GE Journal, Weimar, 10 August 1854
Title
GE Journal, Weimar, 10 August 1854
Title
GE Journal, Weimar, 10 August 1854
Sender
Ge Journal
Recipient
U
Date(s)
- 1854-08-10
Place
Weimar
Letter Content
GE Journal, Weimar, 10 August 1854
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Cross, 1, 346-347.
About 'bd past 10 Liszt 500 called, and after chatting pleasantly for some time invited us to go and breakfast at his house, the Altenburg. Talking of Mde. D'Ago'fbt, 501 he told us that when her novel N'e9lida appeared, in which Liszt himself is pilloried as a delinquent, he asked her "Mais pourquoi avez vous tellement maltrait'e9 ce pauvre Lehmann?" 502
On arriving at the Altenburg we were shewn into the garden, where in a saloon formed by overarching trees, the d'e9je'fbner was set out. We found Hoffmann von Fallersleben, 503 the lyric poet, Dr. Schade, 504 a Gelehrter who has distinguished himself by a critical work on the 11,000 virgins (!), and a Herr Cornelius, 505 an agreeable looking artist. Presently came a Herr or Doctor Raff, 506 a musician who has recently published a volume called Wagnerfrage. Soon after we were joined by Liszt and the Princess Marie, an elegant, gentle looking girl of 17, and last, by the Princess Wittgenstein 507 with her nephew Prince Eug'e8ne and a young French (or Swiss?) artist, a pupil of Scheffer.
The appearance of the Princess rather startled me at first. I had expected to see a tall distinguished looking woman, if not a beautiful one. But she is short and unbecomingly endowed with embonpoint; at the first glance the face is not pleasing, and the profile especially is harsh and barbarian, but the dark, bright hair and eyes give the idea of vivacity and strength. Her teeth, unhappily, are blackish too. She was tastefully dressed in a morning robe of some semi-transparent white material lined with orange-colour, which formed the bordering, and ornamented the sleeves, a black lace jacket, and a piquant cap set on the summit of her comb, and trimmed with violet colour.
The breakfast was not sumptuous either as to the food or the appointments. When the cigars came, Hoffmann was requested to read some of his poetry, and he gave us a bacchanalian poem with great spirit. I sat between Liszt and Miss Anderson, the Princess Marie's governess, an amiable but insignificant person. G. sat next the Princess and talked with her about Goethe, whom she pronounced to have been an egotist. My great delight was to watch Liszt and observe the sweetness of his expression. Genius, benevolence and tenderness beam from his whole countenance, and his manners are in perfect harmony with it. A little rain sent us into the house, and when we were seated in an elegant little drawing room, opening into a large music-salon, we had more reading from Hoffmann, and from the French artist who with a tremulous voice pitched in a minor key, read us some rather pretty sentimentalities of his own.
Then came the thing I had longed for -- Liszt's playing. I sat near him so that I could see both his hands and face. For the first time in my life I beheld real inspiration -- for the first time I heard the true tones of the piano. He played one of his own compositions -- one of a series of religious fantaisies. There was nothing strange or excessive about his manner. His manipulation of the instrument was quiet and easy, and his face was simply grand -- the lips compressed and the head thrown a little backward. When the music expressed quiet rapture or devotion a sweet smile flitted over his features; when it was triumphant the nostrils dilated. There was nothing petty or egoistic to mar the picture. Why did not Scheffer paint him thus instead of representing him as one of the three Magi?
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Cross, 1, 346-347.
About 'bd past 10 Liszt 500 called, and after chatting pleasantly for some time invited us to go and breakfast at his house, the Altenburg. Talking of Mde. D'Ago'fbt, 501 he told us that when her novel N'e9lida appeared, in which Liszt himself is pilloried as a delinquent, he asked her "Mais pourquoi avez vous tellement maltrait'e9 ce pauvre Lehmann?" 502
On arriving at the Altenburg we were shewn into the garden, where in a saloon formed by overarching trees, the d'e9je'fbner was set out. We found Hoffmann von Fallersleben, 503 the lyric poet, Dr. Schade, 504 a Gelehrter who has distinguished himself by a critical work on the 11,000 virgins (!), and a Herr Cornelius, 505 an agreeable looking artist. Presently came a Herr or Doctor Raff, 506 a musician who has recently published a volume called Wagnerfrage. Soon after we were joined by Liszt and the Princess Marie, an elegant, gentle looking girl of 17, and last, by the Princess Wittgenstein 507 with her nephew Prince Eug'e8ne and a young French (or Swiss?) artist, a pupil of Scheffer.
The appearance of the Princess rather startled me at first. I had expected to see a tall distinguished looking woman, if not a beautiful one. But she is short and unbecomingly endowed with embonpoint; at the first glance the face is not pleasing, and the profile especially is harsh and barbarian, but the dark, bright hair and eyes give the idea of vivacity and strength. Her teeth, unhappily, are blackish too. She was tastefully dressed in a morning robe of some semi-transparent white material lined with orange-colour, which formed the bordering, and ornamented the sleeves, a black lace jacket, and a piquant cap set on the summit of her comb, and trimmed with violet colour.
The breakfast was not sumptuous either as to the food or the appointments. When the cigars came, Hoffmann was requested to read some of his poetry, and he gave us a bacchanalian poem with great spirit. I sat between Liszt and Miss Anderson, the Princess Marie's governess, an amiable but insignificant person. G. sat next the Princess and talked with her about Goethe, whom she pronounced to have been an egotist. My great delight was to watch Liszt and observe the sweetness of his expression. Genius, benevolence and tenderness beam from his whole countenance, and his manners are in perfect harmony with it. A little rain sent us into the house, and when we were seated in an elegant little drawing room, opening into a large music-salon, we had more reading from Hoffmann, and from the French artist who with a tremulous voice pitched in a minor key, read us some rather pretty sentimentalities of his own.
Then came the thing I had longed for -- Liszt's playing. I sat near him so that I could see both his hands and face. For the first time in my life I beheld real inspiration -- for the first time I heard the true tones of the piano. He played one of his own compositions -- one of a series of religious fantaisies. There was nothing strange or excessive about his manner. His manipulation of the instrument was quiet and easy, and his face was simply grand -- the lips compressed and the head thrown a little backward. When the music expressed quiet rapture or devotion a sweet smile flitted over his features; when it was triumphant the nostrils dilated. There was nothing petty or egoistic to mar the picture. Why did not Scheffer paint him thus instead of representing him as one of the three Magi?
Citation
Ge Journal, GE Journal, Weimar, 10 August 1854, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/91947