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OJ 9/6, [33] - Handwritten letter from Eugen d'Albert to Schenker, dated October 17, 1900
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Daß ich Ihnen erst heute auf Ihre lieben Zeilen vom 16 Sept. antworte, ist nicht Mangel an Teilnahme, 2 sondern mein unruhigers, gehetztes Leben. Hoffentlich sind Sie inzwischen vollständig wieder hergestellt und treffe ich Sie demnächst in alter Gesundheit wieder. „Kain“ 3 und „die Abreise“ 4 hatten in Prag u. Dresden grossen Erfolg. Am 3 Nov. ist die Premiere von „Kain“ in München. Neugierig bin ich {2} wann Wien folgen wird. Mahler’s Abneigung fängt an auffallend zu werden, denn Wien ist jetzt die einzige grössere deutsche Bühne, welche die „Abreise“ nicht gebracht hat. „Kain“ hielt ich aber für wirkungsvoller u. geeigneter. 5 Mit bestem Dank für Ihre liebenswürdigen Zeilen 6 und nochmals der Hoffnung Ausdruck gebend, daß Sie wieder ganz gesund {3} sind, bin ich © Transcription Ian Bent, 2021 |
That I am only today responding to your kind missive of September 16 is due not to lack of sympathy, 2 but to my restless, unremitting life. I hope that in the meanwhile you have recovered completely and that it will not be long before I find you again restored to your previous health. Kain 3 and Die Abreise 4 had great success in Prague and Dresden. On November 3 it will be the premiere of Kain in Munich. I am curious {2} as to when Vienna will follow. Mahler’s dislike begins to look conspicuous, for Vienna is now the only larger German stage on which Abreise has not been played. However, I consider Kain the more effective and more suitable work. 5 With sincere thanks for your delightful missive, 6 and once again hoping that you are now returned to good health, {3} I am, © Translation Ian Bent, 2021 |
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Daß ich Ihnen erst heute auf Ihre lieben Zeilen vom 16 Sept. antworte, ist nicht Mangel an Teilnahme, 2 sondern mein unruhigers, gehetztes Leben. Hoffentlich sind Sie inzwischen vollständig wieder hergestellt und treffe ich Sie demnächst in alter Gesundheit wieder. „Kain“ 3 und „die Abreise“ 4 hatten in Prag u. Dresden grossen Erfolg. Am 3 Nov. ist die Premiere von „Kain“ in München. Neugierig bin ich {2} wann Wien folgen wird. Mahler’s Abneigung fängt an auffallend zu werden, denn Wien ist jetzt die einzige grössere deutsche Bühne, welche die „Abreise“ nicht gebracht hat. „Kain“ hielt ich aber für wirkungsvoller u. geeigneter. 5 Mit bestem Dank für Ihre liebenswürdigen Zeilen 6 und nochmals der Hoffnung Ausdruck gebend, daß Sie wieder ganz gesund {3} sind, bin ich © Transcription Ian Bent, 2021 |
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That I am only today responding to your kind missive of September 16 is due not to lack of sympathy, 2 but to my restless, unremitting life. I hope that in the meanwhile you have recovered completely and that it will not be long before I find you again restored to your previous health. Kain 3 and Die Abreise 4 had great success in Prague and Dresden. On November 3 it will be the premiere of Kain in Munich. I am curious {2} as to when Vienna will follow. Mahler’s dislike begins to look conspicuous, for Vienna is now the only larger German stage on which Abreise has not been played. However, I consider Kain the more effective and more suitable work. 5 With sincere thanks for your delightful missive, 6 and once again hoping that you are now returned to good health, {3} I am, © Translation Ian Bent, 2021 |
Footnotes1 This letter is published in full in German by Hellmut Federhofer in Heinrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern und Briefen (Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1985), pp. 63–64. 2 This remark and the first sentence of OJ 9/6, [32] both imply that Schenker had been ill or suffered from exhaustion. 3 Kain, opera, libretto by H. Bulthaupt, first performance Berlin, February 17, 1900. 4 Die Abreise, opera, libretto by F. von Sporck after A. von Steigentesch, first performance Frankfurt, October 20, 1898. 5 d’Albert’s aspirations were fulfilled several years later. His first opera to be presented by the Vienna Court Opera, still in Mahler’s time, was Die Abreise, in a run from February 28 to March 27, 1905, with isolated performances in 1906 and 1908. Flauto solo (first performed Prague, November 12, 1905) had a short run from November 28 to December 11, 1906. Tiefland (first performed Prague, November 15, 1903) ran for twenty performances (after Mahler's departure) between February 29, 1908 and August 24, 1910, three times in 1912, three in 1913, and four in 1914. One opera was given its first performance at the Vienna house: Die verschenkte Frau had four performances, on February 6, 8, 17, and 28, 1912, then seems to have been dropped. (Information from archiv.wiener-staatsoper.at). 6 No items of correspondence from Schenker to d’Albert are known to survive. |