Autograph letter signed.
4to. 4 pp. on bifolium. In French.
€ 6,500.00
To an editor in reply to a review of his interpretation of a Weber concerto, pointing out that the composer himself was criticised for reinventing musical form and causing irregularities, citing his "Invitation à la Valse" and "Momento cappriccioso" as examples, mentioning that in fact the same concerto, which premiered in Vienna shortly after the immense success of "Freischütz", entailed a number of reviews calling for its renaming as a fantasia: "Personne n'ignore que Weber a souvant usé du droit que donne le genie d'innover même dans la forme. Les titres si connus d'Invitation à la Valse, de Momento Caprissioso en sont la preuve. Quant au chef d'oevure dont je me suis rendu l'interprête jeudi dernier, le grand compositeur l'executa à Vienne peu après l'immense succès qu'y obtint le Freyschutz, et alors tous les connaisseurs et critiques se recrièrent sur ce que ce prétendu Concerto n'etait pas un veritable Concerto, que la coupe en etait irrégulière que cela pourrait fort au plus s'appeler une Fantaisie [...]".
Liszt writes that his performing career of twelve years is "un peu plus de la moitié de ma vie", making him younger than twenty-four years old at the time of writing. The piece which he performed was probably Weber’s "Konzertstück in F minor" (1821), which the composer completed on the morning of the premiere of "Der Freischütz".
Very well preserved.
