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OJ 8/5, [16] - Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Violin, dated February 26, 1933
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⇧ Postkarte Absender: ⇧ Dr. HEINRICH SCHENKER WIEN, III., Keilgasse 8 [An:] ⇧ H Prof. M. Violin Hamburg ⇧ 37 ⇧ Rotenbaumchaussee ⇧ 221 [postmark:] || 3 WIEN 40 | 27. II. 33. 11 | * 4f * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} 26. II. 33 Fl! 1 Inmitten unserer Sorgen wird eine gute Nachricht zu einem freudigen Lebenstrank, also höre: Hans schreibt aus New-York, er halte einen Kurs über mich ab – 12 St. in 3 Mon. –, zu dem sich bis heute schon 90 (neunzig) Musiker u Lehrer gemeldet haben, sie folgen alle mit beispiellosem Fanatismus – er spricht auch zu den „Url. Tf.“ –, sogar Frau Herta fand sich bewogen, mir eine überströmenden Dank zu schreiben. 2 90 X 5 Doll = 450 Doll! Mir trägt eine Stunde für 3 Pers. 15 S. ein, – u. würde ich versuchen, einen Kurs anzukündigen, kein Musiker, kein Lehrer wurde erscheinen. M..x ist ein ganz gewöhnlicher {recto} Lausbub, aus Unwissenheit, aus moral insanity 3 geradezu ein rasender Ajax, widerspricht sich von Woche zu Woche in Wort u. Schrift, in Bf. u. Aufsatz, stiehlt wie ein Rabe, verhehlt usw. Später einmal mehr. © Transcription William Drabkin, 2012 |
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⇧ Postcard From: ⇧ Dr. HEINRICH SCHENKER VIENNA III, Keilgasse 8 [To:] ⇧ Prof. M. Violin Hamburg ⇧ 37 ⇧ Rotenbaumchaussee ⇧ 221 [postmark:] || 3 VIENNA 40 | 27. II. 33. 11 | * 4f * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} February 26, 1933 Floriz, 1 In the midst of our troubles, a good piece of news will be like a joyous elixir, so listen up: Hans writes from New York that he is giving a course about me – twelve hours in the space of three months – on which 90 (ninety!) musicians and teachers have already subscribed; they follow everything with unprecedented fanaticism. He also offers commentary on the Five Analyses in Sketchform – even his wife Hertha was moved to write a letter of profuse thanks to me. 2 90 x $5 = $450! For me, an hour with three persons brings in 15 shillings. And were I to attempt to arrange a course, no musician, no teacher would appear. Marx is a thoroughly common {recto} rascal, out of moral insanity 3 a downright frenzied Ajax who contradicts himself from one week to the next, in what he says and writes, in his letters and articles. He steals like a raven, conceals, etc. Later I shall say more. © Translation William Drabkin, 2016 |
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⇧ Postkarte Absender: ⇧ Dr. HEINRICH SCHENKER WIEN, III., Keilgasse 8 [An:] ⇧ H Prof. M. Violin Hamburg ⇧ 37 ⇧ Rotenbaumchaussee ⇧ 221 [postmark:] || 3 WIEN 40 | 27. II. 33. 11 | * 4f * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} 26. II. 33 Fl! 1 Inmitten unserer Sorgen wird eine gute Nachricht zu einem freudigen Lebenstrank, also höre: Hans schreibt aus New-York, er halte einen Kurs über mich ab – 12 St. in 3 Mon. –, zu dem sich bis heute schon 90 (neunzig) Musiker u Lehrer gemeldet haben, sie folgen alle mit beispiellosem Fanatismus – er spricht auch zu den „Url. Tf.“ –, sogar Frau Herta fand sich bewogen, mir eine überströmenden Dank zu schreiben. 2 90 X 5 Doll = 450 Doll! Mir trägt eine Stunde für 3 Pers. 15 S. ein, – u. würde ich versuchen, einen Kurs anzukündigen, kein Musiker, kein Lehrer wurde erscheinen. M..x ist ein ganz gewöhnlicher {recto} Lausbub, aus Unwissenheit, aus moral insanity 3 geradezu ein rasender Ajax, widerspricht sich von Woche zu Woche in Wort u. Schrift, in Bf. u. Aufsatz, stiehlt wie ein Rabe, verhehlt usw. Später einmal mehr. © Transcription William Drabkin, 2012 |
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⇧ Postcard From: ⇧ Dr. HEINRICH SCHENKER VIENNA III, Keilgasse 8 [To:] ⇧ Prof. M. Violin Hamburg ⇧ 37 ⇧ Rotenbaumchaussee ⇧ 221 [postmark:] || 3 VIENNA 40 | 27. II. 33. 11 | * 4f * || [For continuation of recto, see below] {verso} February 26, 1933 Floriz, 1 In the midst of our troubles, a good piece of news will be like a joyous elixir, so listen up: Hans writes from New York that he is giving a course about me – twelve hours in the space of three months – on which 90 (ninety!) musicians and teachers have already subscribed; they follow everything with unprecedented fanaticism. He also offers commentary on the Five Analyses in Sketchform – even his wife Hertha was moved to write a letter of profuse thanks to me. 2 90 x $5 = $450! For me, an hour with three persons brings in 15 shillings. And were I to attempt to arrange a course, no musician, no teacher would appear. Marx is a thoroughly common {recto} rascal, out of moral insanity 3 a downright frenzied Ajax who contradicts himself from one week to the next, in what he says and writes, in his letters and articles. He steals like a raven, conceals, etc. Later I shall say more. © Translation William Drabkin, 2016 |
Footnotes1 Schenker’s diary for February 26, 1933 records: “An Oppel (K.): über Weisses 90 Schüler zu $ 5! — An Violin (K.): das selbe.” (“To Oppel (postcard): about Weisse’s 90 pupils at $5 each! — To Violin (postcard): the same.”). — Schenker wrote to several other of his correspondents, describing New York’s response to Weisse’s teaching, and comparing it with the disinterest in his theories exhibited by the Viennese. He also spoke about Weisse’s achievements to others in person. 2 The two letters are OJ 15/16, [88] (Hertha) and OJ 15/16, [89] (Hans), both dated February 15, 1933. – Schenker inserts an emdash at this point and continues writing without paragraph-break. 3 Schenker writes “moral insanity” in English. The phrase (which has origins in the 18th century) was employed by James Cowles Pritchard in a book of 1835 to denote a diagnosis of abnormal emotions and behaviors where intellectual capacity is not impaired. The diagnosis was widely used in Britain and America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
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Commentary
Digital version created: 2022-02-10 |