Schenker Correspondence Project

Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 22, 1907

Mittw. 22. 8˚ (6h.) Sehr dichter Nebel ^ganz tief auf dem Boden. – Adresse an Mahler|¹ in überlegener Laune unterfertigt²; u. ^Situation^ nicht ohne Humor.

© In public domain.
© Transcription Ian D. Bent, 2006.

Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 22, 1907

Mittw. 22. 8˚ (6 a.m.) Very dense fog, ^right down to the ground. – Signed open letter to Mahler¹ in a superior frame of mind²; and ^{the situation} [is] not without its funny side.

© Translation Ian D. Bent, 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: diary entry

FOOTNOTES:

¹ This document was called an Adresse, and was signed by 70 people, including Arnold Schoenberg, Julius Epstein, Anton Door, other musicians, and prominent figures in literature, the theater, and the visual arts. See Henry-Louis de la Grange, Gustav Mahler, vol. III, Vienna: Triumph and Disillusion (1904-1907), Eng. trans. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 646-47 for a translation.

² "in überlegener Laune unterfertigt" is a problematic formulation: "in überlegener Laune" has an element of paradox, since "in einer Laune" can mean "on a whim," yet the adjective "überlegen" means "with deliberation"; I have instead adopted "superior" from "Überlegenheit," "superiority," and “Laune" in its neutral sense of "mood," "spirits." It is unclear whether S means he felt superior to other signatories, or superior to those who approached him about signing, or merely in a better mood than usual (hence perhaps "against his better judgment"). The paradox may be the result of S's aiming at a play-on-words with "über" and "unter" ("undersigned" yet having the "upper hand").

SUMMARY:
Signed open letter to Mahler.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2006.

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
Signed open letter to Mahler.
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
IPR: In the public domain; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent 2006.
Schenker, Heinrich; Mahler, Gustav; Adresse; open letter
Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 22, 1907
diary entry
academic; musicology; music theory
OJ 1/5, p.41
1907-05-22
2006-03-02
Schenker diary
Mahler
This document is deemed to be in the public domain as of January 1, 2006. Any claim to intellectual rights should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at schenkercorrespondence@mus.cam.ac.uk.
holograph diary entry
Schenker, Heinrich (1907-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-c.1942)--Ratz, Erwin (c.1942-c.1955)--Jonas, Oswald (c.1955-1978)--University of California, Riverside (1978--)
IPR: In trhe public domain; Image: University of California, Riverside; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent.
Vienna
1907