Schenker Correspondence Project

Typed letter from Hertzka (UE) to Schenker, dated February 7, 1910

[UE letterhead]
Wien, 7. Feber 1910

Wohlgeboren [/] Herrn Prof. Dr. Heinrich Schenker
W i e n.
------------

Verehrter Herr Professor !

Ihre Annahme,¹ dass von Ihrer ”Chromatischen Phantasie” Bearbeitung² bereits Abzüge existieren, beruht auf einem [corr] Irrtum. Das Manuskript konnte noch immer nicht zum Drucke befördert werden, nachdem sich bei Eberle seit Monaten eine derartige Ueberbürdung an Sticharbeiten herausgestellt hat, dass wir die Werke, deren Erscheinen nicht an einen bestimmten [corr] Zeitpunkt gebunden sind, leider zurückhalten müssen. Wir glauben aber, dass in etwa 14 Tagen das Werk endlich zum Stich gehen wird.

Sowohl Prof. Robert,³ als auch Herr Aronson⁴ der Assistent von Godowsky⁵ (mit Godowsky selbst habe ich überhaupt noch nie gesprochen), haben für Bach ganz spezielles Interesse gezeigt und sich mir für Bearbeitungen Bach’scher Werke sozusagen angeboten. Ich habe daraufhin Veranlassung genommen, den Herren mitzuteilen, dass Sie für uns eine Anzahl Bach-Werke herauszugeben beabsichtigen, (Goldberg Variationen , Toccaten etc.⁶) und dass die Chromatische Phantasie und {verso} Fuge in einer überaus gründlichen Ausgabe bereits zum Stich vorliegt. [next sentence left-sidelined (by S?) in crayon:] Hiebei habe ich das umfangreiche Manuskript Ihrer Arbeit, um den Leuten über die Quantität einen kleinen Begriff zu geben, von aussen gezeigt; selbstverständlich hat niemand auch nur einen Blick in die Arbeit werfen können.

Bei dieser Veranlassung möchte ich nun gleichzeitig anfragen, wie Sie es mit den weiteren Bach–Bearbeitungen⁷ halten möchten, nachdem ich in den nächstjährigen Katalog unbedingt einige wichtige der fehlenden Bachwerke bringen möchte.

Mit den besten Empfehlungen
in vorzüglicher Hochachtung
ergeben
[ sign’d: ] Emil Hertzka

© Universal Edition A.G., Wien.
© Transcription Ian D. Bent 2006.

Typed letter from Hertzka (UE) to Schenker, dated February 7, 1910

[UE letterhead]
Vienna, February 7, 1910

Prof. Heinrich Schenker,Esq.
V i e n n a
----------------

Honored Professor,

Your supposition¹ that proofs of your arrangement² of the Chromatic Fantasy [& Fugue] already exist is incorrect. It has still not proved possible to forward the manuscript to the printers because for months now such a backlog of engraving work has built up at Eberle that we have unfortunately been obliged to hold back all jobs whose appearance is not linked to an finite deadline. We believe that your job will finally go for engraving in around two weeks’ time.

Both Prof. Robert³ and Mr. Aronson,⁴ Godowsky’s assistant (I have in fact never spoken to Godowsky⁵ himself) have shown a very special interest in Bach, and have, as it were, offered their services to me for arrangements of Bach works. Because of this, I had occasion to inform the gentlemen concerned that you envision editing a number of Bach works for us (Goldberg Variations, Toccatas, etc.⁶) and that the Chromatic Fantasy & {verso} Fugue is already waiting to go to the engravers in a radically new edition. [next sentence left-sidelined (by S?) in crayon:] In the course of doing this, in order to give them some slight idea of its scope, I showed them the outside of the voluminous manuscript of your work. It goes without saying that no one was able so much as to cast a glance at the work itself.

I might take this opportunity at the same time to inquire how you would like to proceed on further Bach arrangements,⁷ since I should as a matter of urgency like to include in next year’s catalogue some of the important Bach works that are currently missing.

With good wishes
and kind regards,
Yours truly,
[ sign’d: ] Emil Hertza

© Translation Ian D. Bent 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 2-p letter, recto/verso, UE letterhead, typed message, holograph signature
Sender address:
Recipient address: Vienna

FOOTNOTES:

¹ as expressed in WSLB 51, February 6, 1910.

² H incorrectly uses Bearbeitung, “arrangement,” when he should have used Ausgabe, “edition” (he himself had used analytische Herausgabe, “analytical edition” in OC 52/422, June 24, 1909, and the phrase on the eventual title-page is kritische Ausgabe, “critical edition.”

³ Click on: Richard Robert.

⁴ Aronson: nothing further is known about him.

⁵ Click on: Leopold Godowsky.

⁶ To trace the history of this, see OC 52/402, March 21, 1909, WSLB 37, March 28, a meeting on April 1, and OC 52/920, April 1. For commentary, see Bent, “’That Bright New Light’ ...”, JAMS 58/1 (Spring 2005), pp. 81–2.

⁷ See fn6.

SUMMARY:
[J. S. Bach: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue:] MS has not yet gone to the printers; Robert and Aronson saw only the outside of the MS. Inquires about other agreed Bach projects.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2006

Bent, Ian
Hertzka, Emil
UE
[J. S. Bach: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue:] MS has not yet gone to the printers; Robert and Aronson saw only the outside of the MS. Inquires about other agreed Bach projects.
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
IPR: Universal Edition A.G., reproduced here by kind permission; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent 2006.
Hertzka, Emil; UE; Schenker, Heinrich; Bach, J. S.; Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue; arrangement; proofs; Robert, Richard; Aronson; Godowsky, Leopold; Goldberg Variations; toccatas; manuscript; MS; catalogue
Typed letter from Hertzka (UE) to Schenker, dated February 7, 1910
letter
academic; musicology; music theory
OC 52/424
1910-02-07
2006-02-20
UE
Hertzka
email from Aygün Lausch (Universal Edition) to Ian Bent, 2004-09-09, confirming UE’s ownership of IPR and granting permission to post to pilot website.
UE letterhead; typed body of letter; holograph signature
Schenker, Heinrich (1910-1935)--Schenker, Jeanette (1935-1938)--Oster, Ernst (1938-c.1939)—New York Public Library (c.1939-)
IPR: Universal Edition, A.G.; Image: New York Public Library, New York; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent.
Vienna
1910