fmb-1840-02-28-01

            Leipzig, 28th febr. 1840. My dear friend Your letter gave me a very great pleasure. I wish your occupations might allow you to write me sometimes and not too seldom; I shall always answer punctually, and it would be a very great treat to me to continue as it were a conversation which we were compelled to break off too soon. There is none of my friends in England whose letters give me so quite the feeling of presence as yours do, and as you say you must use a Dictionary to read a German letter, I will much rather use it in writing an English one, & put you to inconvenience of decyphering my imaginary language, which I intend for yours. And now I will not say more on the subject, but let us often hear from each other!
Thanks for your ideas on the plan of Dives & Lazarus – be sure that I am fully aware of your kindness in thus discussing the matter with me, instead of leaving it off at once, as I unfortunately experienced it so often; and I thank you more for it than I can well express. After what you say, I see that I have not been able to form an exact idea of what you intend the whole to be; the fact is, that I did not quite understand what part both figures should act in hell or in heaven – because I do not quite understand the part they act on earth – and indeed the true sense of the story itself, as I find it in the Evangile. – Or is there another source, which you took your notions from? I asked some of my theological friends here, but they knew none. – I only find Dives very rich and Lazarus very poor, and as it cannot be only for his riches that one is burning in hell, while the other must have greater claims to be carried to to Abraham’s bosom than his poverty alone, it seemed to me as if some very important part of the story was left in blank. Or should Lazarus be taken as an example of a virtuous poor man, the other of the contrary? But then we ought to know or to learn (by the poem) what he does or has done to deserve the greatest of all rewards: the mere reason (as given in St Luke) that he suffered want, and that the other has had his share of hapiness on earth already, does not seem sufficient to me to give interest to the principal figure of such a poem, as that which you intend. – Perhaps you have another view of the whole; pray let me know it, and tell me what part you would give to both of them in earth, hell and heaven – if once delivered of this scruple, I should quite agree with your opinion, and the great beauties, you point out, I certainly should feel and admire with all my heart. Do not lose patience with me; I am of a rather slow understanding, and can never move forwards untill I have quite understood a thing. The best is, that in all such discussions one always draws nearer, not only to the subject, but also to each other.
But what is this return of your illness and the continual complaint of which you write me? You seemed so well and so high in your spirits when we met here. Are you not perhaps too busy, and take too little rest? Half and hours rest or walk may benefit so very much if taken in right time, but I am afraid London is the worst place for thinking of such things, which however take always revenge if neglected. And yet it must be possible there also. – Am I not talking like an old „Philister“? I am in earnest however. Pray give me better news in your next letter; tell me that you are quite recovered, and that you will take care of yourself!
Of the Moscheles’ and Klingemann you do not speak; do you know whether the first have received my letter 2 or 3 months ago, and the other … letters lately? And how are they? – What you say of Miss Novello is, I am sorry to say, quite my opinion and the impression her continental tour has produced upon her seems to me very far from favourable. I always thought every sensible person should only improved by kindness shewn to her and be driven to greater exertions by the expectations and the praises of friends – and I was more sorry, than I can express, to see in this instance quite the contrary. This and a few other similar experiences I believe to be the causes why I cannot think of my returning to England with so unmixed a pleasure as I should have done otherwise – indeed I find it difficult to make up my mind, whether I should like to go or not, while I would not have hesitated a moment in former years. I had some letters about musical Festivals at Birmingham & Edinburgh, which made me think over these matters very often last week; and yet I was not able to overcome all my objections and, much as I wish to see again your country and all my excellent friends there, I fear that I shall rather decline than accept those kind and honoring offers. Does not Moscheles go to the Continent next summer? and when, and to which place? If he went to Hamburgh, perhaps could I manage to pay him a visit. – What you write of the Conservatoire of Paris has surprised me, and I could scarcely believe it, if I had not found the same fault in their execution of Mozart’s & Haydn’s, which you blame in Beethoven’s works; their extreme vivacity had carried them to overload the two former masters Compositions and to hunt for effects and admiration where a conscientious fidelity was required and nothing more. This was not the case whith Beethoven’s Symphonies, which they really performed without frivolity & exageration; but 8 years have elapsed since, and as they most probably wanted to add some new & better effects every year, it must be now the same case, as with their predecessors, and then I am afraid they will get tired of them as soon, as of the others. But now good bye! David sends a thousand wishes and will write in German one of these days. Schleinitz sends his regards and talks often of the „Englishman“ meaning you par exellence. Once more adieu; always very truly yours
