Schenker Correspondence Project

Typed letter from UE (unident'd signatory) to Schenker, dated July 5, 1906

[UE letterhead]
Wien, 5. Juli 1906.

Sr. Hochwohlgeboren
Herrn Professor H e i n r i c h S c h e n k e r,
W i e n.-
-----------

Sehr geehrter Herr Professor !

Unsere letzte Verleger-Sitzung hat sich eingehend mit dem Erscheinen des 2. Bandes der Orgelwerke¹ beschäftigt und wurde auch Ihr Wunsch bezüglich Erhöhung des Honorares in Erwägung gezogen.² Leider sind wir nicht in der Lage, demselben Rechnung tragen zu können, nachdem für Revisions-Honorare der bereits in der Universal-Edition erschienenen Werke von unserem Verwaltungsrate ein bestimmter Betrag ausgesetzt wurde, welchen wir nicht in der Lage sind,³ überschreiten zu können.-

Obwohl uns sehr daran gelegen ist, auch den 2. Band in Ihrer Bearbeitung erscheinen zu lassen, so wären wir doch gezwungen, im Falle Sie auf Ihrer Honorar-Forderung bestehen sollten, die Revision des Werkes anderweitig zu vergeben.⁴

Auch müssen wir Sie, sehr geehrter Herr Professor, dringend ersuchen, für den Fall als Sie die Bearbeitung unter den bekannten Bedingungen akzeptieren sollten, uns Ihr Manuskript längstens in 4 – 6 Wochen zugehen zu lassen, da es uns sehr drängt, das Werk endlich herauszugeben.-

{ verso }

Wir sehen Ihrer gefl. umgehenden Rückäusserung entgegen und zeichnen mit dem Ausdrucke

vorzüglicher Hochachtung
[ stamp: ] DIREKTION
der
“Universal-Edition” Actiengesellschaft.
[_ sign'd:_ ] ........[?]

© Universal Edition A.G., Wien.
© Transcription Ian D. Bent 2004.

Typed letter from UE (unident'd signatory) to Schenker, dated July 5, 1906

[UE letterhead]
Vienna, July 5, 1906

Professor H e i n r i c h S c h e n k e r, Esq.
V i e n n a
------------

Dear Professor,

The last meeting of our publications committee looked closely at the possibility of issuing the second volume of the [Handel] Organ Works [1]; also your wish for an increase in honorarium was considered.² I am sorry to say that the latter does not fall within our authority, since for editors’ honoraria of works already issued in Universal Edition a specific sum would be allocated by our Executive Committee, which we are not in a position³ to exceed.

Although it is very opportune for us also to publish vol. 2 in your arrangement, in the event that you were to insist on your honorarium demand we would undoubtedly be compelled to assign the editing of the work elsewhere.⁴

We must also ask you urgently, dear Professor, in the event of your accepting the edition under the usual conditions, to see to it that your manuscript reaches us in no more than four to six weeks, since we are very anxious finally to get the work out.

{verso}

We look forward to your kind answer by return, and remain

Respectfully yours,
[ stamp: ] ADMINISTRATION
of
Universal Edition & Co.
[ sign’d: ] ........[?]

© Translation Ian D. Bent 2004.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 2-p letter, single sheet recto and verso; UE letterhead, body of letter typed, unidentified signature.
Sender address:
Recipient address: Vienna

FOOTNOTES:

¹ recte Orgelkonzerte.

² "Ihr ... gezogen" underlined by S. See OC 52/391, June 20, 1904, for first reference to this request. The honorarium for vol. 1 was Kr 141.- x 2. See S's letter WSLB 236, Jan 18, 1915, p.6 for retrospective comment:
"As part of my overall plan, I then take on for UE the organ concertos of Handel, in order to illustrate for the first time the method offered!. So UE turns vol. II down on account of a difference of some 160 Kroner, because they did not understand how to evaluate the difference of my achievement."
See also S's undated note, 52/390:
"2) a/Oct(?) Handel Concertos, 4-hands. When^{, after publication of vol. I}, I sought a modest improvement in the honorarium (100 Kroner) for vol. II, ^{vol. II} was simply summarily taken away from me and given to S.[?] Brandt-Buys. My work was thus destroyed, but H[ertzka] pays me no more than the 100 Kroner when he can have the work in question from any old [person?], quality a secondary issue. (The work is sui generis, no mere 4-hand transcription like the typical, it was, e.g., played publicly in concert in Munich. Now, however . . .), [ insert: ] as does not otherwise happen with such 4-hand transcriptions. About three years ago, H[ertzka] said: “I could have enough for the multitudes, that you did not survive to [do] vol. II.” [ problematic sentence ] Of course, mere empty talk. 100 Kroner are worth more to him still today than the best transcription of the Organ Concertos of Handel."

³ "bestimmter ... ausgesetzt" and "nicht ... sind" underlined by S.

⁴ The volume was in due course assigned to Brandt-Buys.

SUMMARY:
[Handel Organ Concertos, vol. 2:] From UE management: Publications Committee has considered S’s demand for increased honorarium; editors’ honoraria fall within remit of Executive Committee; if S persists with demand, they will have to reassign editorship; requests MS within 4–6 weeks.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2004.

Bent, Ian
UE
[Handel Organ Concertos, vol. 2:] From UE management: Publications Committee has considered S’s demand for increased honorarium; editors’ honoraria fall within remit of Executive Committee; if S persists with demand, they will have to reassign editorship; requests MS within 4–6 weeks.
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 2004.
UE; Schenker, Heinrich; Handel, G. F.; Organ Concertos, vol. 2; publication; honorarium; publications committee; deadline
Typed letter from UE (unident'd signatory) to Schenker, dated July 5, 1906
letter
academic; musicology; music theory
OC 52/395
1906-07-05
2004-12-14
OC/390 (undated note)
UE
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; holographic signature
Schenker, Heinrich (1906-1935)--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
1906