Downloads temporarily removed for testing purposes

Browse by

OJ 9/27, [4] - Handwritten letter from Busoni to Schenker, dated June 29, 1897


⇧ Berlin, 29 Juni 97

Sehr geehrter Herr Doctor. 1

Vielen Dank für Brief und Aufsätze. Der Styl ist in allen durchwegs vornehm und geistreich; dem Inhalte nach schaetze ich den Artikel über Brahms 2 u. den über „unpersönl. Musik“ 3 am höchsten.

Über Berlioz gehen unsere Ansichten sehr auseinander, was einmal ‒ in Wien ‒ zu einem anregenden Disput Anlass geben soll, ‒


Herzlichst ergebend
Ihr
[signed:] F B Busoni

Freundl. Gruss von meiner Frau

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2013, 2022

⇧ Berlin, June 29, 1897

Dear Dr. [Schenker], 1

Many thanks for the letter and articles. The style is refined and intellectual throughout all of them. In terms of content, I value the article on Brahms 2 and that on "impersonal music" 3 most highly.

Our views on Berlioz differ markedly, which should give us an occasion for a stimulating argument one of these days in Vienna.


Cordially your
devoted
[signed:] F. B. Busoni

Warm greetings from my wife.

© Translation Ian Bent, 2013, 2022

⇧ Berlin, 29 Juni 97

Sehr geehrter Herr Doctor. 1

Vielen Dank für Brief und Aufsätze. Der Styl ist in allen durchwegs vornehm und geistreich; dem Inhalte nach schaetze ich den Artikel über Brahms 2 u. den über „unpersönl. Musik“ 3 am höchsten.

Über Berlioz gehen unsere Ansichten sehr auseinander, was einmal ‒ in Wien ‒ zu einem anregenden Disput Anlass geben soll, ‒


Herzlichst ergebend
Ihr
[signed:] F B Busoni

Freundl. Gruss von meiner Frau

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2013, 2022

⇧ Berlin, June 29, 1897

Dear Dr. [Schenker], 1

Many thanks for the letter and articles. The style is refined and intellectual throughout all of them. In terms of content, I value the article on Brahms 2 and that on "impersonal music" 3 most highly.

Our views on Berlioz differ markedly, which should give us an occasion for a stimulating argument one of these days in Vienna.


Cordially your
devoted
[signed:] F. B. Busoni

Warm greetings from my wife.

© Translation Ian Bent, 2013, 2022

Footnotes

1 A copy of this item is preserved in Jeanette Kornfeld’s hand in the same folder. This letter is reproduced in full in German in Federhofer (1985), p. 78.

2 Heinrich Schenker, "Johannes Brahms," Die Zukunft, xix (May 8, 1897), 261‒65; Federhofer (1990), pp. 230–36.

3 Heinrich Schenker, "Unpersönliche Musik," Neue Revue, viii/15 (April 9, 1897), 464–68; Federhofer (1990), pp. 216–21.

Commentary

Format
1p letter (Bogen format): holograph salutation, message, valediction, and signature + fair copy in hand of Jeanette Kornfeld
Provenance
Schenker, Heinrich (document date-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-c.1942)--Ratz, Erwin (c.1942-c.1955)--Jonas, Oswald (c.1955-1978)--University of California, Riverside (1978-)
Rights Holder
heirs of Ferruccio Busoni, published by kind permission
License
Permission to published kindly granted by the sole surviving heir of Ferruccio Busoni, Mario Busoni, on March 25, 2014. Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at schenkercorrespondence[at]mus[dot]cam[dot]ac[dot]uk.

Digital version created: 2022-09-30
Last updated: 2011-09-23