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{recto}
[printed:] Postkarte
[Absender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[An:] H
Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhl.)
Pulverweg 41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 10. VII. 30. 16 | * * * ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}

Galtür, 10.7.1930

Mein lieber Prof. v. Cube ! 1

Ihre Darstellung des „Onkels Otto “ ist sehr zutreffend, 2 bedauerlich ist es nur, daß er sich damit einen nie gutzumachenden Schaden für sein Leben selbst zugefügt hat. Was hat sich doch D r Weisse , im Gegensatz zu Vr. , für eine Stellung in Wien herausschlagen gerade dadurch, daß er privat u. in seinem Seminar die „Url.“ lehrte, ja, es gelang ihm sogar das Kunststück, einen amerikanischen Theorie-Professor so zu zähmen, daß er bei ihm Winters u. Sommers über 2 Jahre lang verblieben ist. 3

Ad vocem Weisse : er hat ein sehr schönes Oktett zuletzt aufführen lassen mit einem gar schönen u. triftigen passacaglia am Schluß, ein Werk, wie es heute gewiß sonst Niemand schreibt. Furtwängler war derart erstaunt u. entzückt davon, das er sich leidenschaftlich dafür bei Br. & H. eingesetzt hat, unglaublicherweise: leider ohne Erfolg, so verzweifelt sind die Verlagsverhältnisse heute. (Nebenbei: Furtw. war so lieb, mir hier in Galtür {recto} seinen Besuch anzukündigen). 4

Anfangs Oktober dürfte das Jb III des „Meisterw. i. d. M.“ erscheinen, dessen ersten Aufsatz ich Ihnen sehr ans Herz lege (folgt die „ Eroica “ in einer sehr heroischen Darstellung!). 5 Nun redigiere ich auch schon zum letzten Mal den „fr. S.[.] Die Kritik in der „d. T.Z.“, für deren Einsendung ich bestens danke, macht mir gar nichts, dagegen stehen Erfolge, von denen sich der Rezensent gewiß kein Bild macht, sonst wäre er vorsichtiger. 6


Mit besten Grüßen von uns beiden[.] Ihr
[signed:] H Sch

[verso, along left margin, top to bottom:] Wien komme für Ihre Existenzbestrebungen an letzter Stelle! 7 Eher Berlin, trotzdem ich diese Stadt nicht mag – „Produktio[sic] ist Triumpf.

© Transcription William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postcard
[Sender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[To:] Mr.
Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhineland)
Pulverweg 41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 10. VII. 30. 16 | * * * ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}

Galtür, July 10, 1930

My dear Professor von Cube, 1

Your portrayal of "Uncle Otto" hits the mark well; 2 it is just a pity that he has thus done irreparable damage to his life. By contrast with Vrieslander, just look at the position that Dr. Weisse has carved out for himself in Vienna, preceisely because he taught the "Urlinie" privately and in his seminar. Indeed he succeeded in the miraculous feat of taming an American professor of theory, to the extent that he remained with him through both the winter and the summer for two years. 3

In support of Weisse: he has recently had a very attractive octet performed, with a quite beautiful and apposite passacaglia as finale: the sort of work that certainly no one is writing today. Furtwängler was so amazed and charmed by it that, unbelievably, he took up its cause fervently at Breitkopf & Härtel – unfortunately to no avail, as today's financial circumstances are so doubtful for [music] publishers. (In passing: Furtwängler was so kind as to announce to me here in Galtür {recto} his visit. 4

Yearbook III of the Masterwork in Music , the first article of which I offer you from the bottom of my heart (the Eroica [Symphony analysis] in a heroic presentation follows it), should appear at the beginning of October. 5 Now I am already revising Free Composition for the last time. The review in the Deutsche Tonkünstlerzeitung , which I am most grateful to you for sending me, does not bother me in the slightest: my successes – of which the reviewer certainly has no inkling, otherwise he would have been more careful – stand as his refutation. 6


With best wishes from both of us[.] Yours,
[signed:] H. Sch[enker]

[verso, along left margin, top to bottom:] [P.S.] Vienna would be the last place you would try to eke out an existence. 7 Berlin would be better, in spite of the fact that I don't like this city – Productivity triumphs.

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postkarte
[Absender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[An:] H
Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhl.)
Pulverweg 41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 10. VII. 30. 16 | * * * ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}

Galtür, 10.7.1930

Mein lieber Prof. v. Cube ! 1

Ihre Darstellung des „Onkels Otto “ ist sehr zutreffend, 2 bedauerlich ist es nur, daß er sich damit einen nie gutzumachenden Schaden für sein Leben selbst zugefügt hat. Was hat sich doch D r Weisse , im Gegensatz zu Vr. , für eine Stellung in Wien herausschlagen gerade dadurch, daß er privat u. in seinem Seminar die „Url.“ lehrte, ja, es gelang ihm sogar das Kunststück, einen amerikanischen Theorie-Professor so zu zähmen, daß er bei ihm Winters u. Sommers über 2 Jahre lang verblieben ist. 3

Ad vocem Weisse : er hat ein sehr schönes Oktett zuletzt aufführen lassen mit einem gar schönen u. triftigen passacaglia am Schluß, ein Werk, wie es heute gewiß sonst Niemand schreibt. Furtwängler war derart erstaunt u. entzückt davon, das er sich leidenschaftlich dafür bei Br. & H. eingesetzt hat, unglaublicherweise: leider ohne Erfolg, so verzweifelt sind die Verlagsverhältnisse heute. (Nebenbei: Furtw. war so lieb, mir hier in Galtür {recto} seinen Besuch anzukündigen). 4