F. Mendelssohn B          

            <TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0 ../../../fmbc_framework/xsd/fmb-c.xsd" xml:id="fmb-1840-02-28-01" xml:space="default"> <teiHeader xml:lang="de"> <fileDesc> <titleStmt> <title key="fmb-1840-02-28-01" xml:id="title_8574d4f2-657d-45f2-82b7-4981a7b99dfa">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an Henry Fothergill Chorley in London<lb></lb>Leipzig, 28. Februar 1840</title> <title level="s" type="incipit" xml:id="title_00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000">My dear friend Your letter gave me a very great pleasure. I wish your occupations might allow you to write me sometimes and not too seldom; I shall always answer punctually, and it would be</title> <title level="s" type="sub" xml:id="title_f138ab6f-1bcc-4408-b305-2fd43b17f321">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online (FMB-C)</title> <title key="unknown" type="precursor">noch nicht eingetragen</title> <title key="unknown" type="successor">noch nicht eingetragen</title> <author key="PSN0000001">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</author><respStmt><resp resp="writer"></resp><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName></respStmt><respStmt resp="transcription"> <resp resp="transcription">Transkription: </resp> <name resp="transcription">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> <respStmt resp="edition"> <resp resp="edition">Edition: </resp> <name resp="edition">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> </titleStmt> <publicationStmt> <publisher>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe (FMB-C). Institut für Musikwissenschaft und Medienwissenschaft. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin</publisher> <address> <street>Am Kupfergraben 5</street> <placeName> <settlement>10117 Berlin</settlement> <country>Deutschland</country> </placeName> </address> <idno type="URI">http://www.mendelssohn-online.com</idno> <availability> <licence target="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)</licence> </availability> <idno type="MSB">Bd. 7, 2652 </idno> </publicationStmt> <seriesStmt> <p>Maschinenlesbare Übertragung der vollständigen Korrespondenz Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys (FMB-C)</p> </seriesStmt> <sourceDesc source="edition_template_printout" xml:id="sourceDesc_9b230ca6-aedd-4370-af17-855728115880"> <bibl type="Faksimile-Druck">Reproduktion des Autographs, Privatbesitz.</bibl> <msDesc> <msIdentifier> <country>-</country> <settlement>-</settlement> <institution key="RISM">-</institution> <repository>Privatbesitz</repository> <collection>-</collection> <idno type="signatur">-</idno> </msIdentifier> <msContents> <msItem> <title key="fmb-1840-02-28-01" type="letter" xml:id="title_c47d9711-6a44-439b-8a19-1b606a1cd1bd">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an Henry Fothergill Chorley in London; Leipzig, 28. Februar 1840</title> <incipit>My dear friend Your letter gave me a very great pleasure. I wish your occupations might allow you to write me sometimes and not too seldom; I shall always answer punctually, and it would be a very great treat to me </incipit> </msItem> </msContents> <physDesc> <p>4 beschr. S.; Adresse.</p> <handDesc hands="1"> <p>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy</p> </handDesc> <accMat> <listBibl> <bibl type="none"></bibl> </listBibl> </accMat> </physDesc> <history> <provenance><p>-</p> </provenance> </history> <additional> <listBibl> <bibl type="printed_letter">Bledsoe, Henry Fothergill Chorley, S. 99 f. (Teildruck).</bibl> </listBibl> </additional> </msDesc> </sourceDesc> </fileDesc> <encodingDesc><projectDesc><p>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C: Digitale Edition der vollständigen Korrespondenz Hin- und Gegenbriefe Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys auf XML-TEI-Basis.</p></projectDesc><editorialDecl><p>Die Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C ediert die Gesamtkorrespondenz des Komponisten Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy 1809-1847 in Form einer digitalen, wissenschaftlich-kritischen Online-Ausgabe. Sie bietet neben der diplomatischen Wiedergabe der rund 6.000 Briefe Mendelssohns erstmals auch eine Gesamtausgabe der über 7.200 Briefe an den Komponisten sowie einen textkritischen, inhalts- und kontexterschließenden Kommentar aller Briefe. Sie wird ergänzt durch eine Personen- und Werkdatenbank, eine Lebenschronologie Mendelssohns, zahlreicher Register der Briefe, Werke, Orte und Körperschaften sowie weitere Verzeichnisse. Philologisches Konzept,  Philologische FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Uta Wald, Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Digitales Konzept, Digitale FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Technische Konzeption der Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence FMB-C Ausgabe und Webdesign: Dr. Ulrich Taschow.