Schenker Documents Online: Artur Schnabel

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Profiles Person Place Organization Work by Schenker Journal Musical Composition Downloads temporarily removed for testing purposes	Artur Schnabel born Lipnik, April 17, 1882; died Axenstein, Switz., Aug 15, 1951 Documents associated with this person: Correspondence Diaries Lessonbooks Austrian pianist and composer. Career Summary Having moved with his family to Vienna in 1889, he studied piano there with Leschetizky and music theory with Mandyczewski. He moved to Berlin in 1898, and between 1925 and 1933 taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. He left Berlin only when Hitler came to power in 1933, moving first to Switzerland and in 1939 emigrating to the USA, eventually returning to Europe. He was celebrated especially as an interpreter of Beethoven and Schubert, and made many recordings; but also played contemporary music (he took part in one of the early performances of Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire), and composed in a modernist idiom. His publications include My Reflections on Music (Manchester, 1933), Music and the Line of Most Resistance (Princeton, 1942) and My Life and Music (London, 1961). Schnabel and Schenker Schenker mostly recorded unfavorable or mixed comments about Schnabel's playing in his diary. For example, on January 28, 1909: "Concert by A. Schnabel: Errors: forte without shading; lack of principal accents [and] main highpoints"; on November 4, 1929: "[Diabelli Variations]: basically a pianist devoid of the elements of what composers and performers would consider art," although he added on February 7, 1930 that Wilhelm Backhaus played "far worse than Schnabel." Schenker also made adverse remarks on Schnabel's Beethoven editing (WSLB 211). — Schenker noted much later (OJ 5/18, 33, letter to Jonas, December 21, 1933), that Busoni had played Schenker's Syrian Dances through with Schnabel before writing to Schenker on February 11, 1900 that the pieces were "touched by genius" (OJ 9/27, [11]); this would have been between September 1899 and that date. One letter from Schnabel to Schenker survives as OJ 14/14, [1] (Dec 6, 1925). Sources: Baker's1971 NGDM2 Federhofer, Hellmut, Heinrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern und Briefen ... (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1985), pp. 250‒51 Downloads temporarily removed for testing purposes Correspondence OJ 7/4, [50] Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Moriz Violin, dated January 26, 1909 Schenker has news to tell him regarding Richard Heuberger and Wilhelm Bopp; reminds of forthcoming attendance at [a recital by] Artur Schnabel. OJ 10/1, [65] Handwritten letter from Dahms to Schenker, dated August 21, 1921 Dahms is unable to visit the Schenkers in Galtür. — He criticizes Berlin and its artists and critics. OJ 14/14, [1] Handwritten letter from Artur Schnabel to Schenker, dated December 6, 1925 Schnabel divulges only some details of his publisher's contract. OJ 14/45, [61] Handwritten letter from Moriz Violin to Schenker, dated February 23, 1927 Following a brief description of a recent illness, Violin replies to Schenker's question about accepting the Order of Merit from the Viennese Academy of Art and Science and advises him to accept it. He realizes that staying in Hamburg would be bad for his son's long-term health and has spoken to Artur Schnabel about the possibility of moving to Berlin or Frankfurt. An influential man in Frankfurt is the father-in-law of Paul Klenau; Violin knows of Klenau's respect for Schenker, and asks his friend to write to Klenau in support of his application for a post there. OJ 12/11, [11] Handwritten letter from Klenau to Schenker, undated [c. March 23, 1927] Klenau agrees to approach his brother-in-law to help Moriz Violin. — He responds to a comment by Schenker about Albert Schweizer. OJ 8/4, [48] Handwritten picture postcard from Schenker to Violin, dated March 27, 1927 Schenker has written to Paul von Klenau on Violin's behalf, and received an assurance that Klenau will write to his brother-in-law (not father-in-law, as Violin had originally thought) but thinks that Artur Schnabel