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vC 17 : 7-13-28

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated July 13, 1928

Galtür, 13. Juli 1928

Mein lieber Herr v. Cube!

Nun ist es doch nach Ihrem Wunsch gegangen! Die gewissen 10 Zuhörer in Düsseldorf ändern daran nichts; solche 10 hatte z.B. auch die Dehn1 in Wien (ich selbst war zufällig unter den 10), oft genug Liszt, Ysaye[corr]2 u.s.w. Ihre Mühen fanden ihre Krönung u Sie haben sich Verdienste um die Musik in D. erworben, mögen die Duisburger selbst auch nichts davon ahnen: alle Verdienste sehen sich namentlich darin gleich, daß die Nutznießer lange nichts merken, im Großen wie im Kleinen, in welchem Stoff immer; auch geht übrigens in den Gemütern der Nutznießer die Sonne des ersten {2} Dankes nie so recht auf.

Wir beide zahlen nicht zu den Nutznießern, gerade deshalb danke ich Ihnen sozusagen nur als Sachwalter meiner Gedanken auch Ihnen als Sachwalter für die tausendfachen Mühen um das Zustandekommen, von Mensch zu Mensch, von Künstler zu Künstler.

Ihr Aufsatz zeigt, wie der frühere, ein leicht bewegliches Denken u. Schreiben. Die Ungenauigkeit puncto Joachim,3 Brahms (“Zusammenarbeit”) stelle ich auf meine Rechnung, da Sie vermutlich meine Schrift schwer lesen könnten.4 Ich meinte blos: in Bezug auf Joachim, er sei sein Lebenlang mir immer Vorbild in Sachen des “Vortrags” gewesen (persönlich kannte ich ihn gar nicht) u. in Bezug auf Brahms, seine Erscheinung überhaupt, als Träger einer so gewaltigen {3} künstlerischen Summe (war doch meine erste Brahms-Sinfonie schon seine dritte, die Bülow5 mit den Meiningern zur Erstauff. in Wien brachte!6 Der Brahms-Gipfel war schon für alle Ewigkeit getürmt, als ich ihn zu sehen, zu hören erst begann!), die kostlosen Bemerkungen zur Musik, die ich aus seinem Munde zu hören das Glück hatte u.s.w.

Das Wort „Zusammenarbeit” greift also zu weit. Die Richtigstellung war ich Ihnen schuldig. Gelegentlich mal können auch Sie, je nach dem Gesprächspartner, die Richtigstellung vorbringen, müssen aber nicht. Es war ja nur ein Misverständnis, das sich jederzeit zutragen kann, u. alle Welt weiß, daß ich nicht zu denjenigen zahle, die sich Joachim oder Brahms anbiedern, blos weil sie todt sind u. nicht widerlegen können. Wien wimmelt heute von Brahms-“Freunden”! Die Meschaërt[sic]7- {4} Angelegentheit stimmt genau.

Davon abgesehen finde ich Ihren Aufsatz geschickt u. umfassend, gut gruppiert|8 u. plastisch einleuchtend. Vielen, vielen Dank! Mit Freude stelle ich fest, daß Sie Ihre Kräfte erproben u. bewähren.

Ihre Anregung betreffs des Exampelbuches zu Ph. Em. Bach finde ich sehr beachtenswert;9 ich werde sie mit v. Hoboken|10 durcharbeiten.

Das 2. Bild von Hammer11 erbitte ich nach Wien, aber erst im Oktober!

Prof. Oppel|12 kommt wieder nach Galtür. Schade, wenn Sie wegbleiben müssten.

Meine Frau, die meine Freude an Ihrer Leistung teilte, grüßt herzlichst, wie grüße auch ich

Ihr
[ sign’d: ] H Schenker

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

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated July 13, 1928

Galtür, July 13, 1928

My dear Mr. von Cube,

Now things have gone as you had planned! The fact that there were just ten in the audience in Düsseldorf does not change things in the slightest. For instance, Dehn1 had such an audience of ten in Vienna (I myself had fewer than ten, at times), and Liszt, Ysaÿe2 and others often enough. Your troubles were rewarded, and you have made great contributions to music in Düsseldorf, however little the people in Duisburg themselves have an idea of them: all contributions look alike, indeed insofar as the profiteers observe nothing for a long time, either in the large or small, regardless of the material. Moreover, the profiteers are unlikely, because of their character, to be the first to rise and offer {2} thanks.

