237. To Eduard von Liszt

Dearest Eduard,

I give my heartiest thanks to the highly-honored friendly Frau General for writing at your dictation.

We take the heartiest interest here in your recovery. It is to be hoped you are already on the best road to vigor.

My dearest cousin Marie has now happily made me a great-uncle.

Enclosed are two words of thanks to Marie.

I am now waiting for the new setting of the poem of "Stanislaus"

from Dingelstedt in order to take up my interrupted composition again--I want at least a year and something over to finish it.

Meanwhile I have not quite lost my time. In the last two months I have completed a "Via crucis" (the 14 Stations) and pretty full responses to the 7 Sacraments (for Chorus and Organ). I rejoice [to think] that I shall play them to you on the 2nd April, '79, at the Schottenhof.

Thy faithful

F. Liszt

Rome, November 4th, 1878

238. To Freiherr Hans von Wolzogen in Bayreuth

[The well-known writer on Wagner and publisher of the Bayreuther Blatter]

Highly-honored Baron,

The October number of your Bayreuther Blatter brought me the highest intellectual gift. [Wagner's Essay "The Public in Time and s.p.a.ce"] No temporal ruler can bestow one like it. The estimation of it lays me all the more under an obligation to that true humility with which I have long and most devoutly paid homage to our incomparable master, Richard Wagner.

Accept my sincere thanks for the friendly words in remembrance of the performance of the Dante Symphony in your house, and kindly recall to the good graces of the Frau Baronin von Wolzogen.

Yours most respectfully and devotedly,

F. Liszt

November 15th, 1878 (Villa d'Este, Tivoli)

239. To Eduard von Liszt

.--. I take a hearty interest in the improvement of your health.

You are the younger, the more sensible and useful of us two; therefore you should outlive me many years in good health.

I have been dreadfully industrious with my music-writing since the middle of September. I sit and walk in it like one possessed!

The "Via crucis" (now finished) has brought me back to a long- cherished idea--namely, the composition of choruses to be made use of at Church festivals during the giving of the 7 holy sacraments; thus 7 pieces of music of about a hundred bars each.

These have now been 8 days at the copyist's, and, according to my thinking, are not quite a failure. If you also think this it will heartily rejoice

Your most faithfully devoted

F. Liszt

November 2lst, 1878

[Tivoli]

This evening I shall be in Rome, and will have this letter and the signed enclosure attended to at the post.

Hearty greetings and thanks to the dear Frau Generalissima.

240. To Eduard von Liszt

Budapest, January 22nd, 1879

Dearest Eduard,

.--. On Sunday, the 12th January, His Holiness was so gracious as to give me, for the second time, a private audience. I will tell you shortly, by word of mouth, the friendly sentiments of the Pope towards me.

I spent last Wednesday evening in Gorz with Frau Baronin Augusz, and arrived again at Fischplatz, No. 4., early on Friday. The roof is already on the new Music Academy building, Radialstra.s.se, and is said to look very well. In November of this year I shall inhabit it.

My friends in Budapest, Abranyi, Mihalovich, Count Albert Apponyi, Count Geza Zichy and several others, are strongly and heartily attached to me. Archbishop Haynald only comes to Pest in the beginning of January. I was not caught in the other base spider's web. "Honesty is the best policy!"

Bosendorfer called on me yesterday and told me of the intention of the Vienna Friends of Music to perform the "Gran Ma.s.s" at the end of March. If Bosendorfer's intimations are correct I am not disinclined to conduct this performance, although for many years I have refused all such invitations--and only a little while ago to London, Aix-la-Chapelle, Berlin, etc. I should be rejoiced if at last the "Gran Ma.s.s" had a fair hearing in Vienna.

A hearty greeting to Frau Generalissima from thy faithfully devoted

F. Liszt

Looking forward to our speedy meeting at the end of March.

[It did not come to pa.s.s. Councillor E. von Liszt died on the 8th February, 1879. "It is for me a constant sorrow at the heart that Eduard is no longer with us," wrote Liszt to the widow a year after Eduard's death.]

241. To Ludwig Bosendorfer

Dear and honored Friend,

I take your friendly hint by enclosing these lines to h.e.l.lmesberger; please to give them to him. During many years, in Vienna, Weimar and Budapest, h.e.l.lmesberger has always shown himself kindly disposed towards me. In ingrat.i.tude there is, alas, only too much rivalry; the matter grows contemptible, and contemptible people like to find amus.e.m.e.nt in it. My nature absolutely forbids me such despicable behavior. Count Geza Zichy tells me, dear friend, that he expects you shortly. Perhaps you will come with h.e.l.lmesberger to our Kunstlerabend [Artists'

Evening] here on the 7th March, when we shall be honored by the fine composer and splendid virtuoso, my excellent friend, Saint- Saens.

Count Zichy writes you the rest about the Klausenburg journey.

A hearty greeting to your wife.