will be more influential. Klenau will visit the Schenkers on Saturday. OJ 8/4, [49] Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Violin, dated March 29, 1927 In advance of seeing Klenau, Schenker reports on a meeting with Wilhelm Altmann and Ludwig Rottenberg, who believe that only people under 30 years old are likely to be appointed to a post of the sort that Violin is seeking in Frankfurt – a situation that he finds appalling. OJ 14/45, [63] Handwritten letter from Violin to Schenker, dated March 31, 1927 In reply to Schenker's recent postcards, Violin maintains that Klenau's support for his appointment in Frankfurt is important, as the Ministry of Education in Berlin can exert only a limited amount of pressure on the Frankfurt circle. OJ 14/45, [113] Handwritten postcard from Violin to Schenker, dated April 6, 1927 In a reply to a recent letter, Violin thanks Schenker for the news concerning the position he is hoping to obtain in Frankfurt and asks him whether Klenau might discover what the people in Frankfurt think of him as a candidate. OJ 8/4, [50] Handwritten postcard from Schenker to Moriz Violin, dated April 25, 1927 Schenker explains that what he is doing behind the scene to assist Violin in obtaining a post in Frankfurt, and hopes for some news from Wilhelm Altmann. Artur Schnabel will be more useful to his cause than Paul von Klenau and his brother-in-law Heinrich Simon. OJ 6/7, [33] Handwritten letter from Schenker to Violin, dated May 27, 1927 Schenker has tried to find out more about the plans for the conservatory in Frankfurt to be upgraded to a music Hochschule (and, presumably, for Violin to be posted there), but he is reluctant to press his contacts too far, as this may prove counterproductive. OJ 14/45, [65] Handwritten letter from Violin to Schenker, dated June 6, 1927 Violin still maintains that Paul von Klenau's petitioning on his behalf would provide a strong measure of support for his application for a post in Frankfurt. OJ 14/45, [74] Handwritten letter from Moriz Violin to Schenker, dated December 24, 1928 On his first teaching-free day, Violin writes to say that his health is good, and to wish the Schenkers a happy holiday. His organist friend Hahnemann will probably write to Schenker soon about performing some of his arrangements. Schnabel, too, wants to obtain the score, parts and cadenzas for the keyboard concertos of C. P. E. Bach that Schenker has prepared. OJ 12/6, [19] Handwritten letter from Jonas to Schenker, dated January 28, 1933 Jonas still has no response from Hoboken re: his Einführung; encloses four essays; reports on forthcoming article, his teaching and advocacy of critical editions, planned radio lectures and performance, and other work. OJ 5/18, 33 Handwritten letter from Schenker to Jonas, dated December 21, 1933 Schenker sends article [by Citkowitz]. — In response to Jonas's quoting from a Jewish lexikon, he refers to the sermons by Cardinal Faulhaber, and writes of his pride in being Jewish but in having assimilated thoroughly enough to establish favorable relations with the Catholic church, antisemites, and the news media. — Implying a parallel between himself and Jesus, he offers his "monotheistic theory of music" as "a new message to the world from the Jews." — He has no copy of his Syrische Tänze; — writes of the work's history. LC ASC 27/45, [33] Handwritten letter from Moriz Violin to Schoenberg, undated [ late October?, 1949] Violin writes of his longing for face-to-face communication with Schoenberg. Diaries Diary entry by Schenker for 28 January 1909 Diary entry by Schenker for 29 October 1916 Diary entry by Schenker for 26 October 1922 Diary entry by Schenker for 15 February 1924 Diary entry by Schenker for 14 June 1924 Diary entry by Schenker for 16 June 1924 Diary entry by Schenker for 19 October 1924 Diary entry by Schenker for 25 November 1925 Diary entry by Schenker for 7 December 1925 Diary entry by Schenker for 27 December 1928 Diary entry by Schenker for 23 October 1929 Diary entry by Schenker for 2 November 1929 Diary entry by Schenker for 4 November 1929 Diary entry by Schenker for 7 February 1930 Lessonbooks OC 3/1-2: Oct 1912-Jun 1913 Felix Hupka: lesson: Saturday November 23, 1912