Schenker Correspondence Project

Diary entry by Schenker, dated March 17, 1914

17. [III. 14] [....] Lektüre des Halm’schen Buches!¹ Welch’ sonderbare Wege nehmen Fantasie und Feder eines Menschen, der „im dunkeln Drange“ einen Weg zum rein musikalischen sucht, leider aber nicht zu finden vermag. Eine geradezu grotteske Mischung von Handwerklichem u. von entlegenster Aesthetik. Immer wieder versagt das rein-Musikalische, u. die Fantasie des Schriftstellers macht so oft Anleihe bei Gefühlen, Philosophischememen, kurz sprengt Surrogate ein, die auch auf das Handwerkliche ein ungenügendes Licht werfen. Eigener u. ausgebildeter als Herr Roth,² erinnert er {541} gleichwohl an letzteren ^ihn in der verhängnisvollen Unzulänglichkeit des rein-Musikalischen u. in der Einbildung, es ganz genau getroffen zu haben. Nichts ist so kurios als ^wie die Hinrichtung Bekkers³ u. die Physiognomie der Analyse, die Halm der Bekker’schen entgegensetzt. Auch bei Halm läuft schließlich das Meiste auf hohle Aesthetik hinaus.

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

Diary entry by Schenker, dated March 17, 1914

[March] 17, [1914] [...] Reading Halm’s book!¹ What peculiar paths do the imagination and pen of a man take who „in obscure impulses“ seeks a way to the purely musical but sadly is unable to find it. A downright grotesque mixture of technical and the most far-flung aesthetics. Time and again the purely musical breaks down, and the writer’s imagination so often resorts to feelings, philosophizings, in short it interjects surrogates, which cast an inadequate light even on the technical side. More individualistic and more educated than Mr. Roth,² {541} at the same time he recalls the latter ^him in the fatal inadequacy of the purely musical and in the delusion that he has captured it precisely. There is nothing as curious as Bekker’s execution, and the physignomy of the analysis, which Halm puts up in opposition to those of Bekker.³ Even in Halm, it mostly ultimately boils down to empty aesthetics.

© Translation Ian D. Bent and Lee Rothfarb, 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: diary entry

FOOTNOTES:

¹ August Halm, Von zwei Kulturen der Musik (Munich: G. Müller, 1913).

² Herman Roth (1882–1938), German musicologist who studied with Wolfrum and Riemann, worked as a music critic in Leipzig and Munich, later taught in Stuttgart and Berlin; author of Elemente der Stimmführung (Stuttgart: Klett, 1926), and edited works by J. S. Bach, Handel and others. Schenker used his materials in his teaching. [create biogfile and link]

³ Paul Bekker (1882–1937), German critic and writer on music, powerfully influential as the chief music critic for the Frankfurter Zeitung (1911–25?); enthusiastic advocate of Wagner and Liszt, supporter of Franz Schreker; Schenker had a long and bitter feud with him. [create biogfile and link]

SUMMARY:
S comments on Halm's Von zwei Kulturen der Musik.

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

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
S comments on Halm's Von zwei Kulturen der Musik.
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
IPR: In the public domain; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent and Lee Rothfarb, 2006.
Schenker, Heinrich; Halm, August; Von zwei Kulturen der Musik; das rein-Musikalische; pure musical; aesthetics; Roth, Herman; Bekker, Paul
Diary entry by Schenker, dated March 17, 1914
diary entry
academic; musicology; music theory
OJ 2/12, pp. 540-541
1914-03-17
2006-04-11
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 schenkercorrespondence@mus.cam.ac.uk.
holograph diary entry
Schenker, Heinrich (1914-1935)--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 and Lee Rothfarb.
Vienna
1914