Schenker Correspondence Project

Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 26, 1907

Sonntg 26. [...] Angriff des Dr. Rb. Hirschf.¹ im „Extrab.“² Feuilleton wegen der Unterfertigung der Mahleradresse³ : er ist ^{somit einfach} nicht fähig zu unterscheiden, daß, man ^wenn ich auch in der heftigsten Weise ^an M.^ sachliche Kritik⁴ xxxx ^zu übten xxxx ^habe, xxxx ^ich xxxxxx endlich ^{ja anderseits ihn} xxxxxx nicht entgelten lassen durfte ^für den auf ihn angewendeten ^{höchsten, denkbar höchsten} Standpunkt, der, xxxxxxx noch weniger ^{doch auch} die anderen ^{Musiker neben ihm} gelten lassen könnte. Es ist aber auch vergebens, jemanden über ^{solchen Sachverhalt} Die Sache selbst ^jemand[en] belehren zu wollen, der ^{in der Kunst nur5} den Geschmack, die ^{zumal einen nur} wenig ausgebildeten Geschmack xxxxx ^walten läßte.⁶ Die Menschen wollen ^nur von ^einem „Genie“ sprechen, ^{(der eigenen Eitelkeit halber!)} oder xxxx ^{den Künstler} tadeln (gleichsam aus Rachsucht, weil das „Genie“ sich nicht in ihm eingefunden);^ sie können aber nicht verstehen, daß ^wie man Jemandes Leistung sachlich tadeltn darf, ohne ^{deshalb allein auch schon} auf dessen ^persönliche Entfernung ^sofort durchaus^ drängend zu wollen, zumal wenn wie es eben bei M. der Fall lag, letztere größeren Nachteil als Gewinn bringen ^muß.

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

Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 26, 1907

Sunday 26. [...] Attack by Dr. Robert Hirschfeld¹ in the Feuilleton of the Extrablatt|² over the signing of the open letter to Mahler³: ^{in this} he shows himself ^{quite simply} incapable of understanding that, even ^though I may ^have serious criticisms⁴ to level ^{against Mahler} in the most forceful manner, that does not mean that ^I should ^{at the same time} make ^him suffer ^for the standards [that I] apply to him, ^{[which are the] highest, highest conceivable ones}, [standards] that could ^indeed still less be applied to the other ^{musicians around him}. It is, however, quite futile to try to instruct on ^{such a subject} someone who thinks that taste alone governs ^{in art5}, ^especially a virtually uneducated taste.⁶ People want to speak ^only of ^a “genius” (on account of their own vanity!) or to criticize ^{the artist} (as it were, out of desire for revenge, because “genius” has not manifested itself in him); but they cannot understand ^how one should seriously criticize someone’s achievement without ^{also thereby} wanting ^directly to press for their ^personal removal, especially when, as was the case with Mahler, removal would ^{be bound to} cause greater disadvantage than gain.

© Translation Ian D. Bent 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: diary entry

FOOTNOTES:

¹ Robert Hirschfeld.

² Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt, May 26, 1907: Hans Liebstöckl, the regular music critic at that time, was apparently absent, and this was written in the form of an interview with Hirschfeld (source: de la Grange: see fn3).

³ This document, called an Adresse, 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.

⁴ Word order rearranged by Schenker: text here gives intended result.

⁵ Insertion made in left margin.

⁶ Presumably Hirschfeld, rather than Mahler, is referred to.

SUMMARY:
Attack on open letter to Mahler and its signatories by Robert Hirschfeld in the Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt.

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

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
Attack on open letter to Mahler and its signatories by Robert Hirschfeld in the Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt.
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; Hirschfeld, Robert; Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt; feuilleton; Adresse; open letter; signatories; criticism; genius
Diary entry by Schenker, dated May 26, 1907
diary entry
academic; musicology; music theory
OJ 1/5, p.42
1907-05-26
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 the public domain; Image: University of California, Riverside; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent.
Vienna
1907