Wiener Philharmonischer Verlag
Documents associated with this entity:
Viennese firm of music publishers.
The firm was founded on April 5, 1923 by Alfred Kalmus, who had just left Universal Edition after fourteen years. It published an important series of facsimiles and also books. In 1925, the firm was bought by UE, and Kalmus returned to that firm. The firm is notable for its library of miniature scores with distinctive grey covers and high-quality engraving.
Wiener Philharmonischer Verlag and Schenker
In the fall of 1927, at Kalmus's request, Schenker, in collaboration with Otto Erich Deutsch, began work on a revised edition of the score of Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony (the autograph manuscript of which was in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna). In his diary, Schenker recalls one session with Deutsch on Oct 19, 1927: Deutsch (from 4 to 8:15!!): he brings the facsimile edition of the score of the B-minor, and the collected edition with new observations of Mandyczewski's, which correct the mistakes that have been introduced and offer much that is new. Toward 7 o'clock, Lie-Liechen attempts to tear me from the work, but Mr. D. asks that we complete the work. Thus I work with him to the end, and enter all the corrections in the copy from Kalmus.
The result, the reverse title-page of which is dated "1927," was published by the Wiener Philharmonischer Verlag by April 1928. Neither Schenker's nor Deutsch's editorial involvement is acknowledged in the published miniature score.
Correspondence
One letter from the publishing house survives (Oct 24, 1923) together with a receipt and two invoices in OJ 15/20; and one postcard from Kalmus (Oct 18, 1927) survives with a copy of the previous edition of the "Unfinished" Symphony (referred to in the quotation above as "the copy from Kalmus") in OC miniature scores/28. However, much correspondence between Schenker and the firm is recorded in his diaries.
Source:
- Drabkin, William, "Schenker's 'Unfinished' Symphony" [Schubert conference, Maynooth, Oct 21‒23, 2011 ‒ unpublished]
Contributor:
- Ian Bent and William Drabkin