Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Emil Hertzka (UE), dated November 9, 1908

[ in top margin, not S’s hand: ] Franz Lehár + Simon
[ UE stamp: ] 8906
[ UE stamp: ]
Eingegangen: ..................
Beantwortet: 11. XI. 08 P.

Sehr geehrter Herr Direktor !

Verzeihen Sie, wenn ich Ihre Güte noch in Anspruch nehmen u. ich Sie sehr darum bitte, je einen “Niloff” an Prof. M. Violin, XIV, Sechshaüserstr. [?] 126,¹ u. Prof. Ed. Gärtner, III. Metternichgasse 7,² schicken zu lassen.

Daß ich nicht ganz ohne Scham bin, möge Ihnen die Tatsache beweisen, daß ich die “Ornamentik” kürzlich 2.mal selbst bei Gutmann³ gekauft habe, um dem Verlag nicht zur Last zu fallen, dem ich schon mit so vielen Exempl. belastet habe.

Also nur noch dieses Mal.

Mit ausgez Hochachtung
Ir ergeb
[ sign'd: ] H Schenker
9. 11. 08.

© Universal Edition A.G., Wien.
© Transcription Ian D. Bent 2005.

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Emil Hertzka (UE), dated November 9, 1908

[ in top margin, not S’s hand: ] Franz Lehár + Simon
[ UE stamp: ] 8906
[ UE stamp: ]
Received: ..................
Answered: 11. XI. 08 P.

Dear Director,

Forgive me if I trespass on your kindness yet again and ask you please to have one copy of “Niloff” each sent to Prof. Moriz Violin, [Vienna] XIV, Sechshaüserstraße[?] 126,¹ and Prof. Eduard Gärtner, [Vienna] III, Metternichgasse 7.²

You can tell that I am not wholly without shame from the fact that I recently twice bought Ornamentik from Gutmann³ myself so as not to be a burden to the press, when I have already burdened it with so many copies.

So just this one more time.

With kind regards,
Yours truly,
[ sign'd: ] H. Schenker
Nov 9, 1908

© Translation Ian D. Bent 2005.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 1-p letter, single sheet recto, holograph message and signature
Sender address: —
Recipient address: —

FOOTNOTES:

¹ Moriz Violin (1879-1956; affectionately known as "Floriz"), concert pianist, member of the Brahms circle, who won the Brahms Prize at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1894, and taught at the Gesellschaft and the Vienna Conservatory, later in Hamburg 1922-33. Schoenberg thought highly of him. He was S's closest personal friend from 1896, with whom S frequently played piano four hands, including the first performance of S's Syrische Tänze (January 26, 1900). "Niloff" is thought to be a humorous anagram of his last name. In 1907, S approached Guido Adler regarding a stipendium for Violin. Violin emigrated (with the help of Schoenberg) to the US in the early 1930s. His papers are preserved in the Oswald Jonas Memorial Collection at the University of Riverside, California, including extensive correspondence with S 1896-1935.

² Eduard Gärtner (), bass singer with whom S had frequently worked as accompanist and chamber peformer. It was at a Lieder evening given by Gärtner on January 26, 1900 that S and Violin first performed S's Syrische Tänze. Gärtner performed some of S's songs.

³ Albert J. Gutmann, GmbH, music retailer whose shop was situated in the Vienna Opera House. The company was later bought out by UE, and acted as nominal publisher for Schenker's Der Tonwille (1921-24) as a cover for UE. S probably did not lose financially on this, because UE would have billed him for copies supplied.

SUMMARY:
[Niloff: Instrumentations-Tabelle:] Asks for copies to be sent to Moriz Violin and Eduard Gärtner. — [ Beitrag zur Ornamentik:] Has bought copies at Gutmann Music Store.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2005.

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
[Niloff: Instrumentations-Tabelle:] Asks for copies to be sent to Moriz Violin and Eduard Gärtner. — [ Beitrag zur Ornamentik:] Has bought copies at Gutmann Music Store.
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
IPR: Heirs of Heinrich Schenker; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent 2005.
Schenker, Heinrich; Hertzka, Emil; UE; Violin, Moriz; Gärtner, Eduard; Gutmann; Niloff; Instrumentations-Tabelle; Ornamentik
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Emil Hertzka (UE), dated November 9, 1908
letter
Hertzka, Emil
WSLB 25
1908-11-09
2005-03-14
UE
All reasonable steps have been taken to locate the heirs of Heinrich Schenker. Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at schenkercorrespondence@mus.cam.ac.uk.
letter; holograph message and signature
Universal Edition Archive (1908-1976)—on permanent loan to the Stadt- und Landesbibliothek Wien (1976-)
IPR: Heirs of Heinrich Schenker; Image: Universal Edition, A.G.; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian D. Bent.
Vienna
1908