Frankfurter Zeitung

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Leading German newspaper.

Founded in 1856 as the Frankfurter Geschäftsbericht but known as the Frankfurter Zeitung for most of its existence, 1866–1943, the newspaper became a major liberal forum for cultural and political opinion, and its contributors included a great many of Germany's leading 20th-century philosophers and novelists; many of its columnists were forced to resign when the National Socialists came to power in 1933, and the newspaper's influence declined sharply during the last decade of its existence. (The Frankfurter allgemeine Zeitung is generally considered to be its successor.)

Prominent writers on music included Karl Holl, a Verdi scholar, and Paul Bekker, who was the chief music critic from 1911 to 1923. Bekker's book Beethoven (1911) provoked severe critical reactions from Schenker in the secondary literature sections of his analytical essays, and his articles on music criticism for the Frankfurter Zeitung were the subject of an essay planned for Der Tonwille, issue 2 (1922) but withdrawn shortly before publication. (For an English translation of this, see Der Tonwille, vol. 2, ed. William Drabkin [New York: Oxford University Press, 2005], pp. 161–65.

Clippings from the Frankfurter Zeitung ranging from 1912 to 1931 are preserved in Schenker's scrapbook and file of clippings (OC 2; OC C), with articles on music written by Hermann Wetzel, Hugo Ganz, Paul Bekker, Karl Holl, Leo Kestenberg, Artur Bogen, B. Sekles, Bernhard Diebold, Luigi Russolo, Erich Steinhard, Eugen d'Albert, Ludwig Rottenberg, and numerous articles on literary and other topics.

Schenker himself submitted a political diatribe entitled "German Genius in Battle and Victory (Reflections sup specie aeternitatis)" (OJ 21/2) to the Frankfurter Zeitung on September 7,1914, and received a rejection on September 26 from the paper's editor, Rudolf Geck (OJ 11/18).

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Correspondence

  • OJ 6/5, [1] Handwritten double letter from Heinrich Schenker and Jenny Kornfeld to Moriz Violin, dated August 18, 1911

    Heinrich and Jenny Kornfeld are in the Sulden Valley, Tyrol. Heinrich writes about his planned refutation of the theories of Hugo Riemann and the need to establish his own theories in Germany; — and about separate accommodation arrangements for Jenny. Jenny writes more somberly about the coming autumn and its difficulties.

  • WSLB 297 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated April 9, 1918

    Schenker encloses a review by Bekker and comments adversely.

  • OJ 6/7, [3] Handwritten letter from Schenker to Moriz Violin, dated May 6, 1922

    This wide-ranging letter describes the difficulties encountered with Emil Hertzka at Universal Edition, concerning an attack on the music critic Paul Bekker planned for the "Miscellanea" of Tonwille 2. — He expresses his displeasure with Weisse for putting his success as a composer in the way of aiding his teacher's cause, and for exploiting his teacher's generosity. — Ends with generous praise for Violin's musicianship.

  • 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.

  • OJ 10/1, [73] Typewritten letter from Walter and Margarete Dahms to Schenker, dated December 27, 1922

    Dahms has been trying to improve his publishers' financial terms. — He is in low-grade accommodation; housing in the "German colonies" is available only to officials. — Reports on the concert season in Rome. — Die Musik would not accept an article from him on Schenker's teachings. — Comments on a recent article by Paul Bekker, on Emil Hertzka's "sabotaging" of Schenker, and Furtwängler's lack of whole-hearted support. — Is still working on his latest book, for which he is arranging a de luxe edition by subscription. — Reports unfavorably on an incident in which Otto Klemperer played the Italian fascist hymn.

  • OJ 89/1, [2] Handwritten letter from Schenker to van Hoboken, dated August 12, 1927

    Schenker acknowledges van Hoboken's letter, OJ 11/54, 14, dated August 7, 1927; encloses seven articles; responds regarding Haydn, Furtwängler, the "Appeal" for the Photogrammarchiv, an exhibition in Frankfurt, John Petrie Dunn, Reinhard Oppel, Das Meisterwerk in der Musik, vol. II, Otto Erich Deutsch, and an honorarium; and sends best wishes for the Hobokens' trip to Switzerland, reporting on von Cube.

  • OJ 89/1, [5] Handwritten letter from Schenker to van Hoboken, dated September 13, 1927

    Schenker acknowledges OJ 11/54, [17], and discusses the nature of a "prospectus" and the suitability of Vrieslander's text for that purpose. — He expresses an interest in Hoboken's latest discoveries, and asks whether the latter could inquire in London as to the whereabouts of the autograph manuscript of Beethoven's Op. 106.

  • OJ 13/25, [5] Typewritten letter from Rinn to Schenker, dated March 7, 1929

    Rinn apologizes for the small format in which the autograph of Schubert's minuet was reproduced for Schenker's article "Eine Rettung der klassischen Musik-Texte." He has publicized the work, and intends to send copies of it to university music departments and inform other newspapers and journals of it. He expresses thanks for the efforts that Schenker made in contributing to Der Kunstwart, and for his remarks on Bruckner's Ninth Symphony.

  • OJ 9/34, [27] Handwritten letter from Cube to Schenker, dated September 8, 1931

    Line drawing of Moriz Violin. Cube reports on health of Violin's son; discusses his relationship with Violin, and the prospects of the Schenker Institute in Hamburg; Cube will be assisting at a lecture given by Hans Weisse.

  • OJ 5/7a, [41] (formerly vC 41) Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Cube, dated January 14, 1932

    Schenker acknowledges a [non-extant] letter, and asks for a clipping from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

  • OJ 9/34, [35] Handwritten letter from Cube to Schenker, dated December 7, 1932

    Cube reports on his current state of mind, his work on a Bach graph (commenting on a graph by Angi Elias), promises to send an article on Schenker that has appeared in the Frankfurter Zeitung, on the difficulties of the Schenker-Institut, and on Moriz and Karl Violin.

  • OJ 89/6, [4] Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hoboken, dated March 22, 1933

    Schenker thanks Hoboken for money transferred, for contact with Dlabač, and for information about Jonas. — Oktaven u. Quinten may be published within three weeks. — Schenker has warned Kalmus about paper quality and lithographer. — He expresses reservations about Joseph Marx for inability to understand his work. — Weisse has 90 students enrolled for his course [at Mannes School]; and Furtwängler deems Schenker the "great music theorist."

  • OJ 89/6, [6] Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hoboken, dated May 3, 1933

    Schenker congratulates Hoboken and Eva Boy on their engagement, and comments on a Frankfurter Zeitung article that Hoboken has sent him, and satirizes the laws that Hitler has recently introduced. — He encloses his own article, "Was wird aus der Musik?" — He encloses an invoice from Universal Edition.

Diaries