Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Cube to Moriz Violin, undated (April 1931)

Duisburg/Rhld. Düsseldorferstr. 124.
Tel: 22261

Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Violin!

Ich erhielt von Schenker¹ und Hoboken² Briefe, und beide sprachen sich zuversichtlich über Ihre Pläne aus.³ Ich werde sehr wahrscheinlich Dienstag, Mittwoch, eventuell auch noch Donnerstag in Berlin sein, wohin ich meine arme kleine Stiefmama zu Verwandten bringe.⁴ Wäre das nicht eine gute Gelegenheit zu persönlicher Besprechung der Dinge, da ich aus eigenen Mitteln kaum nach Hamburg fahren könnte, und vielleicht ausserdem Gelegenheit wäre, auch mal Kestenberg⁵ und Furtwängler⁶ zu befragen, wie die Aktien in Berlin stehen. Die Sache mit Weisse⁷ soll sich ja zerschlagen haben, und er selbst nach Amerika gehen!? Für Sie wäre die Fahrt ja nicht allzu weit.⁸ Ich wäre in Berlin stets unter der Adresse Frau Dr. Kalser, Fasanenstr. N^o 43 {2} und auch telephonisch unter Oliva 199 zu erreichen. Schreiben Sie mir bitte postwendend nach hier, ob Sie eventuell kommen könnten, ich würde Ihnen dann den genauen Zeitpunkt meiner Ankunft in Berlin telegraphieren. Es liegt mir sehr viel daran, möglichst bald zu wissen, wan und wie die Arbeit in Hamburg losgeht, da ich meine Kündigungsfrist hier nicht versäumen darf, und auch im Konservatorium wegen der Zuteilung neuer Schüler Schwierigkeiten kriegen könnte. Wenn es Ihnen also möglich ist, würde ich diese Lösung mit einem Berliner Zusammentreffen für sehr günstig halten!

Ich freue mich in jedem Falle[,] Sie bald zu sehen, und bin mit

besten Grüssen
Ihr sehr ergebener
[ sign’d: ] Felix E. von Cube.

© Heirs of the Felix-Eberhard von Cube, published with kind permission.
© Transcription William Drabkin 2006.

Handwritten letter from Cube to Moriz Violin, undated (April 1931)

Duisburg/Rhineland. Düsseldorferstraße 124.
Telephone: 22261

Dear Professor Violin,

I received letters from Schenker¹ and Hoboken,² both of whom spoken confidently about your plans.³ This Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly also Thursday I shall be in Berlin, where I am bringing my poor little stepmother to stay with her relations.⁴ Would this not be a good occasion for a face-to-face discussion of things, since I can hardly travel to Hamburg by my own means, and perhaps there would also be an opportunity to consult Kestenberg⁵ and Furtwängler⁶ about how the market in Berlin is doing. (The business with Weisse⁷ has, it seems, come to nought, and he himself is to go to America, right?) For you, the trip would not be all that long.⁸ I shall be in Berlin the whole time at the following address: Frau Dr. Kalser, Fasanenstraße 43; {2} I can also be reached there by telephone (Oliva 199). Please write to me here, by return of post, whether you could possibly come; I would then send you a telegram giving the exact time of my arrival in Berlin. It matters a great deal to me that I know as soon as possible when and how the work in Hamburg will begin, as I may not delay handing in my notice here; also there could be difficulties in assigning the new conservatory students. If, then, it is possible, I would regard this solution, with a meeting in Berlin, as very advantageous!

In any event, I am looking forward to seeing you soon, and am,

With my best greetings,
Your very devoted,
[ sign’d: ] Felix E. von Cube

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006

COMMENTARY:
Format: 2p letter, oblong format, holograph message and signature
Sender address: Duisburg/Rhineland. Düsseldorferstraße 124
Recipient address: --

FOOTNOTES:

¹ The only written communication from S to C is vC 35, March 28, 1931, i.e. none since OJ 70/11, [1], April 3, 1931.

² The letter may exist among C’s papers. Click on Anthony van Hoboken.

³ i.e. plans to establish a Schenker-Institut in the city of Hamburg.

⁴ Cube’s father had committed suicide in early spring 1931, leaving behind his second wife (much younger than himself) and four-year-old child.

⁵ Leo Kestenberg (1882-1962), who taught at both the Stern Conservatory and the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin, and was appointed to the Ministry of Science, Art, and Education in 1918, rising to a high position in the division of Art. His name frequently comes up in the correspondence as someone favorably disposed toward the dissemination of Schenker’s ideas by German educators.

⁶ The conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler [create biogfile and link] held Schenker in high esteem, and spoke favourably of his theories and teaching methods.

⁷ Click on Hans Weisse.

⁸ Hamburg is only somewhat closer to Berlin than to Duisburg; Cube is hoping that Violin, by going to Berlin, will save him a second long trip.

SUMMARY:
C has consulted Schenker and Hoboken about Violin's plans; urges Berlin as a meeting place, also for consultation with Kestenberg and Furtwängler; alludes to Weisse's plans; needs to know timing.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary William Drabkin 2006

Drabkin, William
Cube, Felix-Eberhard von
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Cube, Felix-Eberhard von; Schenker, Heinrich; Hoboken, Anthony van; Berlin; Hamburg; Kestenberg, Leo; Furtwängler, Wilhelm; Kalser; Weisse, Hans
Handwritten letter from Cube to Schenker, undated (April 1931)
OJ 70/11, [2]
1931-04-??
2006-11-08
Cube
Violin
This document is published with the permission of the heirs of Felix-Eberhard von Cube, March 2006.
Violin, Moriz (1931-1956?)--University of California, Riverside (1956?--)
IPR: The heirs of Felix-Eberhard von Cube; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: William Drabkin.
Hamburg
1931