Correspondence with Alma Mahler and Franz Werfel, 1906-1943.

Format:

Other

Author/Creator:

Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951.

Contributor:

Schoenberg, Gertrud.

Schoenberg, Mathilde, 1877-1923.

Mahler, Gustav, 1860-1911.

Rosé, Justine, 1868-1938.

Stein, Erwin, 1885-1958.

Strauss, Richard, 1864-1949.

Karpath, Ludwig, 1866-1936.

Kandinsky, Wassily, 1866-1944.

Torberg, Friedrich, 1908-1979.

Downes, Olin, 1886-1955.

Mann, Thomas, 1875-1955.

Steuermann, Edward.

Steuermann, Hilda.

Remme, Karl.

Webern, Anton, 1883-1945.

Webern, Wilhelmine Moertl.

Ratz, Erwin.

Eisler, Hanns, 1898-1962.

Steinbauer, Othmar, 1895-1962.

Novakovic, Olga, 1884-1946.

Greissle, Felix, 1894-1982.

Steinberg, William, 1899-1978.

Kolisch, Rudolf, 1896-1978.

Seligmann, Maria Kolisch.

Hoffmann, Richard, 1925-2021.

Moderna, Bruno.

Steinecke, Wolfgang.

Nono, Nuria Schoenberg, 1932-

Nono, Luigi.

Schoenberg, Lawrence A.

Berg, Alban, 1885-1935.

Zemlinsky, Alexander, 1871-1942.

Ziegler, Alice.

Schönberg, Heinrich.

Arnold Schönberg Fond.

Gustav Mahler Stiftung.

Language:

English

German

Physical Description:

178 items (268 leaves)

Contained In:

Mahler-Werfel Papers. Folders 1090-1098

Place of Publication:

1906-1943.

Language Note:

In German and English.

Biography/History:

Mathilde Schönberg (née Zemlinsky), the sister of Alexander Zemlinsky, was Arnold Schoenberg's first wife; they married in 1901. Gertrud Schoenberg (née Kolisch) was Arnold's 2nd wife; they married in 1924. Nuria Schoenberg Nono and Lawrence ("Larry") Schoenberg were 2 of the 3 children of Gertrud and Arnold Schoenberg. Justine Rosé (née Mahler) was Gustav's sister.

Summary:

The correspondence, which is mainly addressed to Alma Mahler, documents her long-standing friendship with Schoenberg and support for his work, as well as his affection and regard for her and his engagement with the work of Gustav Mahler; it touches upon diverse aspects of Schoenberg's musical career. Roughly 40% of the correspondence comprises original items, dated from 1920 to 1963; the earlier correspondence, dated 1906 to 1920, exists in the form of typescripts. Topics of the earlier correspondence include Schoenberg's reflections on his own aesthetic in a dramatic text he had written; the merits of his wife, Mathilde, and his hopes that she would be included in invitations from Gustav and Alma Mahler; financial difficulties of and support for Schoenberg, including stipends through the Mahler foundation (in that context, exchanges concerning Richard Strauss's opinion of Schoenberg), the formation of a special fund (Arnold-Schönberg-Fond); mentions of Alma's friend Lilly Lieser; Schoenberg's lecture on Mahler, in 1912, and his comments on performances of Mahler's symphonies; Schoenberg's own current compositions and their performances; his responses to the outbreak and course of the First World War; his conducting of Mahler's adaptation of Beethoven's ninth symphony; his founding of a society for private musical performances (Verein für private Musik-Aufführungen); and Alma's gift to Schoenberg of 2 Mahler manuscripts. Topics of the later correspondence (from 1920 on) include plans for the foundation of a Mahlerbund; Schoenberg's decision to decline the invitation from Kandinsky and Gropius to teach at the Bauhaus; the death of Mathilde Schönberg and, later, Schoenberg's marriage to Gertrud Kolisch; Schoenberg's emigration to the U.S., in 1933; his teaching at UCLA and attempt to help Werfel find a position; performances of and reception of Schoenberg's work in the U.S.; his debate with music critic Olin Downes about Mahler's seventh symphony, as performed by the New York Philharmonic under Mitropoulos, in 1948; and his debate with Thomas Mann concerning Mann's references, in his novel Doktor Faustus, to Schoenberg's composition techique using 12 tones. After 1944 Gertrud Schoenberg takes a greater role in the correspondence, and she continues a friendship with Alma Mahler after Arnold's death. Included are a manuscript of Schoenberg's essay about Gustav Mahler written in 1911, after Mahler's death; a postcard bearing a photograph, apparently of Gertrud Schoenberg, in middle age; and the following newspaper clippings: 2 columns of Downes in the New York Times (1 of which includes Schoenberg's letter to him); the exchange between Schoenberg and Thomas Mann in letters to the editor of the Saturday Review; and various tributes in honor of Schoenberg's 70th birthday, published in the Austro American Tribune.

Notes:

Includes drafts of 3 items from Alma Mahler; 1 item co-sent by Arnold and Mathilde Schönberg; 26 items from Gertrud Schoenberg; 5 items co-sent by Arnold and Gertrud Schoenberg; a typescript of 1 item which appears to be from Torberg; 1 item from Schoenberg to Torberg (care of Werfel); a typescript of 1 item from Schoenberg to Gustav Mahler; a typescript of 1 item from Schoenberg to Justine Rosé; a typescript of an appeal from the Arnold Schönberg Fond; a typescript of 1 item from Stein to Alma; a typescript of 1 item from Schoenberg to the Mahler foundation (Gustav Mahler Stiftung); a typescript of 1 item from Strauss to Alma; a typescript of 1 item from Karpath to Alma; a typescript of 1 item from Schoenberg to Kandinsky (made by Schoenberg for Alma); a typescript of 1 item from Schoenberg to Mann (forwarded to Alma by Schoenberg, with a greeting from him); and a carbon copy of 1 item from Schoenberg to Downes, including musical notations (forwarded to Alma by Schoenberg, with a note from him). Several original items bear additional signatures, including the following: Edward and Hilda Steuermann; Remme; Wilhelmine and Anton Webern; Ratz; Eisler; Steinbauer; Greissle; Steinberg; Kolisch; Seligmann; Hoffmann; Moderna; Steinecke; Luigi and Nuria Schoenberg Nono; and Lawrence Schoenberg. The items in typescript form addressed to Alma include greetings on postcards from the following correspondents: Berg; Zemlinsky; Ziegler; Mathilde Schönberg; Anton Webern; Heinrich Schönberg; and Stein.

With the exceptions of the item from Schoenberg to Kandinsky and the item from Torberg to Schoenberg, all typescript copies were made at the direction of Alma Mahler for a manuscript entitled "Meine Freunde"; the originals of these items are not extant.

OCLC:

155929335