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OJ 8/4, [2] - Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Moriz Violin, dated February 6, 1921
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⇧ Postkarte Absender: ⇧ Dr H Schenker Wien III., Reisnerstr. 38 ⇧ An: ⇧ H. Prof. M. Violin Hamburg Hochallee 58 Deutschland [postmark:] ||[illeg] [note in margin] illeg | [illeg] [note in margin] illeg II. 21 | * R * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} Fl! 1 Eine ganz schauderhafte Anhäufung von Arbeit ließ mich nicht sogleich die Freude über deine baldigen Konzerte ausdrücken. Vor Allem aber der Beginn deiner Konservatoriums-Thätigkeit, 2 die bestimmt feststeht, macht die Freude rund u. satt. Möge das nun endlich der erwünschte Kern sein, um den sich Erfolg um Erfolg, Sicherung des Lebens ordnen! Deine Frau war so lieb, uns bald nach der Abreise eigens aufzusuchen, um uns, gegen Euer eigenes Interesse, zu deiner Wohnung zu raten. Wir versprachen bald eines Sonntags zu Tisch zu kommen, da kam die Druckerei mit kurz angebundenen Aufträgen, u. seit paar Tagen noch eine arge Obstirpation [sic] bei Lie-Liechen dazu, die uns sogar heute, am Sonntag, zum Arzt geführt hat. Nächsten Sonntag dürften wir draußen sein können. 3 Wir erwarten mit Sehnsucht die Ausgabe von op. 101, der Kl. Bib. Heft I, beider „Mondschein“sonaten, usw, 4 {recto} der nichts mehr im Wege steht. Von Cotta ist noch keine Entscheidung gekommen; schade daß sich der Druck verzögert. Wäre ich nur schon beim nächsten Band, dem „allerderjenigsten“! 5 Augenblicklich steht II[.] Heft im Vordergrund: Brahms Interm. op. 117 Esd.; Mozart Sonate am; Beeth. Sonate fm. op 2/1 u. Schluß der V Sinf. (1[.] Satz); „Vermischtes“. 6 Wie beneide ich dich um Deutschland! 7 © Transcription William Drabkin, 2011 |
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⇧ Postcard From: ⇧ Dr. H. Schenker, Vienna III, Reisnerstraße 38 ⇧ To: ⇧ Prof. M. Violin, Hamburg, Hochallee 58, Germany [postmark:] ||[illeg] [note in margin] illeg | [illeg] [note in margin] illeg II. 21 | * R * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} Floriz, 1 A truly colossal pile of work prevented me from conveying my joy about your forthcoming concerts. Above all, the start of your employment at the Conservatory, 2 which is definitely fixed, makes my joy full and complete. May this, finally, be the long-awaited foundation for your continued success and security in life. Your wife was so kind to look us up shortly after your departure, in order to recommend your apartment to us – against your own interest. We promised to come for a meal one Sunday, but then the printers came with a number of tasks that had to be dealt with quickly, and in the last few days Lie-Liechen suffered another difficult case of obstipation, which required us to go today – on Sunday – to the doctor. Next Sunday we should be able to come out. 3 We are eagerly awaiting the edition of Op. 101 , the first volume of the Little Library , both editions of the "Moonlight" Sonata, etc.; 4 {recto} nothing stands in their way any longer. We have still not had a decision from Cotta; a pity that the publication has been delayed. If only I could be preparing the next volume, the "most important of all"! 5 At the moment, the second issue is occupying my attention: "Brahms's Intermezzo in E flat major from Op. 117," "Mozart's Sonata in A minor," "Beethoven's Sonata in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1," the conclusion of the first movement of "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," and the "Miscellanea." 6 How I envy you being in Germany! 7 © Translation William Drabkin, 2011 |
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⇧ Postkarte Absender: ⇧ Dr H Schenker Wien III., Reisnerstr. 38 ⇧ An: ⇧ H. Prof. M. Violin Hamburg Hochallee 58 Deutschland [postmark:] ||[illeg] [note in margin] illeg | [illeg] [note in margin] illeg II. 21 | * R * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} Fl! 1 Eine ganz schauderhafte Anhäufung von Arbeit ließ mich nicht sogleich die Freude über deine baldigen Konzerte ausdrücken. Vor Allem aber der Beginn deiner Konservatoriums-Thätigkeit, 2 die bestimmt feststeht, macht die Freude rund u. satt. Möge das nun endlich der erwünschte Kern sein, um den sich Erfolg um Erfolg, Sicherung des Lebens ordnen! Deine Frau war so lieb, uns bald nach der Abreise eigens aufzusuchen, um uns, gegen Euer eigenes Interesse, zu deiner Wohnung zu raten. Wir versprachen bald eines Sonntags zu Tisch zu kommen, da kam die Druckerei mit kurz angebundenen Aufträgen, u. seit paar Tagen noch eine arge Obstirpation [sic] bei Lie-Liechen dazu, die uns sogar heute, am Sonntag, zum Arzt geführt hat. Nächsten Sonntag dürften wir draußen sein können. 