Schenker Correspondence Project

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated November 19, 1911

[UE stamp:] Erledigt

Sehr geehrter Herr Direktor !

Ich erlaube mir die Anfrage, ob Ihnen für Ihren Verlag eine Ausgabe des (namentlich doch in den Schulen u. Akademien) vielgespielten¹ A-dur Konzertes von Mozart willkommen wäre in einem Arrangement für 2 Klaviere, deren 1.^tes eben das konzertierende Solo, 2^tes das Orchester widergibt.

Die bisherigen Ausgaben z.B. Steingräber (Mertke)² u.s.w.sind deraret unbrauchbar, daß ich letzthin eben selbst das Arrangement machen mußte, als eine Schülerin von ^mir gerade dieses Konzert zu einem öffentlichen Vortrage wühlte. Es wäre das wieder³ ein paradigmatischer Fall, u. wie ich glaube lohnend, zu zeigen, wie derlei Sachen gemacht werden sollten. (Bekanntlich haben Beethoven u. Mozart auch öffentlich ^{– in Zeitungen! –} protestiert gegen die ihnen unterschobenen schlechten Arrangements.)

Mit ausgez. Hochachtung
Ir ergeb.
[ sign’d: ] H Schenker

N.B. Mit Ungeduld erwarte ich die für d. Monat mir zugesagten Korrekturen)⁴
19 11. 1911

© In the public domain.
© Transcription Ian Bent 2006.

Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated November 19, 1911

[UE stamp:] Dealt with

Dear Director,

I take the liberty of inquiring whether your publishing house would welcome an edition of the (most especially in schools and academies) frequently played A major Concerto of Mozart in an arrangement for two pianos of which the first presents just the solo part, the second the orchestra.

The editions up to now, e.g. Steingräber (Mertke)² etc., are so unusable that I myself recently actually had to make an arrangement, when a lady pupil of ^mine was agitating to do this particular concerto at a public performance. It would again³ be a paradigmatic case, and profitable, I believe, to show how such things ought to be done. (It is well known that Beethoven and Mozart protested even publicly ^{—in newspapers!—} against the bad arrangements that were foisted upon them.)

With kind regards,
Yours truly,
[ sign’d: ] H. Schenker

N.B. I am awaiting impatiently the proofs that were promised me for this month.⁴
November 19, 1911

© Translation Ian Bent 2006.

COMMENTARY:
Format: 1p letter, holograph message and signature, with UE stamp
Sender address: --
Recipient address: --

FOOTNOTES

¹ “vielgespielten” written before “(namentlich ...)”, and marked to be moved.

² The Steingräber music publishing house, Leipzig, produced a series of editions of classical keyboard works, Eduard Mertke (piano professor at the Cologne Conservatory) being one of the team of editors.

³ He is probably referring back to his edition of the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, which he considered “paradigmatic” for the Bach keyboard works in general (WSLB 52, February 7, 1910).

⁴ See Oc 52/66, October 31, 1911.

SUMMARY
S proposes that UE publish his two-piano arrangement of a Mozart piano concerto.

© Commentary, Footnotes, Summary Ian Bent 2006.

Bent, Ian
Schenker, Heinrich
DE
Cambridge University Faculty of Music-Ian Bent
Schenker, Heinrich; Hertzka, Emil; UE; Mozart; piano concerto; arangement; two pianos; Steingräber; Mertke, Eduard; Beethoven
Handwritten letter from Schenker to Hertzka (UE), dated November 19, 1911
WSLB 84
1911-11-19
2006-12-01
UE
Hertzka
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.
Universal Edition Archive (1911-1976)—on permanent loan to the Stadt- und Landesbibliothek Wien (1976-)
IPR: In the public domain; Image: Universal Edition, A.G.; Transcription, Translation, Commentary, Footnotes, and Summary: Ian Bent.
Vienna
1911