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Sbb B II 4418 - Handwritten letter with envelope from Schenker to Busoni, undated [mid-September 1897?]
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[envelope] {recto} ⇧ Herrn Ferruccio Busoni Componist Berlin W. Tauenzienstr. 10 [postmark:] WIEN [illeg] | [illeg] | [illeg] || {verso} [blank] [letter] Verehrtester, bester Herr! 1 Ihre Güte ist ausserordentlich. Ich besitze noch ein Manuscript der künftigen „Fantasie“ u. mache mich sofort an die Arbeit. 2 Eines muss doch gelingen: entweder mit Ihrer Hilfe oder mit dem Geld des Freundes das Haus Br. & H. zu erobern! 3 In bin sehr neugierig, ob d'Albert heuer (u. wo?) sein in letzter Zeit wieder so freundschaftlich bekräftigtes Wort einlösen wird? 4 Dass Sie einmal von mir was spielen werden, höre ich aus {2} Ihren theilnahmsvollen, gütigen Briefen deutlich heraus. Ich wollte schon, es käme für mich die Stunde. Ich werde mir schliesslich erlauben, die fertige Fantasie Ihnen anzuzeigen, damit die Gerechtigkeit ihren Lauf nehme. © Transcription Ian Bent, 2013, 2022 |
[envelope] {recto} ⇧ Mr. Ferruccio Busoni Composer Berlin W. Tauenzienstrasse 10 [postmark:] VIENNA [illeg] | [illeg] | [illeg] || {verso} [blank] [letter] Most highly revered, best Sir, 1 Your kindness is extraordinary. I still have a manuscript of what is to become my Fantasy and am getting down to the work. 2 One thing I absolutely must achieve: either with your help or with my friend's money, to conquer the house of Breitkopf & Härtel! 3 I am very curious to see whether d'Albert will today (and where?) make good the promise that he recently so kindly re-iterated. 4 I hear clearly from your sympathetic, kind letters that you will one day play something of mine. {2} I only wish that the time for me were now at hand. In conclusion, I will take the liberty of showing you the finished Fantasy, so that justice may run its course. © Translation Ian Bent, 2013, 2022 |
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[envelope] {recto} ⇧ Herrn Ferruccio Busoni Componist Berlin W. Tauenzienstr. 10 [postmark:] WIEN [illeg] | [illeg] | [illeg] || {verso} [blank] [letter] Verehrtester, bester Herr! 1 Ihre Güte ist ausserordentlich. Ich besitze noch ein Manuscript der künftigen „Fantasie“ u. mache mich sofort an die Arbeit. 2 Eines muss doch gelingen: entweder mit Ihrer Hilfe oder mit dem Geld des Freundes das Haus Br. & H. zu erobern! 3 In bin sehr neugierig, ob d'Albert heuer (u. wo?) sein in letzter Zeit wieder so freundschaftlich bekräftigtes Wort einlösen wird? 4 Dass Sie einmal von mir was spielen werden, höre ich aus {2} Ihren theilnahmsvollen, gütigen Briefen deutlich heraus. Ich wollte schon, es käme für mich die Stunde. Ich werde mir schliesslich erlauben, die fertige Fantasie Ihnen anzuzeigen, damit die Gerechtigkeit ihren Lauf nehme. © Transcription Ian Bent, 2013, 2022 |
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[envelope] {recto} ⇧ Mr. Ferruccio Busoni Composer Berlin W. Tauenzienstrasse 10 [postmark:] VIENNA [illeg] | [illeg] | [illeg] || {verso} [blank] [letter] Most highly revered, best Sir, 1 Your kindness is extraordinary. I still have a manuscript of what is to become my Fantasy and am getting down to the work. 2 One thing I absolutely must achieve: either with your help or with my friend's money, to conquer the house of Breitkopf & Härtel! 3 I am very curious to see whether d'Albert will today (and where?) make good the promise that he recently so kindly re-iterated. 4 I hear clearly from your sympathetic, kind letters that you will one day play something of mine. {2} I only wish that the time for me were now at hand. In conclusion, I will take the liberty of showing you the finished Fantasy, so that justice may run its course. © Translation Ian Bent, 2013, 2022 |
Footnotes1 This letter is published in full in translation in Ian Bent, David Bretherton, and William Drabkin, eds., Heinrich Schenker: Selected Correspondence (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2014), p. 15. 2 Busoni had advised Schenker to merge three pieces written by the latter and shown to Busoni into a single work comprising three parts, entitled Fantasie. This advice was given in OJ 9/27, [2], c. May 5, 1897, and Busoni subsequently gave specific suggestions as to how to carry out the task. At this point, the word “künftig” (“future”) indicates that Schenker has still not completed merging the three separate pieces; the Fantasie was eventually published as Schenker’s Op. 2 by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1898 and released in January 1899. 3 Note the alternatives: either Busoni’s advocacy on its own will win Breitkopf over, or otherwise he will have to call on his “friend”s money (i.e. waive his honorarium) to do so. 4 See, for example, OJ 9/6, [18], May 8, 1897. D’Albert was aware of Busoni’s advice over the putative Fantasie (OJ 9/6, [19], June 11, 1897). See also OJ 9/6, [20], September 9, 1897. |