Footnotes

¹ The background to this letter is provided in part by a previous entry in Schenker's diary at OJ 4/3, p. 3468, March 21, 1930: ¼9–12h Furtwängler! Lie-Liechen hat einen feinen, vielleicht zu reichlichen Tisch gedeckt; wir sprechen über die Missa von Beethoven, über die im Grunde nicht zu überwindenden Schwierigkeiten in Gloria u. Credo; ich zeige in Schindlers Erstdruck die Stellen, die sich auf op. 14^{I u. II} beziehen; die Judenfrage berühren wir ebenfalls, dann gab ich einen Ueberblick von Rameau bis heute (Jhrb. III.); über Weisses Oktett spreche ich sehr anerkennend u. aus eigenem verspricht F. an [Hellmut von] Haase wegen der Drucklegung zu schreiben. Auch mir sagt er freiwillig Hilfe zu, er werde an Haase schreiben u. erwarte, daß ich um das Werk gebeten werde. [...]" ("8:45 a.m. to 12 noon Furtwängler. Lie-Liechen has prepared a fine ‒ perhaps too lavish ‒ meal. We talk about the Beethoven Missa, about the ultimately insurmountable difficulties in the Gloria and Credo. I show him in Schindler's first edition the passages that relate to Op. 14, Nos. 1 and 2. We touch also upon the Jewish question. Then I gave him an outline of from Rameau to the present, Yearbook III . I speak in highly favorable terms about Weisse's Octet, and, unprompted, Furtwängler promises to write to [Hellmut von] Haase about its publication. He also freely offers me his help: he will write to Haase: he expects that I will be asked about the work. [...]

Other pertinent diary entries relating to specific points in this letter are: March 24, 1930 (OJ 4/3, p. 3458): "inzwischen hat Furtwängler übernommen an Haase (Br. u. H.) zu schreiben, ich warte also." ("In the meantime, Furtwängler has undertaken to write to Haase (Breitkopf & Hårtel; so I wait."). — April 6, 1930 (OJ 4/3, p. 3463): "An Furtwängler (Br.): erinnere wegen Hofrat Haase.[...]" ("To Furtwängler (letter): I remind him concerning Court Counsellor Haase. [...]"). — April 15 (OJ 4/3, p. 3467): "An Weisse (K.) expreß. [...] ersuche ihn Furtwängler zu fragen, ob er schon geschrieben habe; ich möchte keine Zeit verlieren." ("To Weisse (express postcard): [...] I ask him to ask Furtwängler whether he has yet written; I do not want to lose any time."). — April 17, 1930 (OJ 4/3, p. 3468): "Von Weisse (K.): werde Furtwängler bestimmt sprechen u. wegen Haase fragen." ("From Weisse (postcard): will definitely speak to Furtwängler and ask about Haase.")

Receipt of this letter is recorded in Schenker's diary on April 18, 1930 (OJ 4/3, p. 3468): Von Furtwängler (Br.): mit einem Brief von Straube. Straube hält es, fast für ausgeschlossen, daß Br. u. H. den Verlag übernehmen können, er will es aber versuchen." ("From Furtwängler (letter): with a letter from Straube. Straube considers it almost out of the question that Breitkopf & Härtel can take over the publication. He will, however, try.") — April 19 (ibid): "An Furtwängler (expreß Br.): danke für die Mühe, stelle die Legende Peters von meinen hohen Forderungen richtig u. wiederhole, daß mir um eine schnelle Herausgabe zu tun sei. – 2. expreß Br. schicke den zurückgebliebenen Brief von Straube nach.") "To Furtwängler (express letter): thanks for taking the trouble; I correct the Peters tale of my high demands, and reiterate that for me it is just a matter of a quick publication. — second express letter: I send on the letter from Straube that was still in my hands.")

OC 54 is a folder of correspondence relating to the publishing firm of Drei Masken Verlag and Das Meisterwerk in der Musik. This letter, and OC 54/297‒301, were filed there presumably because they were tangentially related to what became Meisterwerk III.

² The enclosed letter, from Karl Straube, is not preserved with this letter and does not appear to survive among Schenker's papers. However, OC 54/218, May 14, 1930, from Straube to Schenker, states that he has consulted Breitkopf & Härtel, who consider "a new collaboration between publishing houses" to be impossible under current economic conditions. In a postscript of May 16 to the same letter, he reports his consultation with C. F. Peters, who say that a "take-over of publication of your work" met with refusal. Since both letters are filed with Schenker's correspondence concerning Das Meisterwerk in der Musik , it is probable that Straube's letter refers to that.

Commentary

Format

1p letter, printed letterhead, holograph date, salutations, message and signature

Provenance

Heinrich Schenker (document date-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-c.1942)--Ratz, Erwin (c.1942-c.1945)--Jonas, Oswald (c.1945-1978)--University of California, Riverside (1978--)

Rights Holder

Heirs of Wilhelm Furtwänger, published by kind permission

License

Permission to publish granted by the late Mrs. Elisabeth Furtwängle,r February 2, 2005. Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Documents Online, at schenkercorrespondence (at) mus (dot) cam (dot) uk

Provenance

Schenker, Heinrich (document date-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-1938)--Oster, Ernst (1938-c.1939)—New York Public Library (c.1939-)

Digital version created: 2015-01-14
Last updated: 2010-06-28