Schenker Correspondence Project

Diary entry by Schenker, dated April 12, 1917

6. IV. 17¹ [...] — An Dr. Türkel (Br.):² teile mit, daß ich am Todestage der Fr. D.³ in drei aufeinander folgenden Jahren oder auch anders je 1600 Kronen zur Verteilung bringen werde, trotz Statthalterei u. Dr. Friedmann;⁴ erzähle den einfachen Hergang, ich sei auf den Brief des Kammerrates,^{5 noch} in den seligen ^Dr. Friedmann-losen Zeiten[,] auf die Idee verfallen, die Stiftung produktiv auszunutzen u. habe zu diesem Zwecke bei zwei Münchner Musikern⁶ je eine Arbeit bestellt unter Zusage eines bescheidenen Geldzuschusses aus den Mitteln einer Stiftung; in einem 3. Falle handelt es sich um einen Berliner Musiker,⁷ den ich zu mir zum Unterricht bestellt habe. Im Augenblick, da Dr. Friedmann einen Strich durch die Rechnung gemacht hat, habe ich von einer dritten Person⁸ die Lösung dieses Konfliktes erbeten u. auch zugestanden erhalten. Nun könne ich gelassen der Entscheidung der Statthalterei harren, fällt sie günstig so stünde ich zur Verfügung, wo nicht sei[?] der Pietät ^{nun[?] ohnehin} Genüge geschehen.

— An Hertzka (Br.):⁹ bestehe dennoch darauf, für die beiden Türkel-Exemplare zu zahlen,¹⁰ nur erbitte ich den Preis abzüglich des Sortimenter-Prozents; denn die Sortimenter, sage ich, tragen Schuld, daß ein so leidenschaftlicher Musikfreund wie Dr. Türkel gar nicht auf die Idee verfällt, meine Arbeiten zu kaufen, da er sie nirgend in den Auslagen findet.

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

Diary entry by Schenker, dated April 12, 1917

April 6, 1917:¹ [...] — To Dr. Türkel (letter):² I inform him that on Mrs. Deutsch’s³ death date in each of three succeeding years, or even otherwise, I shall have 1,600 Kroner available for distibution, in spite of all the bureaucracy[?] and Dr. Friedmann.⁴ I recount the simple course of events, that I had, on [the basis of] the Court Counsellor’s letter⁵, ^still in Dr. Friedmann-less times, hit on the idea of taking advantage of the endowment productively, and to this end have commissioned one work each from two Munich composers,⁶ with a promise of a modest financial contibution from the resources of the endowment; in a third case it is a matter of a Berlin composer to whom I have undertaken to give instruction.⁷ The moment Dr. Friedmann thwarted my plans, I sought and received the solution to this conflict from a third person.⁸ Now I could await patiently the decision of the bureaucrats[?]; were it favorable, then I would make myself available; were it not, then [meaning unclear].

— To Hertzka (letter):⁹ I nevertheless insist on paying for the two Türkel copies;¹⁰ I merely ask that the price be minus the retailer’s mark-up; for it is the retailers, I maintain, who are responsible for the fact that it never once occurs to so passionate a music-lover as Dr. Türkel to purchase my publications—since he never finds them displayed in their windows.

© Translation Ian Bent, 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: diary entry

FOOTNOTES:

¹ This entry is referred to by Federhofer in Heinrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern ... (Hildesheim: Olms, 1985), p.38.

² This letter is not known to survive; it is clearly not the final letter of the draft OC 1/23, made on March 17, 1917. Dr. Siegfried Türkel: imperial and court advocate, who was in charge of the proving of the will: see OC 16/29r, 28v, 27v, March 10, 1917; OC 16/30v, 31v, 33v, March 13, 1917; OC 38/146v, May 23, 1917; OC 16/37v, 36v, November 3, 1919; OC 16/38v, December 13, 1919; OC 16/39v, 40v, January 26, 1920; OC 16/41v, 42v, April 6, 1920.

³ Sofie Deutsch, pupil of Schenker’s for 15 years, benefactress who assisted in the publication of the second half-volume of Kontrapunkt, and who left money for a stipend in aid of “impecunious skilled composers and composition pupils” of which S was to be the sole arbiter (but which in 1924 was transferred to the Vienna Conservatory as the “Sophie Deutsch Musikerstipenium”), as well as a pension and a legacy. She died January 5, 1917.

⁴ Hugo Friedmann: attorney involved with the estate of Sofie Deutsch.

⁵ OJ 12/52, January 12, 1917: Fritz Mendel, Court Counsellor, Sofie Deutsch’s brother.

⁶ Munich composers: Otto Vrieslander, and [identify — Halm (not from Munich)?].

⁷ Berlin composer: [identify].

⁸ third person: [identify].

⁹ Emil Hertzka, Director of UE 1907–32.

¹⁰ Evidently S had ordered two copies of his UE bworks to be sent to Türkel.

SUMMARY:
Reports letter [non-extant] to Siegfried Türkel in which he outlines his strategy to overcome Hugo Friedmann's interference. He has made offers of money to two composers from Munich and one from Berlin.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian Bent 2006.

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Schenker, Heinrich; Türkel, Siegfried; Deutsch, Sofie; Sophie; Friedmann, Hugo; Mendl, Fritz; München; Munich; Vrieslander, Otto; Berlin; Hertzka, Emil; copies
Diary entry by Schenker, dated April 12, 1917
OJ 1/16, p.648
1917-04-12
2006-10-17
Schenker diary
Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at [email protected].
Schenker, Heinrich (1917-1935)--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 Bent.
Vienna
1917