Typed letter from Hertzka (UE) to Schenker, dated March 21, 1909 [UE letterhead] Wohlgeboren / Herrn Professor Dr. Heinrich Schenker Sehr geehrter Herr Professor! Nachdem ich nun eine ganze Serie von Berliner, Leipziger und anderen Reisen hinter mir habe und in der nächsten Zeit voraussichtlich in Wien werde bleiben können, wäre ich Ihnen dankbar verbunden, wenn Sie mir Gelegenheit geben wollten, Sie zu sprechen.1 Ich möchte doch für den nächsten Herbst eine Bearbeitung aus Ihrer Feder2 in unseren neuen Katalog aufnehmen und versuchen, im persönlichen Verkehr diesbezüglich zu einer Verständigung zu kommen. Auch die Frage der Ausgestaltung3 der Instrumentationstabelle lässt mich nicht ruhen; es kommen mir doch hie und da nebst eigenen Ideen auch von anderer Seite4 Anregungen diesbezüglich zu und könnten wir vielleicht doch einen Modus finden der, ohne die Herstellungsspesen nennenswert zu erhöhen, bei einer etwaigen Neuauflage eine Vervollkommung ^[H’s hand:] der[?] Ausgestaltung^ bedeutet. Wie denken Sie z. B. über ein separates Blatt,welches die Besetzungstypen, resp. die Entwicklung des Orchesters {2} seit Bach’s Zeiten behandeln würde. Es könnte da kurz und trocken etwas, das viele Leute interessiert, geboten werden. Eine mir kürzlich zugekommene Anregung geht dahin, dass wir der Instrumentationstabelle eine Vergleichtabelle der Militär – Von einer anderen Seite würde angefragt, warum in der Instrumentationstabelle der Ausdruck “Flauto traverso“ fehlt.7 Sie werden fragen, was noch alles in dieser Tabelle für MK 1.– hineinkommen soll und was Sie für das bisher ”nicht mehr bedeutende” Honorar8 noch liefern sollen; all diese Fragen sind jedoch im persönlichem Wege leichter zu erledigen und verbleibe ich daher, in der angenehmen Erwartung, dass Sie mir sehr bald das Vergnügen Ihres Besuches schenken werden in vorzüglicher Hochschätzung © Universal Edition A.G., Wien. |
Typed letter from Hertzka (UE) to Schenker, dated March 21, 1909 [UE letterhead] Professor Heinrich Schenker, Esq. Dear Professor, Now that I have a whole string of visits, to Berlin, Leipzig, and other places, behind me, and expect to be able to remain in Vienna for the near future, I shall be much indebted to you if you would give me the opportunity of speaking to you.1 I should particularly like to include something from your pen2 in our new catalogue for next Fall, and to try to reach an agreement over this through face-to-face conversation. Also, the question of the make-up3 of the Instrumentation Table still troubles me. In addition to my own ideas, I have from time to time had suggestions put to me on this from elsewhere,4 and we could perhaps find a happy medium that, without appreciably raising the production costs, represents an improvement ^[H’s hand:] in the make-up^ in a possible new edition. What do you think, for example, of a separate sheet dealing with the different types of ensembles, i.e. the development of the orchestra {2} since Bach’s time? We could offer people something brief and to-the-point that would be of interest to them. One suggestion put to me recently is that we could give alongside the instrumentation table a comparative table showing the make-up of the military band5 in Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Belgium, and France. The authority in question feels that this would be exceedingly instructive and of the greatest utility to very many people. I must openly admit that there does exist a certain differentiation in the make-up of the various military bands,6 and that such confusion reigns in the minds of the different arrangers that it would be very interesting to find information about all of this in the form of a supplement. From another quarter came the question as to why in the Instrumentation Table the term “Flauto traverso” is absent.7 You will ask whatever else has still got to be accommodated in this Table for 1.– Mk, and what more you are supposed to provide for your already “paltry” honorarium.8 All these questions are, however, easier to resolve on a personal footing, and I therefore remain, with the pleasing prospect that you will grant me the pleasure of a visit very soon, With kind regards, © Translation Ian D. Bent 2005. |
COMMENTARY: FOOTNOTES: 1 Ref. OC 52/919, January 11, 1909, in which H concludes: “Too overburdened as I am with work prior to my trip to respond to your interesting letter in any detail, I shall defer a thorough-going discussion with you until immediately after my return, and shall do everything in my power to rid you of your pessimism regarding Universal Edition” 2 eine Bearbeitung aus Ihrer Feder: this could mean another arrangement such as that of the Handel Organ Concertos, a new edition, or a new prose “treatment,” so I have left it deliberately open. The letter gives no clue. 3 Ausgestaltung, lit. “outward shaping”: in a publication, external appearance, i.e. the cover design, nature of the binding, physical make-up, etc. We know from the Verlagsdruckbuch (UE Archive) that UE had already taken possession of the new edition (2,000 copies) from the printers on February 6, so H is presumably thinking of evolution of the Tabelle in future editions of what H sees as a high-volume educational seller. H is writing against the background of his embarrassment over additional material that he had sought from S (OC 52/29, November 23, 1908; WSLB 28, December 9; OC 52/30, December 16; WSLB 29, December 16; WSLB 30, December 18; and H’s horrified reaction, OC 52/399–401, December 18; WSLB 31, December 22; return of material OC 52/32, December 23). In fact, the next edition was not to be made until 1912 (500 + 1,500 copies), when S’s additional material was included, and none of the “outward” changes mooted by H were implemented. 4 von anderer Seite: singular (rather than von anderen Seiten): Hertzka, while going on to enumerate suggestions from a number of people, is perhaps broaching the subject diplomatically. 5 Hertzka first dictates Militär-Orchester-Besetzungen, then when checking and signing the letter deletes Orchester and substitutes above by hand Musik, perhaps expecting Schenker to react unfavorably to his use of what Schenker would regard as a purely Classical term. 6 Militärorchesterbesetzungen: however, Hertzka does not alter the same formation here. 7 It is true that the term does not appear on the Table. Item 1 is the flageolet (an end-blown flute); items 2-7 are all side-blown flutes, given with separate labels, but without any indication that they are all transverse. Nor was it added to the next edition! 8 für ... Honorar underlined in crayon by S. It is unclear whether there are double-quotation-marks around nicht mehr bedeutend or just foxing. The phrase does not seem to appear in any of S’s recent letters. SUMMARY: © Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2005
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