Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated November 1, 1930 Lieber Herr Prof v. Cube! Im August erhielt ich (nach Galtür) von H Weisse|1 einen Bf mit Beilagen, der mir sehr viel Freude machte. Über “dringende Empfehlung” Dr Furtwänglers2 hat sich der vielgenannte Ministerialrat Dr Leo Kestenberg (preuss. Unterrichtsministerium)3 mit eine Ich teile Ihnen das freudige Ereignis mit, damit Sie gegebenfalls, wann die Zerstörungswüterische um Sie herum gar zu arg toben, Schutz u. Zuflucht bei den Worten u. den Taten Kestenbergs finden mögen. Prof. Jöhde[sic]4 scheint ausgespielt zu haben, Halm|5 ist schon gestorben, so scheint denn Kestenberg, wohl auch sehr unter dem Einfluß Furtwänglers, eine Wendung zu mir zu machen. Freilich aber, meine Sache ist schwieriger. Erst bis der “fr. S.” herausgekommen sein wird, dann mag der Selbstunterricht beginnen u. {4} sich im Schulunterricht fortsetzen. Haben Sie Nº 15 u. 16 der “Rheinischen Theater u. Musikztg” gesehen u. darin den Aufsatz Albersheims’ über mich?6 Mein “Jb. III”7 erscheint in höchstens 3 Wochen! Mit bestem Gruß 1.11.30 Was treiben Sie? Wie werden Sie getrieben? © In the public domain. |
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Cube, dated November 1, 1930 Dear Professor von Cube, In August I received (in Galtür) a letter from Mr. Weisse1 with enclosures that gave me great joy. As a result of “an urgent recommendation” from Dr. Furtwängler,2 Dr Leo Kestenberg (Prussian Ministry of Education),3 whose name I have often mentioned, approached Weisse with an I am communicating this happy event so that, when the viciously destructive people all around you are making things too difficult for you, you may find protection and comfort in Kestenberg’s words and deeds. Professor Jöde4 seems to have done all he could, Halm is now dead,5 thus Kestenberg—almost certainly under Furtwängler’s influence, too—seems to be making an approach to me. Admittedly, however, my subject is more difficult: not until Der freie Satz is published can self-study begin and {4} continue in the school curriculum. Have you seen issues 15 and 16 of the Rheinische Theater- u. Musikzeitung, which includes Albersheim’s article about me?6 Volume 3 of my Yearbook7 will appear in three weeks, at most! With best greetings November 1, 1930 What are you working on? What is keeping you going? © Translation William Drabkin 2006. |
COMMENTARY: FOOTNOTES: 1 Click on Hans Weisse. 2 Wilhelm Furtwängler [create biogfile and link]. 3 Leo Kestenberg (1882-1962), who taught at both the Stern Conservatory and the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin, and was appointed to the Ministry of Science, Art, and Education in 1918, rising to a high position in the division of Art. His name frequently comes up in the correspondence as someone favorably disposed toward the dissemination of Schenker’s ideas by German educators. 4 Fritz Jöde (1887-1970), German music pedagogue, especially important in youth music. In the 1920s he was active in Berlin, where he founded (1923) the first state-run youth music school. He wrote numerous books on music pedagogy and edited several collections of songs, including the popular Der Kanon (1925). 5 August Halm (1869–1929), music theorist and long-time friend of Schenker’s. Halm’s death was noted in the brief discussion of the secondary literature on the Eroica Symphony. 6 Gerhard Albersheim, “Heinrich Schenker: Grundlagen und Bedeutung seines Werkes.” A copy is preserved in Schenker’s Scrapbook (OC 2/p. 80) and also as OJ 12/23. 7 Das Meisterwerk in Der Musik, vol. 3, which bears the publication date 1930 but was not actually brought out until early 1931. The volume, which is shorter than either of the previous “yearbooks” in the series, is dominated by the analysis of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. SUMMARY:
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