If Franz Liszt's farewell to Central and Eastern Europe --
as a touring pianist virtuoso, at any rate --
saw him winding up his performing career in 1846 - 1847,
Vienna was at the same time being vigilantly guarded by Metternich.

Remember the poet, Petrichevich-Horváth?
Before Liszt descended in all his glory upon Hungary,
the aristocratic writer had busied himself with, amongst other things,
a Hungarian translation of the poetry of Lord Byron,
and in Budapest he was known for a dandy.
He was the editor of a Hungarian-language periodical
in which he savaged the poet Sandor Petofi who was unashamedly nationalist.
Also working at this journal was Georg Gustav Zerffi,
aspiring to a journalistic career.
Zerffi's father, it is written, was responsible for changing the family name;
it was previously Hirsch, and the father's ancestors, Jewish.

In fact both men -- Petrichevich-Horváth and Zerffi --
answered to Vienna, maybe not directly to Metternich but most likely
to Metternich's network of secret intelligence.
It gives one pause to see these two journalists
hurrying to welcome Franz Liszt to their part of Europe,
brokering concert engagements for him,
writing news reports covering record-breaking attendance at his concerts and describing the performances.
And, like as not, keeping communications going between themselves
and their masters in Vienna.

When the smoke cleared, as it were,
a Petrichevich-Horváth poem had been shortened from four stanzas to two
and set to music by Liszt,
accompanied by Zerffi's German translation.
Liszt being Liszt, he made sure that his name was spelled correctly,
and took the publicity in stride.