{recto}
[printed:] Postkarte
[top-left, picture captioned: Pfannkirchen[?], Oberöster.]
[Absender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[An:] H Prof
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhld)
Pulverweg
41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 23.VII.29 | 1600m [illeg] ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}


Mein lieber Prof. v. Cube ! 1

Herzlich dankend bestätige ich vorläufig den Empfang Ihrer Sonaten. 2 Prof. Oppel kommt Anfang August (mit 2 Söhnen) zu mehrtägigem Besuch hierher (schon zum 3. Mal), ich will auch denn sofort erkundigen, wie er es bei Peters , Br. & H. macht. 3

Weisse hatte die Veröffentlichung des 1. Strquartettes in der „U. E.“ mir zu danken (natürlich honorarlos), 4 die nächsten Chorgesänge gab er auf Subscription in dem gleichen Verlage. Doch wie gesagt auf alles das komme ich später zurück. 5 Gern verrate ich Ihnen zum Beschluß, daß mir Ihr Hinneigen zu klavieristischem Figurenwerk Freude macht. An Diminutionskunst ist Not, doch[?] dim. auch zum Pathos, {recto} Pathos ohne dim. u. namentlich wie seit Wagner ein Pathos-perpetuum tötet die Musik[.]


Von uns Beiden Ihnen beste Grüße u. Wünsche f. d. Sommer.
Ihr
[signed:] H Schenker
Galtür
22.7.29

© Transcription William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postcard
[top-left, picture captioned: Pfannkirchen[?], Oberöster.]
[Sender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[To:] Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhineland)
Pulverweg
41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 23.VII.29 | 1600m [illeg] ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}


My dear Professor von Cube, 1

With cordial thanks I hereby acknowledge the receipt of your sonatas. 2 Professor Oppel is coming here at the beginning of August (with two sons) for several days' visit (this is his third time [in Galtür]); I will then enquire straightaway how he is getting on with Peters [and] Breitkopf & Härtel. 3

Weisse has me to thank for the publication of his First String Quartet by Universal Edition (naturally without a fee); 4 he gave the choral songs that followed to the same publisher on a subscription basis. Yet, as I have said, I shall return to all of that later. 5 I gladly reveal to you, in conclusion, that your inclination toward pianistic figuration[?] brings joy to me. There is a [currently] a shortage of the art of diminution; indeed[?] diminution [belongs] [?] also in the service of seriousness, {recto} Pathos without diminution and, specifically, a perpetuum of seriousness, as we have had since since Wagner, is death to music.


With best greetings and wishes for the summer from the two of us,
Yours
[signed:] H. Schenker
Galtür
July 22, 1929

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postkarte
[top-left, picture captioned: Pfannkirchen[?], Oberöster.]
[Absender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[An:] H Prof
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhld)
Pulverweg
41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 23.VII.29 | 1600m [illeg] ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}


Mein lieber Prof. v. Cube ! 1

Herzlich dankend bestätige ich vorläufig den Empfang Ihrer Sonaten. 2 Prof. Oppel kommt Anfang August (mit 2 Söhnen) zu mehrtägigem Besuch hierher (schon zum 3. Mal), ich will auch denn sofort erkundigen, wie er es bei Peters , Br. & H. macht. 3

Weisse hatte die Veröffentlichung des 1. Strquartettes in der „U. E.“ mir zu danken (natürlich honorarlos), 4 die nächsten Chorgesänge gab er auf Subscription in dem gleichen Verlage. Doch wie gesagt auf alles das komme ich später zurück. 5 Gern verrate ich Ihnen zum Beschluß, daß mir Ihr Hinneigen zu klavieristischem Figurenwerk Freude macht. An Diminutionskunst ist Not, doch[?] dim. auch zum Pathos, {recto} Pathos ohne dim. u. namentlich wie seit Wagner ein Pathos-perpetuum tötet die Musik[.]


Von uns Beiden Ihnen beste Grüße u. Wünsche f. d. Sommer.
Ihr
[signed:] H Schenker
Galtür
22.7.29

© Transcription William Drabkin, 2006

{recto}
[printed:] Postcard
[top-left, picture captioned: Pfannkirchen[?], Oberöster.]
[Sender:] Schenker
Galtür, Tirol

[To:] Prof.
Felix v. Cube
Duisburg (Rhineland)
Pulverweg
41
[postmark:] || GALTÜR | 23.VII.29 | 1600m [illeg] ||
[for continuation of message from verso, see below]
{verso}


My dear Professor von Cube, 1

With cordial thanks I hereby acknowledge the receipt of your sonatas. 2 Professor Oppel is coming here at the beginning of August (with two sons) for several days' visit (this is his third time [in Galtür]); I will then enquire straightaway how he is getting on with Peters [and] Breitkopf & Härtel. 3

Weisse has me to thank for the publication of his First String Quartet by Universal Edition (naturally without a fee); 4 he gave the choral songs that followed to the same publisher on a subscription basis. Yet, as I have said, I shall return to all of that later. 5 I gladly reveal to you, in conclusion, that your inclination toward pianistic figuration[?] brings joy to me. There is a [currently] a shortage of the art of diminution; indeed[?] diminution [belongs] [?] also in the service of seriousness, {recto} Pathos without diminution and, specifically, a perpetuum of seriousness, as we have had since since Wagner, is death to music.


With best greetings and wishes for the summer from the two of us,
Yours
[signed:] H. Schenker
Galtür
July 22, 1929

© Translation William Drabkin, 2006

Footnotes

1 Writing of this postcard is not recorded in Schenker's diary.

2 Cube's Sonatas no. 1 and no. 2, enclosed with OJ 9/34, [19], July 18, 1929.

3 Schenker's remarks about the publication of works by Oppel and Weisse are in response to a query in OJ 9/34, [19], July 18, 1929, in which Cube speaks of his hopes of having his first two piano sonatas published.

4 See note 3.

5 In his next letter, OJ 5/7a, [27], August 10, 1929, Schenker does indeed make good his word: not only does he deliver a lengthy, detailed critique of Cube's sonatas, he also goes into some detail about the difficulties in getting music published.