- 87
Schoenberg, Arnold.
Estimate
3,000 - 4,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Autograph letter signed ("ArnoldSchoenberg"), to Felix Greissle
about a mistake the composer has made regarding the tone rows of the Violin Concerto, Op.36, containing on two staves a notation of the untransposed prime form of the row and its inversion at the lower fifth; regarding these, Schoenberg states that Greissle will have to transpose them himself, since he has too much to do and is very tired; he also refers to his sketches for the concerto, and wonders whether it will be possible for him to check the whole work against the tone rows, since it is very difficult to identify them, noting that it might be possible later to print an errata list
...die Transpositionen musst du dir selbst machen; ich habe zu viel zu tun und bin sehr müde...Einstweilen, wird man sich mit dem begnügen müssen, was man beim Lesen findet. Es ist uebrigens nicht so sicher, dass ich diesen Fehler immer gemacht habe, da ich ja die Reihen im Gehör hatte...
2 pages, 4to (28 x 21.5cm), filing holes, address stamp of the composer, Los Angeles, 18 October 1937, tiny tear to outer margin, splitting to folds, creasing to corners
...die Transpositionen musst du dir selbst machen; ich habe zu viel zu tun und bin sehr müde...Einstweilen, wird man sich mit dem begnügen müssen, was man beim Lesen findet. Es ist uebrigens nicht so sicher, dass ich diesen Fehler immer gemacht habe, da ich ja die Reihen im Gehör hatte...
2 pages, 4to (28 x 21.5cm), filing holes, address stamp of the composer, Los Angeles, 18 October 1937, tiny tear to outer margin, splitting to folds, creasing to corners
Literature
Anne C. Hall, 'A Comparison of Manuscript and Printed Scores of Schoenberg's Violin Concerto', Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Autumn/Winter, 1975), pp. 182-196.
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The serial technique of the 1939 edition of Schoenberg's Violin Concerto, Op.36, famously demonstrates a certain inconsistency in its application, which may have its origins in a concern for the priority of musical factors over serial ones, errors in the score itself, or as this letter suggests, errors in the tone rows deriving from the composer himself.