Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated April 10, 1910 [UE date stamp:] 11. APR. 1910 [UE document stamp:] 0006 Sehr geehrter Herr Direktor ! Nun denn, wenn es Ihnen selbst gut bekommt, [da]ß Sie Ihr eigenes Ehrenwort (bezüglich des Frühlingsterminus) im Stich lassen, – was kann ich da weiter sagen?1 Und doch möchte ich bitten, des Wortes eingedenk zu bleiben. Denn es geschieht nicht ohne Grund, weshalb ich schon 3-mal die Korrekturen urgiert habe: ich[corr] habe nämlich für den Sommer eine größere Reise festgesetzt, die mir zwischen 1. u. 2. Halbband2 eine ausgiebige Erholung bringen soll[?]. Es wird mir also unmöglich sein, gerade im Sommer die Korrektur zu machen, weil ich die Spesen für die mitzunehmende Bibliothek nicht leicht der “U.E.” auf Rechnung stellen kann. U. übrigens, ist es Ihr Ernst, daß Sie mir um 100 Fl,3 d.i. {2} um das Honorar für 6–8 Paar Schuhe gleich zwei Sommer nehmen wollen? Just mir, dar[sic] ich ganz kostenlos der “U.E.” eine Reklame[corr] als Niloff4 besorgt habe, u.s.w.? Mit besten Grüßen Nachträglich fällt es mir schwer, zu verstehen, weshalb Sie mich so dringend zu sich beten, da Sie, wie ich sehe, an eine Drucklegung mindestens nicht gleich gedacht haben. Was war das? © In the public domain. |
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated April 10, 1910 [UE date stamp:] 11. APR. 1910 [UE document stamp:] 0006 Dear Director, Now [I see] that you go back on your own word of honor (regarding the Spring deadline) whenever it suits you—what more can I say?1 So I would just like to ask you to stay mindful of your word. For, not without reason have I pressed for the proofs three times now; [the reason is] that I have scheduled a longer trip for the Summer, which should[?] offer me a good chance of recuperating between the first and second half-volumes2. It will thus be impossible for me to do the proof correcting specifically during the Summer, because I cannot easily charge to UE the expenses of transporting my library. And besides, are you really serious in wanting me to take two Summers alike for 100 Florins,3 i.e. {2} for the honorarium for 6–8 pairs of shoes? Me, of all people, since I have procured an advertisement for UE free and gratis in the form of Niloff,4 etc.? And since you yourself write that .....5 Bach “arrives in a few weeks—not more”6 (by my counting, it is already 6 or 7 months since I submitted the manuscript!7), how are we to proceed over the tasks still to be done, which, given UE’s lack of interest in Bach, will not be out before the year 1915 at the earliest?! Therefore I ask for a more generous-minded8 resolution of our situation, and if possible for a speedier decision. My time, too, {3} is precious. With best wishes, PS It is hard for me to understand why you are so pressing in summoning me, since you, as I see it, have not been thinking of going into production imminently. What was that about? © Translation Ian D. Bent 2006. |
COMMENTARY: FOOTNOTES: 1 This is in response to OC 52/48, April 9, 1910, from H. 2 i.e. of Kontrapunkt. 3 S received the second half (100 Kr) of his 200-Kr honorarium for the Chromatic Fantasy Fugue on October 14, 1910 (OC 52/425) after a personal discussion; the work was received from the printers on October 21, 1910. 4 Artur Niloff [pseud. for Schenker], Instrumentations-Tabelle (Vienna: UE, 1908]. 5 File-punch hole obscures word(s). 6 S quotes OC 52/48, April 9, 1910, out of context, inserts a dash, and distorts the meaning as a result. The original context reads: “Since in any case publication is certainly no longer possible before Fall, a few extra weeks is now neither here nor there.” („Da ja vor dem Herbst die Veröffentlichung ohnedies nicht mehr erfolgen kann, so kommt es ja jetzt auf einige Wochen nicht mehr an.“) 7 S had indicated his readiness to hand over the MS on September 20, 1909 (WSLB 42); the actual date of hand-over is unknown. 8 „noblere“: a file-punch hole partly obscures this word. SUMMARY: © Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian D. Bent 2006.
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