« OJ 9/34, [8] : 5-28-27 | Main | DLA 69.930/15 : 7-11-27 »

vC 10 : 6-1-27

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated June 1, 1927

Lieber Herr v. Cube!

Zu der nun offiziell gewordenen Professur wünsche ich u. meine Frau Ihnen das Allerbeste! Von Gottes Gnaden ist zwar mehr als von Professoren Gnade, aber die Welt hält auf Professoren (und muß es wohl auch tun, da Gott ihr ununsichtbar u. unhörbar bleibt), da tun Sie also gut, auch ihr Zeugnis hinzunehmen. Den Rest haben Sie mit Gott abzumachen, der Sie reichlich ausgestattet hat. Auf dem von Ihnen zu beschreitenden Weg wird Sie ermüntern zu hören, daß H. Prof. Dr. R. Oppel – den ich Ihnen wohl genannt haben mag – auf an das Leipziger Konservatorium {2} als Prof. für Theorie berufen worden, in welcher Eigenschaft er, wie er mir mitteilt, mein System offiziell lehren wird.1 Die Wirkung breitet sich mehr u. mehr aus: Edinburgh,2 (auch New-York),3 Leipzig Stuttgart, Wien (ich und Weisse|4), Vrieslander in München (er schreibt eine große Monographie über mich),5 Sie in Duisburg, u. Halm6 usw usw. Das Alles zeigt, daß – trotz Schoenbergs und Hindemiths – auch unsere Stunde schlägt; diese Stunde aber dauert eine Ewigkeit, weil sie die Wahrheit, nicht blos eine Mode, trägt. Oppel erhält bei 20 Stunden 700 MK,7 – das zahlt die Wiener Akademie gewiß nicht. Haben Sie schon Schüler im Privat-Unterricht?

Wir reisen schon am 25.6 nach Galtür. Daß Sie uns besuchen wollen,8 macht uns {3} Freude schon zum Voraus, sie wird noch größer sein, wenn Sie die Absicht wirklich ausführen werden. Ich weiß nicht, ob Sie Wien oder Galtür meinen, jedenfalls merke ich an: Galtür im Paznauntal, erreichbar auf einer Fußwanderung von der Voralberger Seite, oder am besten mit Auto aus Landeck (oder Wiesberg). Prof. Oppel wird uns ebenfalls in Galtür besuchen, auch Direktor Altmann (Berlin),9 Hoboken|10 (vielleicht mit Vrieslander).

Nun auf Wiedersehen. Unser Beider beste Grüsse sendet

Ihr
[ sign’d: ] H Schenker
1.6.27

© In the public domain.
© Transcription William Drabkin, 2006.

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated June 1, 1927

Dear Mr. von Cube,

Regarding your professorship, which has now become official, my wife and I offer you our very best wishes. The grace of God is, of course, more than the grace of professors, but the world relies on professors (as it surely has to, since God remains invisible and inaudible to it). You are thus doing the right thing to take up your credentials. For the rest, you will have to settle your accounts with God, who has endowed you richly. As you follow the path that has been set out for you, it will give you encouragement to hear that Professor Reinhard Oppel, whose name I have probably mentioned to you, has been appointed {2} Professor of Music Theory at the Leipzig Conservatory, in which capacity—so he tells me—he will officially teach my system.1 The effect continues to broaden: Edinburgh2 (also New York),3 Leipzig, Stuttgart, Vienna (myself and Weisse4), Vrieslander in Munich (he is writing a long monograph about me),5 yourself in Duisburg, and Halm,6 etc., etc. All this shows that, in spite of Schoenberg and Hindemith, the hour has struck for us, too, but this hour will last an eternity because it bears the truth, not merely a fashion. Oppel will receive 700 marks for twenty hours of teaching;7 the Vienna Academy certainly does not pay as well. Do you already have private pupils?

On June 25, we are travelling to Galtür. To hear that you are hoping to to visit us8 fills us {3} with delight, which will be all the greater if your intentions are actually realized. I do not know whether you mean Vienna or Galtür, but let me note in any event: Galtür in the Paznau Valley, accessible by footpath from the Vorarlberg side, or (better) by automobile from Landseck (or Wiesberg). Professor Oppel will likewise visit us in Galtür, so will Director Altmann (Berlin),9 and Hoboke10 (possibly with Vrieslander).

Until we see each other again, I send best greetings from the two of us.

Yours,
[ sign’d: ] H Schenker
June 1, 1927

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006.

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

FOOTNOTES:

1 Reinhard Oppel [create biogfile and link].

2 Click on John Petrie Dunn.

3 The dissemination of Schenker’s work in the USA seems to have begun earlier than is generally reckoned. In the postcard vC 15, May 28, 1928, Schenker refers to “American (English-speaking) teachers in New York and San Francisco who have been teaching the Urlinie in their schools for some time.”

4 Click on Hans Weisse.

5 Otto Vrieslander never published a full-length monograph on Schenker, but articles entitled “Heinrich Schenker” appeared in Die Musik (October 1927) and the Deutsche Tonkünstlerzeitung (March 5, 1928). (In Schenker’s scrapbook, OC 2, Jeanette Schenker gives October 1926 for date of the Die Musik article.) [create biogfile and link]

6 August Halm (1869-1929)—see correspondence between Schenker and Halm [create biogfile and link].

7 This is, presumably, a monthly salary and workload.

8 See Cube’s letter OJ 9/34, [8], May 28, 1927.

9 Wilhelm Altmann (1862–1951), retired Director of the Music Division of the Prussian State Library (19154–27) in Berlin. The editor of many miniature scores. Altmann was also a keen supporter of the Erläuterungsausgabe, and wrote a favorable review of the first Tonwille pamphlet.

10 Anthony van Hoboken [create biogfile and link].

SUMMARY:
Congratulates Cube on appointment to professorship; reports that Oppel has been appointed to a professorship at the Leipzig Conservatory, and on the spread of S's theory elsewhere; looks forward to visit from Cube.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary William Drabkin 2006.

Drabkin, William
Schenker, Heinrich
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Schenker, Heinrich; Cube, Felix-Eberhard von; congratulations; professorship; Oppel, Reinhard; Leipzig Conservatory; Edinburgh; New York; Stuttgart; Vienna; Weisse, Hans; Vrieslander, Otto; Munich; Duisburg; Halm, August; Schoenberg; Hindemith; Vienna Akademie für Musik und Darstellende Kunst; Vienna Conservatory; visit; Galtür; Paznauntal; Landseck; Wiesberg; Altmann, Wilhelm; Berlin; Hoboken, Anthony van
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated June 1, 1927
vC 10
1927-06-01
2006-06-17
Cube
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 schenkercorrespondence@mus.cam.ac.uk.
Felix-Eberhard von Cube (1927-87)—Heirs of F.-E. von Cube (1987-present day)
IPR: In the public domain; Image: Heirs of Felix-Eberhard von Cube; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary William Drabkin.
Vienna
1927

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on June 1, 1927 1:00 AM.

The previous post in this blog was OJ 9/34, [8] : 5-28-27.

The next post in this blog is DLA 69.930/15 : 7-11-27.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Powered by
Movable Type 3.34