To the Memory of MY BROTHER WALTER, AND TO OUR DEAR AND HONORED FRIEND A.J. HIPKINS, ESQ., I DEDICATE THIS TRANSLATION....

In writing a few words of Preface I wish to express, first and foremost, my appreciation of the extreme care and conscientiousness with which La Mara has prepared these volumes. In a spirit of no less reverence I have endeavored, in the English translation, to adhere as closely as possible to all the minute characteristics that add expression to Liszt's letters: punctuation has, of necessity, undergone alteration, but italics, inverted commas, dashes and other marks have been strictly observed.

1. To Carl Czerny in Vienna. [Autograph in the possession of M. Alfred Bovet at Valentigney.— The addressee was Liszt's former teacher, the celebrated Viennese teacher of music and composer of innumerable instructive works (1791-1857).] My very dear Master, When I think of all the immense obligations under which I am placed towards you, and at the same time consider how long I have left you without a sign of remembrance, I am perfectly ashamed and miserable, and in despair of ever being forgiven

Also, special German characters like U with an umlaut, and French characters like a's and e's with various markings above them were ignored, replaced with their closet single-letter equivalents. U with an umlaut is U, A with a caret above it is A, and so on. Words altered include Gotze, Tonkunstler, Gluck, Handel and Bulow, among others. In addition, the English spellings of words like "honour," "colour," "humour" and "theatre" were changed into American equivalents like "honor," "color," "humor

We welcome thee, from southern sunnier clime, To England's shore, And stretch glad hands across the lapse of time To the once more. Full twice two decades swiftly have rolled by Since thou wast here; A meteor flashing through our northern sky Thou didst appear. Thy coming now we greet with pleasure keen, And loyal heart, Adding tradition of what thou hast been To what thou art. No laurel can we weave into the crown Long years entwine, Nor add one honour into the renown Already thine: Yet might t

1. To Dr. Franz Brendel [Rome,] December 20th, 1861 Dear Friend, For the New Year I bring you nothing new; my soon ageing attachment and friendship remain unalterably yours. Let me hope that it will be granted to me to give you more proof of it from year to year. Since the beginning of October I have remained without news from Germany. How are my friends Bronsart, Draseke, Damrosch, Weissheimer? Give them my heartiest greetings, and let me see some notices of the onward endeavors and experiences

82. To Commerzienrath Carl Bechstein in Berlin [Head of the famous pianoforte-manufactory; our "Beflugler," as Bulow and Tausig called him (A play on the word Flugel, which means both a "grand piano" and "wings.")] Very Dear Sir, Accept a seven-octaved chromatic scale of thanks for your kindness in sending your magnificent piano for the Grand-Ducal Hofgartnerei in Weimar. I hope you will on some occasion allow me to have the pleasure of convincing you, de visu et audaitu, how glorious the instru