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JOB 94-3, [2] - Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hammer dated May 25, 1922
A photocopy of this letter (which is preserved at the New York Public Library) exists in the Oswald Jonas Collection as OJ 5/15a, [2].
Wissen Sie davon, daß Sie – entgegen Ihrer Zusage
2
– bei uns nicht gewesen sind? So bleibt mir nur übrig, die kleine
„Urlinie“ zu Mendelssohns’ „Altdeutschem Lied“ Ihnen u. Ihrer „schwimmenden“
Frau
3
durch die Post zu übersenden.
4
Die
Ć usw.
5
stellen die
Töne der Ddur
Diatonie
dar
[:]
Die Frage nach dem Fingersatz in der „chrom. Fant.“ 6 ist ja nach dem Instrument zu beantworten. Für das Clavichord haben Sie Recht, aber für das Clavicembalo, geschweige unser Instrument darf auch schon mein Fingersatz Geltung beanspruchen. Daß ich das Klavier von heute nicht nach der Spielweise der älteren Instrumente behandeln darf, glaube ich Ihnen einmal schon gesagt {2} zu haben. Anschlag, Farbe, Fingersatz, Pedal müssen sich richten darnach, was man unter den Händen hat. Wo bleibt denn Ihre Schrift? 7 Offenbar geht es Ihnen so, wie mir. Der schon Anfang Mai erwartete III Band der Theorien (der 2. Bd. des Kp.) ist noch immer nicht da; 8 das II Heft des Tonwille erscheint in nächster Woche, wo es im Grunde schon im März hätte draußen sein können. 9 Mein Verleger hat sich wieder einmal in der Glorie österreichischer Kriecherei vor dem Westen gezeigt u. es setzte schwere Konflikte zwischen ihm u. mir ab: er fürchtet sich, gewisse Sachen zu drucken, — sollte man es von einem „Demokraten“, als der er sich gibt, glauben im XX Jhdt.?! Die Sache ist noch nicht ganz ausgetragen, Sie kam mir recht ungelegen in eine Kur, die ich durchzumachen hatte. 10 Desto sehnsüchtiger harre ich der Stunde entgegen, da wir nach Tirol werden ausfahren dürfen. Kennen Sie Galtür im Paznauntal? Die von Ihnen empfohlenen Fiedler u. Hildebrand hoffe ich im Sommer lesen zu können. 11 Wo sind Sie derzeit, in Wien, oder schon auf dem Lande? Von mir u. meiner Frau beste Grüße Ihnen u. Ihrer Frau Gemalin Ihr [signed:] H Schenker 25. Mai 1922 [p. 3 is Schenker's sketch of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied", written out on two systems of two staves each, on a sheet of printed, nine-stave manuscript.] © Transcription Hedi Siegel & Stephanie Probst, 2016 |
Do you realize that you didn't come to see me after all ‒ in spite of what you
promised?
2
So now I have no choice but to
send you and your "floundering" wife
3
the small
Urlinie of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied" by mail.
The Ć etc.
5
represent the notes of the D major diatony:
The answer to your question about the fingering in the Chromatic Fantasy 6 in fact depends on the instrument being played. For the clavichord, you are right, but for the harpsichord, my fingering may claim validity, my own instrument notwithstanding. I think I mentioned to you at some point that I don't believe in playing the piano of today according to methods of playing on earlier instruments. {2} Touch, color, fingering, pedal must be determined by what is under one's hands. What has happened to your monograph? 7 Evidently your situation is much like mine. Volume III of the Theories (vol. 2 of Counterpoint), expected at the beginning of May, is still not here; 8 the second issue of Tonwille will appear in the coming weeks, though it could actually have come out in March. 9 My publisher has yet again demonstrated how the glory of Austria grovels before the West and bitter conflict arose between him and me: he is afraid to print certain things, — it's hard to believe that this could come from a "democrat" (as he calls himself) in the twentieth century?! The matter is not quite settled; it arose quite inopportunely at a time when I was in the middle of a course of treatment I had to undergo. 10 I look forward all the more longingly to the time we can leave for the Tyrol. Do you know Galtür in the Paznaun valley? Over the summer, I hope to be able to read the Fiedler and Hildebrand books you recommended. 11 Where are you at present, in Vienna or already in the country? Best wishes from me and my wife to you and your wife Your [signed:] H. Schenker May 25, 1922 [p. 3 is Schenker's sketch of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied", written out on two systems of two staves each, on a sheet of printed, nine-stave manuscript.] © Translation Hedi Siegel & Stephanie Probst, 2016 |
Wissen Sie davon, daß Sie – entgegen Ihrer Zusage
2
– bei uns nicht gewesen sind? So bleibt mir nur übrig, die kleine
„Urlinie“ zu Mendelssohns’ „Altdeutschem Lied“ Ihnen u. Ihrer „schwimmenden“
Frau
3
durch die Post zu übersenden.
