Zu der am 11. April (Palmsonntag) Abends 6 ½ Uhr im Mannheimer Hoftheater stattfindenden Erstaufführung meiner Oper „Gernot“ beehre ich mich

Herrn Doktor Schenker 1

ergebenst einzuladen.

Bitte wegen Reserviren der Plätze mir bis zum 7. April eine gefällige Antwort nach untenstehender Adresse zukommen 2


[signed:] Eugen d’Albert
Heidelberg, Sophienstraße 4 part.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2006, 2021

I am honored to invite

Dr. Schenker 1

to the first performance of my opera, Gernot, which will take place on the evening of April 11 (Palm Sunday) at 6.30 p.m. in the Mannheim Court Theater.

For reservation of seats, please kindly send me your reply by April 7 to the address given below. 2


[signed:] Eugen d’Albert
Heidelberg, Sophienstraße, ground floor, apt. 4

© Translation Ian Bent, 2006, 2021

Zu der am 11. April (Palmsonntag) Abends 6 ½ Uhr im Mannheimer Hoftheater stattfindenden Erstaufführung meiner Oper „Gernot“ beehre ich mich

Herrn Doktor Schenker 1

ergebenst einzuladen.

Bitte wegen Reserviren der Plätze mir bis zum 7. April eine gefällige Antwort nach untenstehender Adresse zukommen 2


[signed:] Eugen d’Albert
Heidelberg, Sophienstraße 4 part.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2006, 2021

I am honored to invite

Dr. Schenker 1

to the first performance of my opera, Gernot, which will take place on the evening of April 11 (Palm Sunday) at 6.30 p.m. in the Mannheim Court Theater.

For reservation of seats, please kindly send me your reply by April 7 to the address given below. 2


[signed:] Eugen d’Albert
Heidelberg, Sophienstraße, ground floor, apt. 4

© Translation Ian Bent, 2006, 2021

Footnotes

1 The verso of this document contains a short list by Schenker in Sütterlinschrift of names and addresses, including the name “[Sigmund] Geiringer [& Co.] Kantgasse 3,” commission trader in stocks and shares.

2 Schenker must have declined this invitation, for in his article "Musikalische Reisebetrachtungen" (“Reflections on Musical Travels”), published in the Neue Revue vol. 8, issue 26 (June 25, 1897), 788–93 (see Hellmut Federhofer, ed., Heinrich Schenker als Essayist und Kritiker (Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1990), pp. 240–48), he reports that while in Mannheim for the composers’ festival he witnessed a rehearsal: “We succeeded in getting to know the third opera of d’Albert, who, as is well know, keeps well away from the excesses of the new French (new German?) school. Gernot […] in our opinion foundered on Kapstropp’s poetry, which was unable to bring an ancient world sufficiently to life […]. Gernot was too impoverished on the minute details of that ancient time, even though otherwise the passions of the characters were unabated and the dramatic conflict was real and abundant.” – Schenker’s diary for May 31, 1897 records: “Zurück aus Deutschland, ‒ vom Ausflug aus Man[n]heim (Tonkünstlerfest) Frankfurt, Heidelberg u.s.w. Keinen erfreulichen Eindruck gewonnen: nirgends neue Quellen der Kunst wahrgenommen.” (“Back from trip to Germany, ‒ from Mannheim (composers' festival) Frankfurt, Heidelberg etc. No encouraging impression gained: nowhere did I detect any new sources of the art [of music].”).