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Eric Sams
Selected
letters
to Maurice Brown
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10.
24th
September 1972
Dear Maurice,
how
nice, as ever, to hear from you. I've seldom heard anything more
daunting, in its way, than your description of the Schubert Grove
article, and in particular the list of works. The sheerly mountainous
nature of that task must overhang the mind like some propitious Alp.
I think it qualifies you for canonisation, as St. Maurice of
Marlborough. Wasn't there something about salvation through Works?
Another mammoth chore, which I find peculiarly irksome, is the
bibliography – especially now that Stanley is demanding (very
properly, of course) page numbers for all periodical articles.
Actually having to read and check one's own bibliographical
references is surely going a bit too far? It's possibly even rather
bad form, like laughing at one's own jokes!
Well, I shan't offer to convert you to Mendelssohn. But I've
always rather liked some of the songs, and a few other works.
Heimkehr aus der Fremde
might be revived now and then.
I'm
sure I'd enjoy it more than those Haydn operas I dutifully go and sit
through at Camden. It so happens that I am now the only person in the
world to have read through Mendelssohn's letters. As a result, I
claim to be an authority. My only actual qualification is stamina;
and there doesn't seem to be much competition: I've just been
reviewing: a Mendelssohn catalogue issued by the Bodleian, one item
of which may interest you. Plate no 30 – MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn
b.2, fol.52. F. Chopin: Ballade in F minor, op. 52.
The letter-press reads — “The F minor Ballade, one of Chopin's
finest works, was composed in 1842, but the autograph was considered
lost until its recent discovery in Cecile's album, which Felix began
for her Christmas resent, 1844. Unfortunately only four pages are
present, containing about half the work (barsl136). The album also
contains an autograph fair copy of the same composer's Mazurka in A
flat, op .59 no. 2, specially written out for Cecile on 3 October
1845. Mendelssohn had first met Chopin in Berlin in 1828, and their
friendship continued for the rest of
Felix's life”.
I expect you've already got those in the new catalogue (rather
tendentiously reviewed by Gerald Abraham, I thought) but perhaps
there are some new details there.
Of course you' re right about the Grove Wolf; the ghost of FW is
much in evidence, gently chiding. An affable familiar ghost, in fact,
though I wish I could say it nightly gulls me with intelligence.
(Isn't it clear to you, incidentally, though it seems very far from
clear to Dr. Rowse, that the poet thus referred to in the sonnets is
George Chapman?) I don't know how it goes with your Hedley—Chopin;
but I'm rapidly reaching the conclusion that there's not a lot to be
said for putting new patches on old garments. I feel that the jut and
sensible thing to do is to add only the new material which first
appeared in FW 2nd edition, almost entirely about the Melanie Köchert
affair, and leave it at that, of course with the necessary updating
of the bibliography and to a much lesser extent the list of
works.
It’s a very fortunate thing, isn't it, that this kind of work is
its own reward? For otherwise there'd be no reward at all.
Do you feel that one ought to arrange Wolf's works
alphabetically and not chronologically? The thought fills me with
dismay.
I trust John Reed has sent you a copy of his book. It reads
well, I think, and interestingly. And might you be interested in
Norman del Mar vol. III on Strauss which has recently appeared? It
makes a special feature of the Lieder.
Please lot me know when you're next in town; and I'd be
particularly grateful to be kept posted on any developments there may
be on the question of a revised Deutsch catalogue.
Kindest regards
yours ever
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