</p></editorialDecl></encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <creation><date cert="high" when="1840-02-28" xml:id="date_104b1cc1-87b3-4bfc-b04d-772020503a0c">28. Februar 1840</date></creation> <correspDesc> <correspAction type="sent"> <persName key="PSN0000001" resp="author" xml:id="persName_9d1e00ac-b0f7-49be-be7e-10c4bc13b625">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName><note>counter-reset</note><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName> <placeName type="writing_place" xml:id="placeName_3743b12f-9ea0-4c27-865d-0571ee9a6bd0"><settlement key="STM0100116">Leipzig</settlement><country>Deutschland</country></placeName> </correspAction> <correspAction type="received"> <persName key="PSN0110376" resp="receiver" xml:id="persName_3fa8ff59-011d-44f8-a618-1d49106305db">Chorley, Henry Fothergill (1808-1872)</persName> <placeName type="receiving_place" xml:id="placeName_3152dcc3-f0cd-4b7b-80de-eeda77dd898a"><settlement key="STM0100126">London</settlement><country>Großbritannien</country></placeName> </correspAction> </correspDesc> <langUsage> <language ident="en">englisch</language> </langUsage> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc status="draft">  </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text type="letter"> <body> <div type="address" xml:id="div_059e3e2d-0ccc-4345-ae43-8803972bbd5f"> <head> <address> <addrLine>H. F. Chorley</addrLine> <addrLine>Esqure</addrLine> <addrLine>9 Chapel Street Belgrave Square</addrLine> <addrLine><hi n="1" rend="underline">London</hi></addrLine> </address> </head> </div> <div n="1" type="act_of_writing" xml:id="div_1ac4da2b-91ab-4ae8-b711-f243aa55f901"> <docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="author" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor> <docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="writer" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor> <dateline rend="right">Leipzig, <date cert="high" when="1840-02-28" xml:id="date_16accf46-a41c-4232-ad4c-534dbd8df951">28<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> febr. 1840</date>.</dateline> <p style="paragraph_without_indent"><seg type="salute">My dear friend</seg> Your letter gave me a very great pleasure. I wish your occupations might allow you to write me sometimes and not too seldom; I shall always answer punctually, and it would be a very great treat to me to continue as it were a conversation which we were compelled to break off too soon. There is none of my friends in England whose letters give me so quite the feeling of presence as yours do, and as you say you must use a Dictionary to read a German letter, I will much rather use it in writing an English one, &amp; put you to inconvenience of decyphering my imaginary language, which I intend for yours. And now I will not say more on the subject, but let us often hear from each other!</p> <p>Thanks for your ideas on the <title xml:id="title_a32c728d-c0ee-4103-a09d-6d4e9f08ae7a">plan of Dives &amp; Lazarus<name key="PSN0110376" style="hidden" type="author">Chorley, Henry Fothergill (1808-1872)</name><name key="CRT0108428" style="hidden" type="dramatic_work">Dives &amp; Lazarus (Librettoentwurf)</name></title> – be sure that I am fully aware of your kindness in thus discussing the matter with me, instead of leaving it off at once, as I unfortunately experienced it so often; and I thank you more for it than I can well express. After what you say, I see that I have not been able to form an exact idea of what you intend the whole to be; the fact is, that I did not quite understand what part both figures should act in hell or in heaven – because I do not quite understand the part they act on earth – and indeed the true sense of the story itself, as I find it in the Evangile. – Or is there another source, which you took your notions from? I asked some of my theological friends here, but they knew none. – I only find Dives very rich and Lazarus very poor, and as it cannot be only for his riches that one is burning in hell, while the other must have greater claims to be carried to to Abraham’s bosom than his poverty alone, it seemed to me as if some very important part of the story was left in blank. Or should Lazarus be taken as an example of a virtuous poor man, the other of the contrary? But then we ought to know or to learn (by the poem) what he <hi rend="underline">does</hi> or <hi rend="underline">has done</hi> to deserve the greatest of all rewards: the mere reason (as given in S<hi rend="superscript">t</hi> Luke) that he suffered want, and that the other has had his share of hapiness on earth already, does not seem sufficient to me to give interest to the principal figure of such a poem, as that which you intend. – Perhaps you have another view of the whole; pray let me know it, and tell me what part you would give to both of them in earth, hell and heaven – if once delivered of this scruple, I should quite agree with your opinion, and the great beauties, you point out, I certainly should feel and admire with all my heart. Do not lose patience with me; I am of a rather slow understanding, and can never move forwards untill I have quite understood a thing. The best is, that in all such discussions one always draws nearer, not only to the subject, but also to each other.</p> <p>But what is this return of your illness and the continual complaint of which you write me? You seemed so well and so high in your spirits when we met here. Are you not perhaps <hi rend="underline">too</hi> busy, and take too little rest? Half and hours rest or walk may benefit so very much if taken in right time, but I am afraid London is the worst place for thinking of such things, which however take always revenge if neglected. And yet it must be possible there also. – Am I not talking like an old „Philister“? I am in earnest however. Pray give me better news in your next letter; tell me that you are quite recovered, and that you will take care of yourself!