131 To Alfred Dorffel in Leipzig
[Writer on music, born 1821; custodian of the musical section of the town library of Leipzig: the University there gave him the degree of Dr. phil. honoris causa.]
Dear Sir,
Allow me to express to you direct my most cordial thanks for the conscientious and careful pains you have taken in regard to my Catalogue. [“Thematic Catalogue of Liszt’s Compositions.”] I am really quite astonished at the exactitude of your researches, and intend to repeat my warm thanks to you in person in Leipzig, and to discuss with you still more fully the motives which lead me not entirely to agree with your proposal, and only to use a part of your new elaboration of my Catalogue. To avoid diffuseness, I can for today only state a couple of points.
The standpoint of your new arrangement is, if I have rightly understood you, as follows:—There are still being circulated in the music-shops a certain number of copies of my works, especially of the “Studies,” “Hungarian Rhapsodies,” and several “Fantasiestucke” (under the collective title of “Album d’un Voyageur”), etc., that I have not included in my Catalogue, which I gave into Dr. Hartel’s hands for printing;—and you have taken upon yourself the troublesome task of arranging these different and somewhat numerous works in what would be, under other circumstances, a most judicious manner.
However gratifying to me this interest of yours in the production of a suitable Catalogue can but be, yet I must declare myself decidedly for the non-acceptance of the portions added by you (with certain exceptions).
1. The Hofmeister edition of the twelve Studies (with a lithograph of a cradle, and the publisher’s addition “travail de jeunesse”!) is simply a piracy of the book of Studies which was published at Frankfort when I was thirteen years old. I have long disowned this edition and replaced it by the second, under the title “Etudes d’execution transcendante,” published by Haslinger in Vienna, Schlesinger in Paris, and Mori and Lavener in London. But this second edition has now been annulled several years ago, and Haslinger has, by my desire, put aside my copyright and plates, and bound himself by contract not to publish any more copies of this work henceforth. After a complete agreement with him I set to work and produced a third edition of my twelve Studies (very materially improved and transformed), and begged Messrs. Hartel to publish it with the note “seule edition authentique, revue par l’auteur, etc.,” which they did. Consequently I recognize only the Hartel edition of the twelve Studies as the SOLE LEGITIMATE ONE, which I also clearly express by a note in the Catalogue, and I therefore wish that the Catalogue should make no mention of the earlier ones. I think I have found the simplest means of making my views and intentions clear by the addition of the sign (+).
2. It is the same case with the Paganini “Etudes” and the “Rhapsodies Hongroises;” and after settling matters with Haslinger I completely gained the legal right to disavow the earlier editions of these works, and to protest against eventual piracy of them, as I am once more in possession both of the copyright and the entire engraving plates.
These circumstances will explain to you the reappearance (in a very much altered conception and form) of many of my compositions, on which I, as piano player and piano composer, am obliged to lay some stress, as they form, to a certain extent, the expression of a closed period of my artist-individuality.
In literature the production of very much altered, increased, and improved editions is no uncommon thing. In works both important and trivial, alterations, additions, varying divisions of periods, etc., are a common experience of an author. In the domain of music such a thing is more minute and more difficult— and therefore it is seldom done. None the less do I consider it very profitable to correct one’s mistakes as far as possible, and to make use of the experiences one gains by the editions of the works themselves. I, for my part, have striven to do this; and, if I have not succeeded, it at least testifies to my earnest endeavour.
3. In the “Annees de Pelerinage” (Schott, Mainz) several of the pieces are again taken from the “Album d’un Voyageur.” The Album brought out by Haslinger must not be quoted in the Catalogue, because the work has not been carried out according to its original plan, and Haslinger has given me back, in this case also, the copyright and plates.
As the natural consequence of what I have said I beg you therefore, dear sir, not to undertake any alteration in the disposition and arrangement of my Catalogue, and only to add the various enlargements and improvements, for which I have to thank your overlooking and corrections, as I have now given them and marked them.—
The title of the Catalogue might sound better thus in German:—
F. Liszt
“Thematischer Catalog.” [“Thematic Catalogue”]
And the letters of the headings “Etudes—Harmonies—Annees de Pelerinage—Ungarische Rhapsodien—Fantaisies on Airs from Operas, etc.,” must be rather large, and these headings separated from the special title of the works.
I cannot agree with the admission of a supplementary Opus-number,—but it is of consequence to me that the Catalogue should come out speedily, in order to get as clear a survey as possible of my works up to the present time (which, however, are by no means sufficient for me).
Accept once more my best thanks, dear Sir, as also the assurance of high esteem of Yours most truly,
F. Liszt
January 17th, 1855.
P.S.—I take the liberty of keeping your edition of the Catalogue here meanwhile, as it cannot be used for the arrangement of the Hartel edition.