Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Cotta to Eugène d’Albert, dated November 14, 1905
= OJ 59/9, [1], p.3¹

[Cotta letterhead]
STUTTGART, den 14. Novbr. 1905

Herrn Eugène d’Albert|² Dresden-a.
Hospiz-Götel Zinzendorfstr.

Hochgeehrter Herr !

Im Besitz Ihrer gef. Zuschrift vom Gestrigen³ erklären wir uns gerne geneigt, unter den mitgeteilten Umständen das neue Buch des Herrn Dr. Heinrich Schenker in unserem Verlag erscheinen zu lassen.⁴ Der Umstand, daß Sie, hochgeehrter Herr, die Vermittlung übernommen haben, ist uns ein Beweis für den literarischen und künstlerischen Wert des Werkes und veranlasst uns, Herrn Dr. Schenker um Einsendung des Manuskripts zu ersuchen, nachdem wir ihm auf sein briefliches Anerbieten vom 8. d. Mts. geantwortet {2} hatten, daß wir wegen Überhäufung mit anderen Unternehmungen zu unserem Bedauern ablehnen müßten.⁵ Wir werden ihm nun, wenn Sie uns nicht Gegenteiliges mitteilen, schreiben, daß wir, auf sein Wert nochmals durch Sie aufmerksam gemacht, jetzt um Einsendung bäten.

Vor definitiver Entschließung welche rasch erfolgen könnte, müßten wir aber doch Kenntnis von dem Inhalt nehmen, weil Herr Dr. Schenker uns selbst schrieb, daß der Text “ziemlich starke Pointen gegen die angebliche Meisterschaft verschiedener Komponisten enthalte.”⁶ Wir werden daran wohl kaum Anstand nehmen, möchten aber doch das Manuskript für alle Fälle vor Vertragsschluß durchsehen.

{3}Wir verbleiben mit vorzüglicher Hochschätzung

Ihrer ergebensten
[ sign’d: ] J. G. Cottasche Buchhandlung Nachf.

© In public domain.
© Transcription Ian D. Bent 2005.

Handwritten letter from Cotta to Eugène d’Albert, dated November 14, 1905
= OJ 59/9, [1], p.3¹

[Cotta letterhead]
STUTTGART, November 14, 1905

Mr Eugène d’Albert², Dresden-a.
Hospiz-Götel Zinzendorfstr.

Most honored Sir,

In receipt of your kind letter of yesterday,³ we are happy to tell you we are much inclined, given the circumstances of which you tell us, to issue Dr. Heinrich Schenker's new book in our publishing house.⁴ The fact that you, most honored Sir, have undertaken to intercede is for us a mark of its literary and artistic worth, and prompts us to ask Dr. Schenker to send us the manuscript, since we had responded to his letter of proposal of the 8th inst {2} that we had regretfully to decline on account of our being overburdened with work on hand.⁵ Unless you advise us to the contrary, we will now write to him saying that, your having drawn his qualities to our attention once again, we should now like him to submit [his manuscript].

Before reaching a definitive decision, which could occur quickly, we must however certainly familiarize ourselves with its content, because Dr. Schenker himself wrote to us that its text “contains quite robust criticisms of the alleged mastery of various composers.”⁶ We are most unlikely to have any objection to these, but we would still like to look through the manuscript in any case, before we reach a contractual agreement.

We remain, with kind regards,
Yours truly,
[ sign’d]: Heirs of J. G. Cotta’s Book Dealership

© Translation Ian D. Bent 2005.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 3-p handwritten letter, oblong format, holograph signature
Sender address: Stuttgart and Berlin
Recipient address: Hospiz-Hotel, Dresden-a.

FOOTNOTES:

¹ OJ 59/9, [1], p.3: typed transcript by Oswald Jonas.

² Eugen Francis Charles d’Albert (1864–1932), German composer and pianist, born in Scotland, studied at the New Music School, London (1874–). He was rated highly as a pianist by Rubinstein, knew Liszt, Richter, Brahms, and Hanslick, and established an international career as a virtuoso concert pianist. His career as a composer began around 1893; by the time of this letter, he had written eight operas, all performed, and a number of orchestral works, piano pieces, chamber works, and Lieder. By his death, he had written 20 operas, musical comedies, music dramas, etc. (ex NGDM ). D'Albert and S corresponded from at least 1894 (OJ 9/6; 59/3; 70/6); S wrote an article on d'Albert in Die Zukunft (October 6, 1894), pp.33-36 (OJ 20/2; Federhofer, ed., Essayist und Kritiker, pp.115-21); and among S's possessions is a photographic portrait of d'Albert inscribed: "To Dr. Heinrich Schenker, a true friend, as a memento of Eugen d'Albert. Frankfurt/a/M, October 6, 1998." See also Federhofer, Nach Tagebüchern, pp.55-68. D'Albert had already written a letter of recommendation for Harmonielehre to Brockhaus on November 7, 1905. S began to distance himself from D'Albert around 1907, and after 1914 the two men drifted out of touch without a formal break.

³ The letter is not known to survive.

⁴ i.e. NMTP [vol.1 Harmonielehre ], which Cotta published in 1906.

⁵ In OJ 9/31, [1], November 9, 1905.

⁶ Quoted from CA 1-2, November 8, 1905, p.2.

SUMMARY:

[ NMTP [vol.1, Harmonielehre:] In light of your remarks, we are inclined to publish S's proposed book, but must acquaint ourselves with the contents of it first.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2005

Bent, Ian
Cotta, J. G.
[ NMTP [vol.1, Harmonielehre:] In light of your remarks, we are inclined to publish S's proposed book, but must acquaint ourselves with the contents of it first.
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
IPR: In public domain; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent 2005.
Cotta, J. G.; d'Albert, Eugen; Schenker, Heinrich; NMTP; Harmonielehre; publication; criticisms; polemics; acceptance
Stenographic letter from J. G. Cotta to Eugen d'Albert, dated November 14, 1905
letter
academic; musicology; music theory
OJ 9/31, [2]
OJ 59/9, [I], p.3
1905-11-14
2005-05-19
Cotta

Cotta letterhead; handwritten body of letter; holographic signature
Schenker, Heinrich (1905-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-c.1942)--Ratz, Erwin (c.1942-c.1955)--Jonas, Oswald (c.1955-1978)--University of California, Riverside (1978--)
IPR: In public domain; Image: University of California, Riverside; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent.
Vienna
Stuttgart
1905