[LISZT] PLEYEL, Marie (1811-1875)

[LISZT] PLEYEL, Marie (1811-1875)

Autograph letter signed « M. Pleyel » [to Louis Brandus and Ernest d’Hannecort?]
Brussels, n.d « 15th January » [after 1865], 1 p. in-8°
Some missing bits on right hand margin, tiny holes due to ink corrosion, reinforced margins with neutral tape (see scans)

A curious request from the virtuoso pianist to obtain two musical works by Franz Liszt

« Messieurs,
Permettez-moi de vous offrir mes remerciements les plus sincères pour la nouvelle gracieuseté que je dois à votre obligeance.
Me trouverez-vous trop indiscrète si je vous prie de vouloir bien m’envoyer le morceau de Liszt sur la marche Indienne de l’Africaine ainsi que la Schiller Marsch du même auteur ?
Si ma demande est importune n’en accusez que la bonne grâce avec laquelle vous m’avez toujours traitée et croyez, Messieurs, à mes sentiments bien reconnaissants et bien dévoués.
M. Pleyel »

The works commissioned here by Marie Pleyel are for the first part a piece from Illustrations de l’opéra « L’Africaine » (S.415), composed by Liszt, after Meyerbeer’s opera. Liszt was particularly fond of this opera and composed two piano pieces for it only a few weeks after its premiere: the first is a fantasia on the morning prayer of the Portuguese sailors at the beginning of the third act, and the second is a virtuoso transcription of the Marche indienne that opens the fourth act, which is referred to here in the letter.
The second is one of the thirteen symphonic poems written by Liszt, a genre of which he was also the creator. Marie Pleyel is referring here to the Kunstler Festzug “Schiller Marsch” from Die Ideale (after the poem with the eponymous title by Friedrich von Schiller), composed by Liszt in 1859.

Marie Pleyel is one of the most famous virtuosos of the nineteenth century. Considered by Liszt to be “not just a great female pianist, but one of the greatest artists in the world”, they performed together in Vienna in 1839. Born Marie-Félicité-Denise Moke, she married Camille Pleyel (son of the composer and piano maker Ignace Joseph Pleyel) on 5 April 1831, after breaking off her engagement to Hector Berlioz.

This letter is probably addressed to Louis Brandus and his associate Ernest d’Hannecort. Brandus’ publishing company was the only one to have published the two scores mentioned in this letter.