Anfangs Oktober dürfte das Jb III des „Meisterw. i. d. M.“ erscheinen, dessen ersten Aufsatz ich Ihnen sehr ans Herz lege (folgt die „ Eroica “ in einer sehr heroischen Darstellung!). 5 Nun redigiere ich auch schon zum letzten Mal den „fr. S.[.] Die Kritik in der „d. T.Z.“, für deren Einsendung ich bestens danke, macht mir gar nichts, dagegen stehen Erfolge, von denen sich der Rezensent gewiß kein Bild macht, sonst wäre er vorsichtiger. 6


Mit besten Grüßen von uns beiden[.] Ihr
[signed:] H Sch

[verso, along left margin, top to bottom:] Wien komme für Ihre Existenzbestrebungen an letzter Stelle! 7 Eher Berlin, trotzdem ich diese Stadt nicht mag – „Produktio[sic] ist Triumpf.

© Transcription William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postcard
[Sender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[To:] Mr.
Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhineland)
Pulverweg 41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 10. VII. 30. 16 | * * * ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}

Galtür, July 10, 1930

My dear Professor von Cube, 1

Your portrayal of "Uncle Otto" hits the mark well; 2 it is just a pity that he has thus done irreparable damage to his life. By contrast with Vrieslander, just look at the position that Dr. Weisse has carved out for himself in Vienna, preceisely because he taught the "Urlinie" privately and in his seminar. Indeed he succeeded in the miraculous feat of taming an American professor of theory, to the extent that he remained with him through both the winter and the summer for two years. 3

In support of Weisse: he has recently had a very attractive octet performed, with a quite beautiful and apposite passacaglia as finale: the sort of work that certainly no one is writing today. Furtwängler was so amazed and charmed by it that, unbelievably, he took up its cause fervently at Breitkopf & Härtel – unfortunately to no avail, as today's financial circumstances are so doubtful for [music] publishers. (In passing: Furtwängler was so kind as to announce to me here in Galtür {recto} his visit. 4

Yearbook III of the Masterwork in Music , the first article of which I offer you from the bottom of my heart (the Eroica [Symphony analysis] in a heroic presentation follows it), should appear at the beginning of October. 5 Now I am already revising Free Composition for the last time. The review in the Deutsche Tonkünstlerzeitung , which I am most grateful to you for sending me, does not bother me in the slightest: my successes – of which the reviewer certainly has no inkling, otherwise he would have been more careful – stand as his refutation. 6


With best wishes from both of us[.] Yours,
[signed:] H. Sch[enker]

[verso, along left margin, top to bottom:] [P.S.] Vienna would be the last place you would try to eke out an existence. 7 Berlin would be better, in spite of the fact that I don't like this city – Productivity triumphs.

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006

Footnotes

1 Writing of this postcard is recorded in Schenker's diary at OJ 4/3, p. 3493, July 10, 1930: "An v. Cube (K.): die Definition des Onkel Otto ist treffend; er hat sich mit seiner Zurückhaltung nur selbst geschadet; viel besser steht heute Weisse da. In Oktober erscheint das 3. Jhrb." ("To von Cube (postcard): his definition of Uncle Otto hits the mark; he has only damaged himself with his aloofness; things are much better with Weisse nowadays. The third Yearbook will appear in October.").

2 Cube's portrayal of Otto Vrieslander at the start of his previous letter, OJ 9/34, [21], June 25, 1930.

3 This is almost certainly Victor Vaughn Lytle, a theory teacher at the Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, Ohio. The dates of Lytle's tuition with Weisse tally precisely with the recollections of one of Lytle's pupils from the 1930s, Robert A. Melcher. See David Carson Berry, "Victor Vaughn Lytle and the Early Proselytism of Schenkerian Ideas in the U.S.," Journal of Schenker Studies I (Fall 2005), pp.92-117 (especially p. 97). No paragraph-break at this point.

4 No paragraph-break at this point.

5 The review copies of Das Meisterwerk in der Musik III were sent out on December 13, 1930 (OC 54/253). The first article is "Rameau oder Beethoven? Erstarrung oder geistiges Leben in der Musik?", pp. 11–24 (Eng. trans., pp. 1–9); following that is "Beethovens Dritte Sinfonie zum erstenmal in ihrem wahren Inhalt dargestellt," pp. 29–101 and Urlinietafeln (Eng. trans., pp. 10–68, 80–115); heroische Darstellung is an allusion to the dedication of the Eroica score to Beethoven dem Helden (Beethoven the hero).

6 This Review (OJ 9/34, [21b]) was pasted into Cube's letter OJ 9/34, [21], June 25, 1930. It is cited by Jeanette Schenker in Schenker's scrap book, OC 2/p. 80.

7 This is in direct response to Cube's enquiry, in the previous letter (OJ 9/34, [21], June 25, 1930), about whether there might be an opportunity for him to teach in Vienna.

Commentary

Format
printed postcard, addresses, message-continuation, signature recto, message-beginning and PS verso
Provenance
Felix-Eberhard von Cube (document date--????) -- photocopies: W.M.Drabkin (1985-2011) -- Oswald Jonas Memorial Collection (2011-)
Rights Holder
Heirs of Heinrich Schenker, deemed to be in the public domain
License
All reasonable steps have been taken to locate the heirs of Heinrich Schenker. Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Documents Online, at schenkercorrespondence [at] mus (dot) cam (dot) ac (dot) uk

Digital version created: 2006-10-20
Last updated: 2011-08-12