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Schiller Nationalmuseum/Deutsches Literaturarchiv: Cotta-Archiv (Stiftung der Stuttgarter Zeitung)

Marbach, Germany

Documents associated with this entity:

This archive holds correspondence from Schenker to his publisher J. G. Cotta of Stuttgart, interleaved with carbon copies of letters from Cotta to himself, spanning 1905–21 (179 items). There are also letters from Schenker to August Halm in the Deutsches Literaturarchiv itself (16 items). There is no published catalogue.

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Correspondence

  • DLA 69.930/1 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, July 8, 1917

    Schenker acknowledges Halm's letter; he discusses the relative merits of editions of Beethoven variations, and looks forward to seeing Halm's review of his "Beethoven editions"; he is putting the finishing touches to Kontrapunkt 2.

  • DLA 69.930/2 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated January 17, 1918

    Schenker has received Halm's article about him, and expresses his appreciation. Schenker's mother died in December 1917; he looked after her and his siblings from the time his father died [1887]. Addresses a reservation on Halm's part—speaking to him as "leader to leader"—and confirms his concept of the Volk. Schenker has a plan to put to Halm.

  • DLA 69.930/3 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated February 7, 1918

    Schenker writes scathingly of UE's business practices; describes his counter-tactics, and his experiences over Niloff, Instrumentations-Tabelle. He will read all of Halm's writings and asks for a reading-list

  • DLA 69.930/4 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated December 9, 1918

    Schenker recounts to Halm how Sofie Deutsch had set up a trust for needy artists, leaving Schenker to identify beneficiaries. Schenker offers to transfer 1,600 Kroner to him from this trust.

  • DLA 69.930/5 Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Halm, dated December 16, 1918

    Schenker holds out prospect of payment [from a trust that he administers] via the bank being authorized.

  • DLA 69.930/6 Printed/typed bank authorization to Halm, dated December 28, 1918

    856 Marks transferred to Halm.

  • DLA 69.930/7 Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Halm, dated February 13, 1919

    Halm acknowledges recent mailings.

  • DLA 69.930/8 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated October 27, 1919

    Schenker writes of the deteriorating intellectual conditions in Germany and Austria with respect to other nations, and of the devastating political and psychological consequences. Schenker praises Halm's Klavierübung for its sensitivity to voice leading, and speaks of it as an antidote to the decline of musical literacy. He hopes to talk with Halm about these matters when he moves to Germany.

  • DLA 69.930/9 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated January 18, 1920

    Schenker acknowledges receipt of OJ 11/35, 14 and 15, thanking Halm for the opportunity to see the two contracts, now enclosed. Schenker has been exploited by UE regarding EA 101 and the "Little Library," and must now protect himself and extract better working conditions. —Kontrapunkt 2 will show the world that his "Semper idem" motto applies at every level from strict counterpoint through to free composition. In a musical garden of Eden of genius, the rest of the world behaves like Adam and Eve. — Schenker congratulates Halm on his successes and thanks him for his support.

  • DLA 69.930/10 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated September 25, 1922

    Acknowledges OJ 11/35, 20 and composition; expects to be able to comment on Halm's Klavierübung in Tonwille 4; reports Leipzig University's decision not to appoint him; speculates on the impact of Kontrapunkt 2 and Der freie Satz; public difficulty in accepting Urgesetze. — Aristide Briand: The importance of being well-read on a topic before commenting in public: Schoenberg and Reger; newspapers. — Maximilian Harden: although faithful to Schenker, Harden had not mastered the topics on which he wrote. — National Govenment: Schenker's publishing plans, including "The Future of Humanity": man's anthropomorphic thinking is a delusion, he needs to adapt to nature, to return to a primitive state, to abandon "development" and "progress" and return to primordial laws; inferior man wants to "govern" (bowel wants to become brain); Schenker deplores "artifice" (French) as against nature (German). — Things French: praises German superiority over French in its joy of work. — Higher Plane: the German should not abase himself before the Frenchman.

  • DLA 69.930/11 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated November 2, 1922

    Schenker acknowledges receipt of two booklets on youth and the new republic, returns them, comments on them critically: idealistic German democrats desire maximal remuneration with minimal work; illustrates point by difficulties with maids in Schenker household; German democrats naively overestimate social and intellectual status of non-German commoners (French, British, American); Schenker decries cosmopolitanism and those Germans who advocate individuality at the expense of society; Schenker praises the fascists as countering communism and social leveling, compares Mussolini's Italy favorably with present-day Germany.

  • DLA 69.930/12 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated April 3‒4, 1924

    In response to matters raised by Halm in two previous letters, Schenker discusses figuration, distinguishing between that which works only on the surface and that which arises out of the middle and background, drawing on primal intervals. He also concedes that he heard Bruckner improvising, and criticizes it adversely. He refers to Reger, and outlines plans for forthcoming volumes of Der Tonwille.

  • DLA 69.930/13 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated October 6, 1924

    Asks Halm to send some of his chamber music to Rudolf Pollak, with prospect of performance of the A major string quartet. —Deplores current situation over Sofie Deutsch stipends. —Reports difficulties with UE and intention to change publisher.

  • DLA 69.930/14 Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Halm, dated January 22, 1927

    Schenker thanks Halm for sending his book, and hopes to read it soon.

  • DLA 69.930/15 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Halm, dated July 11, 1927

    Thanking Halm for his Beethoven book, he believes that their misunderstandings could be removed and hopes Der freie Satz will help bring that about; gives order of publication for Meisterwerk II and Der freie Satz, and compares his "Das Organische der Fuge" with the work of others on Bach. — Schenker took no part in the Vienna Beethoven festival. — Describes his correspondence with Hindemith.

  • DLA 69.930/16 Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Halm, dated November 21, 1927

    Schenker asks for confirmation of receipt of Meisterwerk II, and thanks Halm for the parcel of sheet music.