4
Die
Ć usw.
5
stellen die
Töne der Ddur
Diatonie
dar
[:]
Die Frage nach dem Fingersatz in der „chrom. Fant.“ 6 ist ja nach dem Instrument zu beantworten. Für das Clavichord haben Sie Recht, aber für das Clavicembalo, geschweige unser Instrument darf auch schon mein Fingersatz Geltung beanspruchen. Daß ich das Klavier von heute nicht nach der Spielweise der älteren Instrumente behandeln darf, glaube ich Ihnen einmal schon gesagt {2} zu haben. Anschlag, Farbe, Fingersatz, Pedal müssen sich richten darnach, was man unter den Händen hat. Wo bleibt denn Ihre Schrift? 7 Offenbar geht es Ihnen so, wie mir. Der schon Anfang Mai erwartete III Band der Theorien (der 2. Bd. des Kp.) ist noch immer nicht da; 8 das II Heft des Tonwille erscheint in nächster Woche, wo es im Grunde schon im März hätte draußen sein können. 9 Mein Verleger hat sich wieder einmal in der Glorie österreichischer Kriecherei vor dem Westen gezeigt u. es setzte schwere Konflikte zwischen ihm u. mir ab: er fürchtet sich, gewisse Sachen zu drucken, — sollte man es von einem „Demokraten“, als der er sich gibt, glauben im XX Jhdt.?! Die Sache ist noch nicht ganz ausgetragen, Sie kam mir recht ungelegen in eine Kur, die ich durchzumachen hatte. 10 Desto sehnsüchtiger harre ich der Stunde entgegen, da wir nach Tirol werden ausfahren dürfen. Kennen Sie Galtür im Paznauntal? Die von Ihnen empfohlenen Fiedler u. Hildebrand hoffe ich im Sommer lesen zu können. 11 Wo sind Sie derzeit, in Wien, oder schon auf dem Lande? Von mir u. meiner Frau beste Grüße Ihnen u. Ihrer Frau Gemalin Ihr [signed:] H Schenker 25. Mai 1922 [p. 3 is Schenker's sketch of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied", written out on two systems of two staves each, on a sheet of printed, nine-stave manuscript.] © Transcription Hedi Siegel & Stephanie Probst, 2016 |
Do you realize that you didn't come to see me after all ‒ in spite of what you
promised?
2
So now I have no choice but to
send you and your "floundering" wife
3
the small
Urlinie of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied" by mail.
The Ć etc.
