Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Jonas, dated December 13, 1933

Geehrter, lieber Herr D^r Jonas!

Die Beispiele im Jb. I u. II¹ sind gestochen, vermutlich sind sie teuerer als Klischees, gezahlt hat sie der Verlag, folglich kann ich näheres nicht sagen. Die Klischees nehmen Platz weg, deshalb habe ich beschlossen, ^{beim „fr. S"2} auf einem eigenen Band für die Bsp. zu bestehen, etwa so ^wie in Jhb. III oder gar wirklich ^auf einem besonderen Band.

In diesen Tagen, ja Stunden entscheidet es sich, ob Hob.³ sich in Wien ansie- {2} delt oder nicht.

Sollte Ihnen die Vierteljahresschrift:

"Modern Music
A Quarterly Review"
Nov-Decemb 1933-Heft
New York
League of Composers
113 West 57th Street,

zugänglich sein, so würde ich Ihnen empfehlen⁴ den Aufsatz "The Role of H. Sch." zu lesen, auf den mich H. Wilfort⁵ aufmerksam gemacht hat.⁶ Ein überraschend hochgestimmter Aufsatz, wie ich ihn am allerwenigsten aus Amerika erwartet habe. Möglicherweise nützt er[corr] Ihnen auch bei Ihren {3} Schülern, die sich weniger isoliert fänden. Sollte Ihnen der Aufsatz nicht zugänglich sein, so will ich Ihnen eine Abschrift bereitstellen, sobald die paar Abzügen nach der Wilfort'schen Uebersetzung fertiggestellt sind.⁷

Mit besten Grüßen u. Wünschen für die Festtage von uns Beiden

Ihr
[ sign’d: ] H Schenker
13.12.33

© In the public domain.
© Transcription John Rothgeb 2006.

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Jonas, dated December 13, 1933

Dear Dr. Jonas,

The examples in Yearbooks I and II¹ are engraved; presumably they are more expensive than plates: the press paid for them, so I cannot provide more detail. Plates use up space, and therefore I have decided on a separate binding for the examples in Der freie Satz,² perhaps as in Yearbook III, or even on a separate volume.

In these days, indeed even in these hours, it is being decided whether Hoboken³ will emigrate to Vienna {2} or not.

In case you have access to the quarterly:

Modern Music
A Quarterly Review
November–December 1933 issue
New York
League of Composers
113 West 57th Street,

I would recommend reading the essay, brought to my attention by Mr. Willfort,⁵ “The Role of H. Sch.”.⁶ A surprisingly elated essay, which I expected least of all from America. Possibly it would prove useful to you with your {3} students as well, who would feel themselves less isolated. Should you not have access to the essay, I will provide you a copy, as soon as the few excerpts have been prepared in the Willfort translation.⁷

With best greetings and wishes for the holidays from both of us,

Yours,
[ sign'd: ] H. Schenker
December 13, 1933

© Translation John Rothgeb 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 3-p letter, oblong format, holograph message and signature
Sender address: --
Recipient address: --

FOOTNOTES:

¹ Schenker’s Das Meisterwerk in der Musik, I and II (Munich: Drei-Masken-Verlag, 1925, 1926).

² i.e., NMTP III (Vienna: UE, 1935), for which the music examples were bound as a separate volume in a format different from that of the text volume. This paragraph is in response to J’s inquiry in OJ 12/6, [26], December 10, 1924 as to whether the music examples in Das Meisterwerk in der Musik I and II had been engraved or done as plates.

³ Click on Anthony van Hoboken.

⁴ Comma after “empfehlen” inserted then deleted.

⁵ Manfred Willfort [create biogfile and link]

⁶ Israel Citkowitz, “The Role of Heinrich Schenker,” Modern Music: A Quarterly Review XI:1 (1933), 18-23.

⁷ The translation survives in an 8-p typescript, “Die Rolle Heinrich Schenkers,” as OJ 58/2, and also as OC 2/between p.88 and p.89, translator unidentified.

SUMMARY:
Music examples in Das Meisterwerk engraved; draws attention to article [by Irael Citkowitz].

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary John Rothgeb 2006.

Rothgeb, John
Schenker, Heinrich
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Schenker, Heinrich; Jonas, Oswald; Das Meisterk in der Musik; Masterwork in Music; Jahrbuch; Yearbook; music examples; engraving; Klischee; plate; Der freie Satz; Free Composition; Hoboken, Anthony van; Modern Music: A Quarterly Review; Citkowitz, Israel; Willfort, Manfred; America; New York; translation
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Jonas, dated December 13, 1933
OJ 5/18, 32
1933-12-13
2006-07-29
Jonas
This document is deemed to be in the public domain as of January 1, 2006. Any claim to intellectual rights should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at [email protected].
Oswald Jonas (1933-1978)—Special Collections, University of California, Riverside (1978-)
IPR: In the public domain; Image: Special Collections, University of California, Riverside; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: John Rothgeb.
Vienna
1933