Schenker Correspondence Project

Röntgen, Julius (1855–1932). Composer, conductor, and pianist, who studied composition with Friedrich Lachner, harmony and counterpoint with Moritz Hauptmann and E. F. Richter, and piano with Louis Plaidy and Carl Reinecke. He lived in Amsterdam from 1877 to 1925, and was the Director of the Amsterdam Conservatory from 1912 to 1924. He was accompanist to the German baritone Julius Stockhausen, also to the Dutch baritone Johannes Messchaert (whose interpretations Schenker greatly admired), and cellist Pablo Casals.

At Weinberger's request, Schenker asked Röntgen whether he would collaborate in practical editions of works of the classics (letter, Vienna, March 15, 1901), to which Röntgen replied affirmatively (March 18, 1901). Schenker's letter of thanks for his undertaking the work (April 13, 1901, in which he advised Röntgen to demand "a higher honorarium than usual" because his "intellectual property" is greater than that of "run-of-the-mill editors"), and Röntgen's letters of April 22, 1901, September 23, 1908, and February 10, 1915 are quoted in Federhofer, Nach Tagebüchern, pp.189–94.

Röntgen “was on friendly terms with Schenker, who for his part spoke well of his playing. The two had at any rate already been acquainted for several years” by 1901 (Federhofer: Nach Tagebüchern, p.189). Later, however, Schenker spoke disparagingly about his editing. Of J. S. Bach's works, Röntgen edited for UE the Little Preludes and Fugues, the Two- and Three-part Inventions, French Suites, English Suites, Partitas, Italian Concerto, D-minor Concerto, and Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (all in 1902), and the Well-tempered Clavier (in 1907).

See the correspondence between Röntgen and Schenker (OJ 13/27; 72/12 (portrait); Nederlands Muziek Instituut C 176-01

Also mentioned in:

OC 52/386, March 23, 1901 (Weinberger to S)

WSLB 14, August 19, 1908 (S to Hertzka/UE)

WSLB 20, September 28, 1908 (S to Hertzka/UE)

OC 52/26, September 29, 1908 (Hertzka/UE to S)

WSLB 21, September 30, 1908 (S to Hertzka/UE)

OC 52/399-401, December 18, 1908 (Hertzka/UE to S)

OJ 5/16, [5], December 21, 1908 (S to Hertzka/UE, draft)

WSLB 31, December 22 1908 (S to Hertzka/UE)

CA 96-98, May 26, 1909 (S to Cotta)

WSLB 40, June 26, 1909 (S to Hertzka/UE)

WSLB 41, July 1, 1909 (S to Hertzka/UE)

WSLB 50, December 22, 1909 (S to Hertzka/UE)

WSLB 57, April 11, 1910 (S to Hertzka/UE)

OC 52/49, April 11, 1910 (Hertzka/UE to S)