5
represent the notes of the D major diatony:
The answer to your question about the fingering in the Chromatic Fantasy 6 in fact depends on the instrument being played. For the clavichord, you are right, but for the harpsichord, my fingering may claim validity, my own instrument notwithstanding. I think I mentioned to you at some point that I don't believe in playing the piano of today according to methods of playing on earlier instruments. {2} Touch, color, fingering, pedal must be determined by what is under one's hands. What has happened to your monograph? 7 Evidently your situation is much like mine. Volume III of the Theories (vol. 2 of Counterpoint), expected at the beginning of May, is still not here; 8 the second issue of Tonwille will appear in the coming weeks, though it could actually have come out in March. 9 My publisher has yet again demonstrated how the glory of Austria grovels before the West and bitter conflict arose between him and me: he is afraid to print certain things, — it's hard to believe that this could come from a "democrat" (as he calls himself) in the twentieth century?! The matter is not quite settled; it arose quite inopportunely at a time when I was in the middle of a course of treatment I had to undergo. 10 I look forward all the more longingly to the time we can leave for the Tyrol. Do you know Galtür in the Paznaun valley? Over the summer, I hope to be able to read the Fiedler and Hildebrand books you recommended. 11 Where are you at present, in Vienna or already in the country? Best wishes from me and my wife to you and your wife Your [signed:] H. Schenker May 25, 1922 [p. 3 is Schenker's sketch of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied", written out on two systems of two staves each, on a sheet of printed, nine-stave manuscript.] © Translation Hedi Siegel & Stephanie Probst, 2016 |
Footnotes1 Writing of this letter is recorded in Schenker's diary at OJ 3/3, p. 2433, May 25, 1922: "An Hammer (Br.): Urlinie des Altdeutschen Liedes von Mendelssohn." ("To Hammer (letter): Urlinie of Mendelssohn's 'Altdeutsches Lied.'"). 2 See Hammer's letter of March 23, 1922 (OJ 11/36, [5]), to which Schenker is replying. 3 In his letter of March 23, Hammer had written that his wife "'schwimmt' halt doch wenn sie versucht von Mendelssohn das 'Altdeutsche Lied' . . . zu singen." ("literally 'flounders around' when she attempts to sing Mendelssohn's 'Altdeutsches Lied. . . .'"). 4 Schenker enclosed a separate sheet containing a sketch showing the Urlinie of Mendelssohn's "Altdeutsches Lied," Op. 57, No. 1, inscribed "dem noch schwimmenden Ehepaar Hammer" ("to the still floundering Hammer couple"). The sketch and part of the letter are reproduced and discussed in Hedi Siegel, "Looking at the Urlinie," in Structure and Meaning in Tonal Music, Festschrift in Honor of Carl Schachter, ed. Poundie Burstein and David Gagné (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon, 2006), pp. 79‒99, esp. 82–86. 5 The careted numbers in the sketch, starting with Ć: Ć ą Ą ă | ĉ Ĉ (Ě Ĉ) ć (ę ć) Ć ą Ą ă Ă. 6 See Hammer's letter of March 23, 1922 (OJ 11/36, [5]). 7 Hammer's monograph, referred to as his "Schrift," is mentioned frequently in his correspondence with Schenker; its relation to any of Hammer's published writings is unknown. 8 Kontrapunkt, Book 2, the second part of volume II of Neue musikalische Theorien und Phantasien, was issued on July 7, 1922, according to Schenker's diary entry for that date. 9 Tonwille 2 was not released until June 10, 1922. 10 This may refer to the strict diet Schenker was observing as a treatment for diabetes; see his letter to Moriz Violin, May 6, 1922 (OJ 6/7, [3]). 11 Konrad Fiedlers Schriften über Kunst, ed. Hermann Konnerth, 2 vols. (Munich: Piper, 1913–14) and Adolph von Hildebrand, Das Problem der Form in der bildenden Kunst (Strasbourg: Heitz, 1893). Hammer had recommended these books to Schenker in his letter of December 9, 1921; Schenker had replied on December 19 that he hoped to buy them soon. That Schenker took up Hammer's recommendations is shown in an invoice from the Seidel'sche Buchhandlung in Vienna, dated June 30, 1922 (see OJ 14/21, [4]), indicating that on June 7 Schenker bought Hildebrand's book. His diary entry for July 28, 1922 reads: "Hildebrand begonnen." ("Hildebrand started."). Entries regarding Fiedler's book date from a later time, from May 8, 1926: "Von Vrieslander (K.): Fiedler, Wölfflin unterwegs." ("From Vrieslander (postcard), Fiedler and Wölfflin on their way."), and May 11, 1926: "Von Piper. Fiedler Bd. II M 7.30." ("From Piper: Fiedler, vol. 2: 7.30 marks"), the last of these suggesting that he had by then already read vol. 1. In May of 1926 Schenker was nearing the end of his work on the second volume of Meisterwerk; he included two aphorisms (Nos. 156 and 179) from Fiedler's vol. 2 in the "Vermischtes" ("Miscellanea") section, Meisterwerk II (1926), pp. 212-23; Eng. transl, vol. II, pp. 128-29. |
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Commentary
Digital version created: 2016-08-12 |