Franz Liszt and Augusta Holmès met for the first time in Munich in 1869 during the general rehearsal of Wagner’s Das Rheingold. Holmès was a young and ambitious woman who aspired to become composer; Liszt was the abbé Liszt, the virtuoso transformed in composer, teacher and religious man.
The name of Augusta Holmès is rarely cited in Lisztian studies but she was greatly estemeed by Liszt. The correspondence between Liszt and Holmès covers only four years (from November 1869 to March 1873). Six letters by Liszt are located, two of them published in the present essay for the first time; the existence of letters by Holmès is only attested but they are mentioned at their chronological place in order to show the relationship between the two musicians.
Liszt’s letters, all transcribed from the original manuscripts, show us his attention for the music by the young woman and his active involvement in the promotion of her works.