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FS 40/27, [2] - Handwritten letter from Weisse to Schenker, dated October 17, 1925
Wie wir’s erwarteten, so ist’s auch in der Tat! Ich habe Ihnen blos die das „Chaos“ betreffende Stelle excerpiert, 2 alle übrigen wird von gleicher Belanglosigkeit wie diese und betreffen in einem erstern großen Abschnitt das Wesen des Kompon. Haydn überhaupt sodann das Misslungene an der Dichtung der Schöpfung. Nach Besprechung des Chaos wird noch über einzelne Arien und Chöre referiert, (semper eodem modo). 3 Doch übrigens muß man verstehen: Haydn, der’s gemacht hat, und weiß, wie es [corr] dabei zuging, genügt die Anerkennung als solche, denn ihm muß das Lob mit der Leistung, deren er sich bewußt ist, in Einklang stehen. Daher rührt doch auch seine Dankbarkeit! © Transcription William Drabkin, 2013 |
As we expected, so it is also in fact the case! I have excerpted for you only the passage concerning "Chaos"; 2 all the remaining ones are of the same insignificance as this one. A first large section, considers the significance of Haydn as composer in general as the shortcoming in the text of The Creation. After the discussion of "Chaos," various arias and choruses are referred to (semper eodem modo). 3 But in general one must understand [from Zelter's text]: for Haydn, who wrote it and knows how it came about, it is sufficient to recognize it for what it is; for the praise given to him must stand in harmony with the accomplishment, of which he is conscious. That is also why his [Haydn's] gratitude is so moving! © Translation William Drabkin, 2013 |
Wie wir’s erwarteten, so ist’s auch in der Tat! Ich habe Ihnen blos die das „Chaos“ betreffende Stelle excerpiert, 2 alle übrigen wird von gleicher Belanglosigkeit wie diese und betreffen in einem erstern großen Abschnitt das Wesen des Kompon. Haydn überhaupt sodann das Misslungene an der Dichtung der Schöpfung. Nach Besprechung des Chaos wird noch über einzelne Arien und Chöre referiert, (semper eodem modo). 3 Doch übrigens muß man verstehen: Haydn, der’s gemacht hat, und weiß, wie es [corr] dabei zuging, genügt die Anerkennung als solche, denn ihm muß das Lob mit der Leistung, deren er sich bewußt ist, in Einklang stehen. Daher rührt doch auch seine Dankbarkeit! © Transcription William Drabkin, 2013 |
As we expected, so it is also in fact the case! I have excerpted for you only the passage concerning "Chaos"; 2 all the remaining ones are of the same insignificance as this one. A first large section, considers the significance of Haydn as composer in general as the shortcoming in the text of The Creation. After the discussion of "Chaos," various arias and choruses are referred to (semper eodem modo). 3 But in general one must understand [from Zelter's text]: for Haydn, who wrote it and knows how it came about, it is sufficient to recognize it for what it is; for the praise given to him must stand in harmony with the accomplishment, of which he is conscious. That is also why his [Haydn's] gratitude is so moving! © Translation William Drabkin, 2013 |
Footnotes1 Receipt of this letter is not recorded in Schenker's diary; that he received it, however, is shown by a reply to Weisse of October 18, recorded at OJ 3/8, p. 2880: "An Weisse (K.): Dank für das Zelter-Exzerpt." ("To Weisse (postcard): thanks for the extract from Zelter.") 2 The passage on "The Representation of Chaos" from Carl Friedrich Zelter's review of Haydn's Creation in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (1802). 3 A play on Schenker's Latin motto, semper idem sed non eodem modo ("always the same, but never in the same way"), to explain that there is nothing special about Zelter's analytical commentary on The Creation. |