[Tausig, Carl. (1841 - 1871)] Tausig, Seraphine. (1841-1931).
Two Autograph Letters Signed
Two very uncommon ALS from the Hungarian pianist, widow of pianist and composer Carl (Karol) Tausig. In German.To unknown male recipient. Preßburg [now Bratislava], September 26, 1875. 3 pp. Bifolium. "In response to your friendly letter I declare my full consent to your request—to play at your location in March. Until then I can only be dead or in good health. For now, I had one more relapse that confines me to my bed. - Although I will return to Vienna in one to two weeks already, I will stay there for three to four weeks only to stay here with my old father through the end of January and then move to Berlin for good in February, I ask you, dear Sir, to send any message here, to my father. - I would be pleased if I knew to quantity of musical number that I would have to cover in the program and also whether, besides [Liszt's] Fantasy on [Beethoven's] Die Ruinen von Athen with orchestral accompaniment, e.g. the C minor concerto by Beethoven would be appropriate (as it has been left untouched by the piano batterers for a while)? Or Weber's concerto in E-flat?" 7.75 x 4.75 inches (19.8 x 12 cm).
To same recipient. Vienna, January 30, 1876. 4 pp. Bifolium. "Due to one more illness, from which I have recovered just enough to hold a pen in my hands, I am forced to finally decline your extremely friendly invitation for March. - With such a shattered state of health, I cannot count on myself and found cause unpleasant disturbances to you. - Accept my best thanks for remembering my person, and in the future—insofar as I will have a future at all—please do not forget about me. - It will please me to be allowed to appear as a guest in a country that held my husband in such high esteem! - Now please permit me, dear Sir, to direct your attention (see the attached reviews), without personal interest, to a female pianist who, while still completely unknown, would be satisfied, even very happy, with one half of the fee promised to me if she could play in the Netherlands. Also the virtuoso violinist Teresine [! recte "Teresina"] Seidl, who is much celebrated here, a student of [Joseph] Hellmesberger [Sr.], would be ready to perform together with Miss Aub (for the fee promised to me) in the five major pieces. As both are very young, very pretty and talented, I thing that any faction of a concert audience would be satisfied. If you should have any intentions in that direction, I would expect a friendly message." Postscript sideways to final page: "There are even better reviews about my student, but I don't have them here." 5.25 x 3.5 inches (13.8 x 8.5 cm).
Seraphine Tausig, née von Vrabely, was a piano prodigy from Preßburg [Bratislava]. She studied with Alexander Dreyschock in Prague and probably with Franz Liszt in Weimar. She married Carl Tausig in 1864, stopped giving concerts around 1870 because of a tremor, and was mostly active as a teacher for the rest of her long life—first in her native city, then in Berlin and finally in Dresden. "Fräulein Aub," her young piano student mentioned in the second letter, remains unidentified, and documentation of Teresina Seidl is scant. It cannot be ruled out that they later married and made careers under their husband's names. (21684)
Autograph Letter Classical Music