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OJ 9/7, [1] - Handwritten letter from Hermine d’Albert to Schenker, dated November 1, 1913

⇧ [coat of arms: in scroll:] HOTEL BRISTOL
HOTEL BRISTOL
WIEN
⇧ 1. 11. [?Dg.] 13.

Verehrter Herr Doctor!

Mein Gatte 1 ist leider wieder auf Reisen. Ihr Brief, d.h. der Anlaß desselben, hat ihm sehr leid getan. 2 Er hofft Sie am 18. zu sehen, um sich Ihnen mündlich erklären zu können. Sowie er einen freien Augenblick hat wird er an Prof. Scholz 3 in Frkfrt. schreiben.

Hoffentlich auf Wiedersehn im Concert. 4 Sitzen Sie wieder auf dem Podium? Das wäre reizend[.] Ich genieße so gerne seine Musik – in diesem Falle seine {2} reproduktive – neben ihm u. mir sympathischen Menschen sitzend. 5


Herzlichen Gruß!
[signed:] Hermine d’Albert.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2021
⇧ [coat of arms: in scroll:] HOTEL BRISTOL
HOTEL BRISTOL
VIENNA
⇧ November 1, 1913

Revered Dr. [Schenker],

My husband 1 is unfortunately again away. Your letter, i.e. the occasion for it, made him very sad. 2 He hopes to see you on the 18th in order to give you an explanation in person. He will write to Professor Scholz 3 in Frankfurt as soon as he has a free moment.

We hope to see you at the concert. 4 Will you be sitting on the podium again? That would be lovely. I very much enjoy his music – in that case his {2} reproductive music – sitting next to him and people whom I find congenial. 5


With cordial greetings!
[signed:] Hermine d’Albert

© Translation Ian Bent, 2021
⇧ [coat of arms: in scroll:] HOTEL BRISTOL
HOTEL BRISTOL
WIEN
⇧ 1. 11. [?Dg.] 13.

Verehrter Herr Doctor!

Mein Gatte 1 ist leider wieder auf Reisen. Ihr Brief, d.h. der Anlaß desselben, hat ihm sehr leid getan. 2 Er hofft Sie am 18. zu sehen, um sich Ihnen mündlich erklären zu können. Sowie er einen freien Augenblick hat wird er an Prof. Scholz 3 in Frkfrt. schreiben.

Hoffentlich auf Wiedersehn im Concert. 4 Sitzen Sie wieder auf dem Podium? Das wäre reizend[.] Ich genieße so gerne seine Musik – in diesem Falle seine {2} reproduktive – neben ihm u. mir sympathischen Menschen sitzend. 5


Herzlichen Gruß!
[signed:] Hermine d’Albert.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2021
⇧ [coat of arms: in scroll:] HOTEL BRISTOL
HOTEL BRISTOL
VIENNA
⇧ November 1, 1913

Revered Dr. [Schenker],

My husband 1 is unfortunately again away. Your letter, i.e. the occasion for it, made him very sad. 2 He hopes to see you on the 18th in order to give you an explanation in person. He will write to Professor Scholz 3 in Frankfurt as soon as he has a free moment.

We hope to see you at the concert. 4 Will you be sitting on the podium again? That would be lovely. I very much enjoy his music – in that case his {2} reproductive music – sitting next to him and people whom I find congenial. 5


With cordial greetings!
[signed:] Hermine d’Albert

© Translation Ian Bent, 2021

Footnotes

1 Hermine and Eugen d’Albert, married in 1895, separated in 1910 as Eugen became infatuated with his future fifth wife, Ida Fulda, and the couple divorced in 1911. Federhofer (Heinrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern und Briefen, 1985, pp. 67–68, footnote) surmises that Hermine may have hoped he would return to her after the relationship with Fulda broke up in 1912, citing this letter as evidence, and referring to the event as an “evening piano recital” by d’Albert.

2 No correspondence from Schenker to d’Albert is known to survive, hence the cause for d’Albert’s distress here is unclear.

3 Bernhard Scholz (1835–1916), composer and writer on music, Director of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt 1883–1908. What necessitated d’Albert’s writing to him, and how this related to the contents of Schenker’s message are unknown. Schenker’s diary offers no explanation.

4 The Neue freie Presse gives the event on November 18 as one of a Brahms cycle by the Rosé Quartet with d’Albert as pianist, in the middle hall of the Vienna Concert House. D’Albert was also appearing on November 29 in the Beethoven Triple Concerto with Arrigo Serato and Pablo Casals in the large hall of the Concert House (Neue freie Presse, November 15).

5 By “reproduktive Musik” Hermine perhaps refers to Eugen’s performing of the music of other composers (as apart from his “produktive Musik,” his own compositions). By “Podium” she must mean not on the platform (there is no audience seating on the platform of the middle hall) but close to where he is playing or conducting, i.e. in the front row or in one of the side galleries directly above the platform.

Commentary

Format
printed device and sender address, holograph salutation, message, valediction, and signature
Provenance
Schenker, Heinrich (date of entry-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-c.1942)--Ratz, Erwin (c.1942-c.1945)--Jonas, Oswald (c.1945-1978)--University of California, Riverside (1978--)
Rights Holder
Heirs of Hermine d'Albert; deemed to be in the public domain
License
All reasonable attempts have been made to identify the heirs or representatives of Hermine d'Albert. This document is deemed to be in the public domain. 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: 2021-12-11
Last updated: 2011-04-15