177 To Concertmeister Ferdinand David in Leipzig
[Printed in Eckardt’s “F. David and the Mendelssohn Family,”
Leipzig, Dunker & Humblot, 1888.]
Leipzig, February 26th, 1857, 10 o’clock
[Preceding the body of the letter, Liszt illustrates with a vocal score musical excerpt with the words “Away! Away!” written in English by Liszt. It is a quotation from Liszt’s Symphonic Poem “Mazeppa,” which he had conducted in the Leipzig Gewandhaus on the same day as the “Preludes,” and with which he had had ill-success. David, who was present as leader of the orchestra, “disapproved”—according to Eckardt—of Liszt’s composing tendency, but continued, till his life’s end, “filled with admiration for the incomparable artist and genial man,” in the friendliest relations with Liszt.]
Before I go to bed let me give you my most sincere and heartfelt thanks, my very dear friend, which I owe you for this evening. You have proved yourself anew such a thorough gentleman [Gentleman, put in English by Liszt] and high-standing artist at this evening’s concert.
That is nothing new in you, but it gives me pleasure, as your old friend, to repeat old things to you, and to remain ever yours most gratefully,
Franz Liszt