LISZT (Franz). - Lot 148

LISZT (Franz). Born in Doborján (Hungary). Composer and virtuoso pianist. Draft L.A.S. "F L" to "Excellence" (Charles-Alexandre de Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach?). S.l.n.d. 1 page 3/4 in-8. Draft letter concerning the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein, the musical association founded by Franz Liszt in 1861 in Weimar with Franz Brendel to embody the musical ideals of the new German school; Liszt thanks him for passing on the bequest of a generous donor ...Madame de Muchanow in favor of the "Allgemeine Deutsche Musik Verein" and the "Beethoven Stiftung" [Beethoven Foundation]...I will decide on the most appropriate use for the noble intentions of the illustrious donor, who deserves more than the most brilliant tributes we were happy to pay to her, whom we revere from the bottom of our hearts: Soon the Committee which has the honor of counting V. E. among its members Our Musik Verein will have the honor of expressing its most grateful thanks and of informing Your Excellency of the distribution of the two thousand Thalers I am holding in trust until my return to Weimar (at the beginning of August). The Committee of our Musik Verein will shortly have the honor of expressing its most grateful thanks to Your Excellency and informing him of the distribution of the two thousand Thalers I am holding in trust until my return to Weimar, - at the beginning of April... Countess Maria Kalergis-Muchanow (née Nesselrode, 1822-1874), Polish pianist (she received lessons from Chopin) and art patron, maintained a salon in Paris frequented by numerous French and European artists, including Chopin, Liszt, Rossini, Heine, Gautier, Musset... A friend of Liszt's daughter Cosima, who married Wagner, she intervened so that the German composer could have his opera Tannhaüser performed in Paris. Franz Liszt dedicated several pieces to her, including the Petite Valse Favorite, and, on her death in 1874, composed the Elegy for Piano N°1. In October 1842, Liszt was appointed "Kapellmeister in außerordentlichen Diensten" (Kapellmeister in extraordinary services) in Weimar by Grand Duke Charles-Frédéric of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, one of the patrons of Richard Wagner and Liszt. The project for the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein arose much later, in the 1860s, from the abortive attempt to create a Goethe Foundation to support the arts. Liszt's attempt was a real success. The statutes of the new association were deposited in 1861. Over the years, the association became the custodian of several foundations, including the Beethoven-Stiftung (Beethoven Foundation) in 1871, financed and enriched by donations, notably from Grand Duke Charles-Alexandre of Saxe-Weimar.