Diary entry by Schenker, dated “beginning of June,” 1911 {131[ r ]} Anfang Juni 1911 Latenter Konflikt mit Direktor Bopp|1 u. Prof. Wiener|2. Brief von Bopp an mich April, mich in seinen Bureau einzufinden. Dort erhalte ich von ihm die Mitteilung, daß die von mir, der “U.E.” u. der Akademie gemeinsam geplante Bach- u. Beeth.- Ausgabe3 auf dem besten Wege zur Verwirklichung sei; zum Schluß: “der H.[corr] Präsident möchte mich sprechen.” Diese unziemliche Art der Einladung quittierte ich indessen sofort mit: der H. Pr. möge Tag[corr] u. Stunde bestimmen. Letzterer sollte bitten lernen, wo er zu bitten hat! Nun offener Konflikt. Weder der Prof., noch der Dir. lassen sich „herbei,“ den Brief|4 zu schreiben! Noch einmal stelle ich schriftlich das Ultimatum, “widrigenfalls ich mich anderen Aufgabe[n] zuwende.” Keine Antwort. Da lasse ich folgende Notiz in den Blättern erscheinen: „Dr. H Sch. wird im nächsten Herbst mit einer Serie von 6–8 Vorlesungen beginnen, die unter dem Gesamttitel ”Niedergang der mus. Kunst” an der Werken mehrerer Autoren (Strauß, Reger, Debussy u.s.w.[)] die schlechte Beschaffenheit der Form, des Satzes, die Kakophonie u. dgl. demonstrieren werden. Daran schließt sich nebst Reformvorschlägen eine Kritik des derzeit mangelhaften Unterrichtsbetriebes." Am 3ten bringt die „N.f.Pr.” die Notiz,5 u. am selben Tage an 10h erscheint bei mir der Diener des Dir. Bopp {131[a]} mit der Mitteilung, daß „der H. Dir.
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Diary entry by Schenker, dated “beginning of June,” 1911 {131 [ r ]} Beginning of June 1911 Latent conflict with Director Bopp1 and Professor Wiener.2 Letter from Bopp to me in April, wanting to see me in his office. There I receive from him the information that the Bach-and-Beethoven edition planned collaboratively by me, UE, and the Academy3 was being brought to realization in the best way; at the end [he said] “the President would like to speak to me.“ I however immediately countered this indecorous form of invitation with: “The President may specify the day and time. The latter should learn to ask whenever he needs to ask something!" So I release the following notice to the papers: “Dr. Heinrich Schenker will begin with a series of six to eight lectures next Fall which, under the title “Decline of the Art of Music,” will demonstrate the bad state of form, counterpoint, cacophony, and the like, in the works of several composers (Strauss, Reger, Debussy, etc.). These will be followed, in addition to proposals for reform, by a critique of the deficiencies of present-day teaching methods." On the 3rd, the Neue Freie Presse carries the notice5 and the same day at 10 o’clock Director Bopp’s servant appears at my home with the information that the Director is terribly busy, but will set matters to rights in two weeks. What ill-mannered behavior! How unmanly the cowardly skulking, and But I immediately knew from that moment on that I could not expect anything more out of them. © Translation Ian D. Bent 2006. |
COMMENTARY: FOOTNOTES: 1 Wilhelm Bopp [create biogfile and link]. 2 Hofrat Carl von Wiener [create biogfile and link]. 3 Reference is to the plan, first mooted by H at a meeting with S on October 14, 1910, to publish the last five Beethoven sonatas and Part II of the Well-tempered Clavier (the latter a residue of an earlier plan dating from December 1908, which Schenker had declined) in alternate years; mentioned in OC 52/325 of the same day, and WSLB 68, October 21, 1910 (when S had discussed it direct with Bopp). The plan was, however, dependent on a subvention from the Austrian Ministry of Education that was never forthcoming. 4 Either a letter to Schenker making a firm proposal, or a letter to the Austrian Ministry of Education applying for a subvention. 5 Neue freie Presse, Saturday June 3, 1911, Morgenblatt, No.16803, p.14, col.1, in the section “Theater- und Kunstnachrichtung”: — Dr. Heinrich Schenker kündigt für diesen Herbst eine Serie von sechs bis acht Vorlesungen über den “Niedergang der musikalischen Kunst” an und wird dabei Werke von modernen Autoren (R. Strauß, Reger, Debussy u. a. besprechen. Daran wird sich nebst Reformvorschlägen eine Kritik des heute üblichen Unterrichtsbetriebes schließen. [Dr. Heinrich Schenker announces for the coming Fall a series of six to eight lectures on the „Decline of the Art of Music,“ and will in the course of these discuss works by modern composers (R. Strauss, Reger, Debussy, etc.) These will be followed, in addition to proposals for reform, by a critique of the teaching methods in practice today.] SUMMARY: © Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2006.
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