The two of us do not belong to the profiteers; precisely for this reason I—merely as the guardian of my ideas—thank you, too, as guardian, for the thousandfold efforts for bringing them to light, as man to man, as artist to artist.

Your essay, like the earlier one, shows a lightly agile way of thinking and writing. The imprecision regarding Joachim3 and Brahms (“collaboration”) is something for which I take responsibility, since you probably had difficulty reading my handwriting.4 I meant merely: with regard to Joachim, he was always my model in matters of performance (I did not know him personally); and with regard to Brahms, his manifestation in general, as the bearer of such a magnificent {3} artistic sum (my first Brahms symphony was already his third, which Bülow5 brought with the Meinigen [Orchestra] to Vienna for its first performance!6 The Brahms peak was already crowned for all eternity when I first began to see him, to hear him!: the priceless remarks on music, which I had the good fortune to hear from his mouth.

The word “collaboration” is thus an overstatement. To put this right is something I owed to you. From time to time, of course, you can come up with the right interpretation yourself, depending upon whom you are conversational terms with, but that is not necessary. It was just a misunderstanding that could happen at any time, and everyone knows that I am not reckoned among those who ingratiate myself with Joachim or Brahms simply because they are dead and cannot contradict me.. Vienna is swarming today with“friends” of Brahms! {4} Your account of the opportunity of working with Messchaert7 is absolutely correct.

In spite of this, I find your article attractive and comprehensive, well put together|8 and vividly illuminating. Many, many thanks! I can affirm, with joy, that you are testing and proving your powers.

Your proposal regarding the book of music examples for C. P. E. Bach is something I find very commendable.9 I shall go through it with van Hoboken.10

Please send the second Hammer11 portrait to Vienna, but not until October!

Professor Oppel12 is coming again to Galtür. A pity that you could not be there.

My wife, who shares my joy in what you have accomplished, sends her most affectionate greetings, as also do I.

Yours,
[ sign’d: ] H. Schenker

© Translation by William Drabkin 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 4-p letter, oblong format, holograph message and signature
Sender address:--
Recipient address: --

FOOTNOTES:

1 die Dehn: a female musician, perhaps a singer.

2 Eugène Ysaÿe [create biogfile and link].

3 Joseph Joachim [create biogfile and link].

4 Cube wrote a biographical article about Schenker for a Duisburg newspaper—presumably “”Heinrich Schenker,” unknown newspaper, June 28, 1928 (clipping preserved OJ 58/3)—to promote the exhibition of his teacher’s writings at Scheuermann’s bookshop. To assist him with this, Schenker wrote a highly personal letter, vC 14, April 29, 1928, giving some details about the musicians who inspired him in the early stages of his career, among them Joachim, Brahms, and Messchaert.

5 Hans von Bülow [create biogfile and link].

6 The first performance of Brahms’ Third Symphony took place on December 2, 1883.

7 Click on Johannes Meschaert.

8 gut gruppiert: Schenker is alluding to the Gruppenbildung, the putting together of large sections of a cyclic form (e.g. the first, second or closing group of a sonata form) from a variety of contrasting ideas. Gruppenbilding is an important concept in Schenker’s earlier writings, especially the long essay Über den Niedergang der Kompositionskunst (c.1906–7).

9 C. P. E. Bach examples: mentioned in Cube’s previous letter, OJ 9/34, [13], July 6, 1928, para. 4.

10 Click on Anthony van Hoboken.

11 Victor Hammer [create biogfile and link].

12 Reinhard Oppel [create biogfile and link].

SUMMARY:
S offers consoling words for low turn-out to Düsselforf lecture; praises recent article by C, but corrects overstated connection between himself and Brahms and Joachim.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary William Drabkin 2006.

Drabkin, William
Schenker, Heinrich
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Cube, Felix-Eberhard von; Schenker, Heinrich; Düsseldorf; lecture; attendance; Dehn; Vienna; Liszt; Ysaÿe, Eugène; Duisburg; Joachim, Joseph; Brahms; Meiningen; Bülow, Hans von; Messchaert, Johannes; Bach, C. P. E.; Hoboken, Anthony van; Hammer, Victor; Oppel, Reinhard; Galtür
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated July 13, 1928
vC 17
1928-07-13
2006-07-18
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 (1928-87)—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
1928

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