Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Elias to Heinrich Schenker dated August 23, 1934

Wien, 23/VIII-34.

Lieber Herr Doktor!

Herzlichsten Dank Ihnen und Ihrer lieben Frau für Ihre so überaus lieben Trostesworte.¹ Zu kummervollen Tagen ist die Teilnahme wahrer Freunde doppelt wohltuend. Gewiß muß ich es als besonderes Glück schätzen, daß Mama ein so hohes Alter {2} bei vollkommener körperlicher[corr] und geistigen[corr] Frische erreichte, daß sie, abgesehen von den unvermeidlichen Ermüdungserscheinungen, die wirklichen Altersbeschwerden nicht kannte und nach so kurzer Krankheit ganz schmerzlos einschlief! Aber Abschied nehmen ist immer gleich schwer!

{3} Ich bleibe nun doch endgiltig in Wien. Es gibt noch vielerlei zu erledigen, dann möchte ich auch nicht Manolo² in seiner jetzigen Vereinsamung allein lassen. Ich denke ab und zu tagsüber in die nächste Umgebung zu fahren und will nun auch vieles zu arbeiten beginnen. Das wird meine Nerven am {4} ehesten beruhigen.

Für Ihre liebe Karte,³ die mir aus Vent nachgesandt wurde,⁴ danke ich auch noch vielmals. Es tut mir unendlich leid, daß Sie fortlaufend so schlechtes Wetter hatten. Hoffentlich werden Ihnen nun wenigstens zum Abschluß noch einige schöne Tage beschieden sein, wie ich es Ihnen herzlichst wünsche.

{5} Wie lange blieb das Ehepaar Hoboken⁵ bei Ihnen? Hatten Sie auch sonst noch Besuch?

Daß der Besitz Ihres Bruders nun doch versteigert wird,⁶ habe ich mit Bedauern vernommen. Hoffentlich kommen Sie dabei doch nicht zu Schaden?

Es wurde mich freuen bald {6} wieder zu hören, wie es Ihnen geht, ob Sie sich auch wirklich gut erholt haben.

Viele herzliche Grüsse Ihnen und Ihrer lieben Frau von

Ihrer dankbaren
[sign’d:] Angi Elias

© In the public domain.
© Transcription Michaela Rejack 2006.

Handwritten letter from Elias to Heinrich Schenker dated August 23, 1934

Vienna, August 23, 1934

Dear Doctor,

Most sincere thanks to you and your dear wife for your exceptionally precious words of consolation.¹ On sorrowful days, the condolence of true friends is doubly soothing. Certainly I must count it as specially fortunate that Mama reached such an advanced age {2} in complete physical and intellectual vigor, so that, apart from the unavoidable signs of fatigue, she did not experience the real discomforts of old age and passed away completely free from pain after so short an illness! But to say goodbye is always hard!

{3} I am definitely staying in Vienna permanently. There is still so much to take care of, and I also do not want to leave Manolo² alone in his present isolation. During the day, I think now and then about taking a ride into the area, and now also want to begin work on many things. That will calm my nerves {4} the best.

I thank you very much for your lovely postcard,³ which was forwarded to me from Vent.⁴ I am immensely sorry that you had such continuously bad weather. I hope you will still now be granted at least a few nice days at the conclusion [of your trip], as I most sincerely wish.

{5} How long did Mr. and Mrs. Hoboken⁵ stay with you? Did you also have company apart from that?

I was sorry to hear that your brother’s property will be auctioned off.⁶ Nothing bad will come of it for you, I hope?

I would be glad {6} to hear from you again soon how you are doing, and whether you have had a restful time.

Many cordial greetings to you and your dear wife from

Your grateful
[ sign’d: ] Angi Elias

© Translated Michael Rejack, 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 6-p letter, oblong format, holograph message and signature
Sender address: Vienna
Recipient address: --

FOOTNOTES:

¹ No communication conveying condolences appears to survive.

² Manolo Elias: Angi Elias’s younger brother.

³ No postcard appears to survive.

⁴ Vent is a ski village in the foothills of the Wildspitze mountain, near to Obergurgl and Sölden, in the Ötztal region. Evidently, Elias was in Vent when she received the news that her mother was dying, and rushed home to Vienna, writing to the Schenkers en route, from Innsbruck (see OJ 10/18, [8], August 16, 1934).

⁵ Anthony van Hoboken [create biogfile and link]. On September 7, 1932, Schenker tells Oswald Jonas that Hoboken has been divorced from his first wife and is planning to marry a "Miss Berg" (OJ 5/18, 13).

⁶ Presumably Moriz Schenker, who had risen to become director of a bank, at one point apparently a millionaire, and had taken care of Schenker’s financial affairs, but who lost his fortune.

SUMMARY:
E thanks the Schenkers for their condolences; she will stay on in Vienna; refers to the Hobokens and S's brother.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Michaela Rejack 2006

Rejack, Michaela
Elias, Angelika
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Elias, Angelika; Elias, Angi; Schenker, Heinrich; Schenker, Jeanette; condolences; death of mother; Vienna; Vent; Elias, Manolo; Hoboken, Anthony van
Handwritten letter from Elias to Schenker, dated August 23, 1934
OJ 10/18, [9]
1934-08-23
2006-06-28
Elias
This document is deemed to be in the public domain. 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.
Schenker, Heinrich (1934-1935)--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: Michaela Rejack.
Vienna
1934