Handwritten letter from Harden to Schenker, dated December 2, 1897 [printed letterhead with handwritten date] Sehr geehrter Herr, mit bestem Dank gebe ich den kleinen Artikel zurück. Mahler war übrigens nur in Hamburg (nicht „allerorten in Deutschland["]) als Opernleiter geschätzt;1 und Hamburgs Operntheater war unter Pollini2 miserabel. Ich möchte Ihnen einmal ganz offen sagen, daß Ihre Kritik über das Heimchen3 der Stein geworden ist, der uns trennt. Es ist so ziemlich der einzige Fall, wo die Zkft. sich nach meiner und besserer Musikkenner Ansicht stark kompromittirt hat. Wie war es Ihnen möglich, dieses abscheuliche, unehrliche Werk so zu loben? Sie thaten es, weil es Ihnen richtig schien. Mir aber und Allen, mit denen ich drüber sprach, schien es grundfalsch und sehr bedauerlich. Können Sie ohne Empfindlichkeit begreifen, daß es mir seitdem schwer wird, an die Möglichkeit einer Verbindung zwischen uns zu glauben? Das schreibe ich Ihnen, weil Sie auf diese Dinge anspielen und weil ich Sie für einen Mann halten, der Wahrheit verlangt. In ausgezeichneter Hochachtung © In the public domain. |
Handwritten letter from Harden to Schenker, dated December 2, 1897 [printed letterhead with handwritten date] Dear Sir, With deep thanks I am returning your little article. By the way, Mahler was regarded as an opera director only in Hamburg (not "everywhere in Germany");1 and Hamburg's opera theater under Pollini2 was miserable. I would just like to tell you quite frankly that your review of Das Heimchen|3 has become the crux of the problem that divides us. It is pretty much the only case, as I and others with more musical expertise see it, in which Die Zukunft has seriously compromised itself. How was it possible for you to praise this execrable, insincere work so highly? You did it because it seemed correct to you. But to me and to everyone with whom I have spoken about this, it appears completely wrong-headed and very distressing. Can you understand without animosity that since then it has become difficult for me to believe in the possibility of a collaboration between us? I am writing this to you because you are alluding to these things, and because I take you for a man who desires truth. In highest esteem, © Translation William Pastille 2006. |
COMMENTARY: FOOTNOTES: 1 Gustav Mahler was musical director of the Hamburg Stadttheater 1891-97, from which position he eventually took over the direction of the city's symphony orchestra. 2 Bernhard Pollini (1838-97), manager and director of the Hamburg Stadttheater 1873-87, when he handed over musical direction to Hans von Bülow, who was in turn succeeded by Mahler. 3 The reference is to Schenker's article "Das Heimchen am Herd (Karl Goldmark)," which appeared in Die Zukunft on April 18, 1896. See OJ 11/42, [26], Harden to Schenker, regarding this review. Schenker's diary for February 8, 1897 (OJ 1/1, p. 1b) has the following:"Visits to Goldmark and Brüll. Favorable, it seems even downright favorable judgement of my compositions. [Schenker then reports an anecdote by Goldmark]" [Besuche bei Goldmark u. Brüll. Günstige, wie es scheint auch aufrichtig günstige Beurteilung meiner Kompositionen. ...] SUMMARY: © Commentary, Footnotes, Summary William Pastille, 2006
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