Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14: Little Journeys to the Homes of Great MusiciansHubbard, Elbert
History
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14: Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Musicians
Hubbard, Elbert
Composers
Luck had turned against the supposed invincible Liszt. Then it was that
the Princess Wittgenstein appears on the scene. This fine woman,
earnest, strong in character, intellectual, had tried ten years of
marital hard times and quit the partnership with a daughter and a goodly
dot.
The Princess had secretly loved Liszt from afar, and had followed him
from town to town, glorying in his triumphs, feeding on his personality.
When trouble came she managed to have a message conveyed to him that an
unknown woman would advance, without interest or security, enough money
for him to pay all his debts and secure him two years of leisure in
which he might regain his health and do such work as his taste might
dictate.
Of course Liszt declined the offer, begging his unknown friend to
divulge her identity that he might thank her for her disinterested faith
in the cause of Art.
A meeting was brought about and the result was as usual. The Grand
Duchess of Saxe-Weimar, in the face of scandal, took the Abbe and
Princess under protection, giving them the Chateau of Altenburg, near
Weimar, for a retreat. There Liszt, guarded from all intrusion, composed
the symphonies of "Dante" and "Faust," sonatas, masses and parts of
"Saint Elizabeth." For thirteen years they lived an idyllic existence.
Then, having married her daughter by her first husband to Prince
Hohenlohe, the Princess set out for Rome to obtain a dispensation from
the Pope, so she and the Abbe could be married. Her husband, who was a
Protestant, had long before secured a divorce and married again. Pope
Pius the Ninth granted her wish, and she hastened home and prepared for
the wedding. It was said that flowers were already placed on the altar,
the marriage feast was prepared, the guests invited, when news came that
the Pope had changed his mind on the argument of one of the lady's
kinsmen. We now have every reason to believe, though, that the Pope
changed his mind on the earnest request of Liszt.
On the death of the Princess Wittgenstein, the Pope dispensed Liszt from
his priestly ties, but he was called the Abbe until his death.
Whenever I find any one who can write better on a subject than I can, I
refuse to go on.
There is a book called, "Music Study in Germany," written by my friend
Amy Fay, and published by The Macmillan Company, from which I quote.
If Amy Fay had not chosen to be the superb pianist that she is, she
might have struck thirteen in literature.
There are a dozen biographies of Liszt, but none of them has ever given
us such a vivid picture of the man as has this American girl. The
simple, unpretentious little touches that she introduces are art so
subtile and true that it is the art which conceals art. The topmost
turret of my ambition would be to have Amy Fay Boswellize my memory.
Says Amy Fay:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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