</p> <p>Of the <persName xml:id="persName_70ae8732-dc93-4148-b944-bc9093997469">Moscheles’<name key="PSN0113436" style="hidden">Moscheles, Charlotte (1805-1889)</name><name key="PSN0113441" style="hidden">Moscheles, Ignaz (Isack) (1794-1870)</name></persName> and <persName xml:id="persName_24a89cbe-496d-4c96-a91a-6ee8e86c9fd7">Klingemann<name key="PSN0112434" style="hidden">Klingemann, Ernst Georg Carl Christoph Konrad (1798-1862)</name></persName> you do not speak; do you know whether the first have received my letter 2 or 3 months ago, and the other […] letters lately? And how are they? – What you say of Miss <persName xml:id="persName_e52d4694-666d-4bbe-93ef-eae089ecd935">Novello<name key="PSN0113621" style="hidden">Novello, Clara Anastasia (1818-1908)</name></persName> is, I am sorry to say, quite my opinion and the impression her continental tour has produced upon her seems to me very far from favourable. I always thought every sensible person should only improved by kindness shewn to her and be driven to greater exertions by the expectations and the praises of friends – and I was more sorry, than I can express, to see in this instance quite the contrary. This and a few other similar experiences I believe to be the causes why I cannot think of my returning to England with so unmixed a pleasure as I should have done otherwise – indeed I find it difficult to make up my mind, whether I should like to go or not, while I would not have hesitated a moment in former years. I had some letters about musical Festivals at <placeName xml:id="placeName_d4a6a5bc-f504-470c-975f-292d7b8c265e">Birmingham<name key="NST0100324" style="hidden" subtype="" type="institution">The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival</name><settlement key="STM0100323" style="hidden" type="">Birmingham</settlement><country style="hidden">Großbritannien</country></placeName> &amp; <placeName xml:id="placeName_cfe27800-2d7c-4dde-8e7a-8898e341ea9e">Edinburgh<name key="NST0103625" style="hidden" subtype="" type="institution">Edinburgh Musical Festival (1840, nicht realisiert)</name><settlement key="STM0100316" style="hidden" type="">Edinburgh</settlement><country style="hidden">Großbritannien</country></placeName>, which made me think over these matters very often last week; and yet I was not able to overcome all my objections and, much as I wish to see again your country and all my excellent friends there, I fear that I shall rather decline than accept those kind and honoring offers. Does not <persName xml:id="persName_f70593ac-751e-4bf8-b7a7-0caa084d3659">Moscheles<name key="PSN0113441" style="hidden">Moscheles, Ignaz (Isack) (1794-1870)</name></persName> go to the Continent next summer? and when, and to which place? If he went to Hamburgh, perhaps could I manage to pay him a visit. – What you write of the <placeName xml:id="placeName_42f6eb51-20d9-4d59-8d23-308b824c07d3">Conservatoire of Paris<name key="NST0100349" style="hidden" subtype="" type="institution">Conservatoire de Musique</name><settlement key="STM0100105" style="hidden" type="">Paris</settlement><country style="hidden">Frankreich</country></placeName> has surprised me, and I could scarcely believe it, if I had not found the same fault in their execution of <persName xml:id="persName_a7d9736c-d346-4d69-be7a-4e40b4328cac">Mozart’s<name key="PSN0113466" style="hidden">Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)</name></persName> &amp; <persName xml:id="persName_6472b3fa-f3a9-4ec6-9787-d3de173cb039">Haydn’s<name key="PSN0111789" style="hidden">Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)</name></persName>, which you blame in <persName xml:id="persName_e394a3e8-5c5c-4411-a33b-f11b81518391">Beethoven’s<name key="PSN0109771" style="hidden">Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)</name></persName> works; their extreme vivacity had carried them to overload the two former masters Compositions and to hunt for effects and admiration where a conscientious fidelity was required and nothing more. This was not the case whith <persName xml:id="persName_f0451c72-4b28-45a4-8557-0a3601ba45d1">Beethoven’s<name key="PSN0109771" style="hidden">Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)</name></persName> Symphonies, which they really performed without frivolity &amp; exageration; but 8 years have elapsed since, and as they most probably wanted to add some new &amp; better effects every year, it must be now the same case, as with their predecessors, and then I am afraid they will get tired of them as soon, as of the others. But now good bye! <persName xml:id="persName_4843d6f0-010e-438b-8fa9-42882ae60118">David<name key="PSN0110564" style="hidden">David, Ernst Victor Carl Ferdinand (1810-1873)</name></persName> sends a thousand wishes and will write in German one of these days. <persName xml:id="persName_46bb9faa-2ad4-4d3b-acdb-08987d0e18e0">Schleinitz<name key="PSN0114567" style="hidden">Schleinitz, Heinrich Conrad (1802-1881)</name></persName> sends his regards and talks often of the „Englishman“ meaning you par exellence. <seg type="closer" xml:id="seg_c0287a35-2e97-42c5-9e10-1c0d7435a672">Once more adieu; always very truly yours</seg></p> <signed rend="right">F. Mendelssohn B</signed> </div> </body> </text></TEI>