are lacking in dramatic movement, such as Lorenzaccio, or Andrea del Sarto. Others, again, contain too much philosophising, like Les caprices de Marianne.
“I cannot understand why French composers have hitherto neglected this rich source of inspiration.”
To N. F. von Meck.
“Brailov, August 16th (28th), 1878.
“I return once more to Alfred de Musset. You must read his Proverbes Dramatiques from end to end. I recommend you especially Les caprices de Marianne, On ne badine pas avec l’amour, and Le Chandelier. Do not these things cry aloud for music? What thought! what wit! How profoundly felt and fascinating in their elegance! Yet in reading his works we feel that all is written with a light hand, not for the sake of the ideas; that is, we never feel that these ideas have been forcibly obtruded upon the artistic material, thereby paralysing the free development of the characters and situations. Then I delight in his truly Shakespearean anachronisms: for instance, when an imaginary King of Bavaria discusses the art of Grisi with some fantastic Duke of Mantua. Like Shakespeare, de Musset does not keep to the verities of place, yet all the same we find among his characters, as among those of Shakespeare, many of those universal human presentments who, independent of time and locality, belong to the eternal truth. Only with de Musset the frame is narrower and the flight less lofty. Nevertheless, no other dramatic writer approaches Shakespeare so closely. Les Caprices de Marianne has made a peculiarly strong impression upon me, and I have thought of nothing else all day long but the possibility of turning it into an opera. I feel the necessity of considering a libretto. My enthusiasm for Undine has cooled. I am still captivated by Romeo and Juliet, but—first it is very difficult, and secondly, I am rather frightened of Gounod, who has already written a mediocre opera on this subject.”
To N. F. Von Meck.
“Verbovka, August 25th (September 6th), 1878.
“ ... I have already told you that at Brailov I jotted down the sketch of a scherzo for orchestra. Afterwards the idea came to me of composing a series of orchestral pieces out of which I could put together a Suite, in the style of Lachner. Arrived at Verbovka, I felt I could not restrain my impulse, and hastened to work out on paper my sketches for this Suite. I worked at it with such delight and enthusiasm that I literally lost count of time. At the present moment three movements are finished, the fourth is sketched out, and the fifth sits waiting in my head.... The Suite will consist of five movements: (1) Introduction and Fugue, (2) Scherzo, (3) Andante, (4) Intermezzo (Echo du bal), (5) Rondo. While engaged upon this work my thoughts were perpetually with you; every moment I asked myself if such and such passages would please, or such and such melodies touch you? Therefore my new work can only be dedicated to my best friend.