3 Wir erwarten mit Sehnsucht die Ausgabe von op. 101, der Kl. Bib. Heft I, beider „Mondschein“sonaten, usw, 4 {recto} der nichts mehr im Wege steht. Von Cotta ist noch keine Entscheidung gekommen; schade daß sich der Druck verzögert. Wäre ich nur schon beim nächsten Band, dem „allerderjenigsten“! 5 Augenblicklich steht II[.] Heft im Vordergrund: Brahms Interm. op. 117 Esd.; Mozart Sonate am; Beeth. Sonate fm. op 2/1 u. Schluß der V Sinf. (1[.] Satz); „Vermischtes“. 6 Wie beneide ich dich um Deutschland! 7 © Transcription William Drabkin, 2011 |
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⇧ Postcard From: ⇧ Dr. H. Schenker, Vienna III, Reisnerstraße 38 ⇧ To: ⇧ Prof. M. Violin, Hamburg, Hochallee 58, Germany [postmark:] ||[illeg] [note in margin] illeg | [illeg] [note in margin] illeg II. 21 | * R * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} Floriz, 1 A truly colossal pile of work prevented me from conveying my joy about your forthcoming concerts. Above all, the start of your employment at the Conservatory, 2 which is definitely fixed, makes my joy full and complete. May this, finally, be the long-awaited foundation for your continued success and security in life. Your wife was so kind to look us up shortly after your departure, in order to recommend your apartment to us – against your own interest. We promised to come for a meal one Sunday, but then the printers came with a number of tasks that had to be dealt with quickly, and in the last few days Lie-Liechen suffered another difficult case of obstipation, which required us to go today – on Sunday – to the doctor. Next Sunday we should be able to come out. 3 We are eagerly awaiting the edition of Op. 101 , the first volume of the Little Library , both editions of the "Moonlight" Sonata, etc.; 4 {recto} nothing stands in their way any longer. We have still not had a decision from Cotta; a pity that the publication has been delayed. If only I could be preparing the next volume, the "most important of all"! 5 At the moment, the second issue is occupying my attention: "Brahms's Intermezzo in E flat major from Op. 117," "Mozart's Sonata in A minor," "Beethoven's Sonata in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1," the conclusion of the first movement of "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," and the "Miscellanea." 6 How I envy you being in Germany! 7 © Translation William Drabkin, 2011 |
Footnotes1 Writing of this postcard is recorded in Schenker's diary at OJ 3/2, p. 2316, February 6, 1921: " An Fl. (K.): etwas über die Ausgaben u. Störungen." ("To Floriz (postcard): something about the expenditure and [various] troubles."). The "R" in the postmark indicates that it was sent by pneumatic post (Rohrpost). 2 A teaching post at a conservatory in Hamburg, as mentioned later in the correspondence. A decade later, Violin set up a "Schenker Institute" there. 3 No paragraph-break in source. 4 i.e. the facsimile edition of the "Moonlight" Sonata in UE's series "Musikalische Seltenheiten," ed. Otto Erich Deutsch; and the individual edition of the "Moonlight" Sonata in UE's complete edition of the Beethoven sonatas, ed. Schenker. 5 Der freie Satz: at that time conceived as the third and final volume of Kontrapunkt. The word in quotation marks is one of Schenker's neologisms: a double superlative of "derjenige," i.e. "the one" that will change the face of music theory. 6 This is nearly a complete and accurate list of the contents of the second issue of Der Tonwille. There is no analysis of Brahms's Intermezzo in E flat, Op. 117, No. 1; there are, however, numerous notes and sketches for the work in the Oster Collection, and the text of an essay on it, in Jeanette's hand (OC 34/83–105), which probably dates from the early 1920s. 7 This is a rare expression of envy, on Schenker's part, of a friend or pupil of his leaving Vienna to obtain employment in Germany, possibly because of the much stabler currency market there. A year later, he was himself enquiring about a teaching position in Leipzig. |
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Digital version created: 2011-06-01 |