Webern, Anton von

written in red and black ink (the words in red), diverging in places from the published version, notated on two six-stave systems per page, including the composer's piano reduction of the vocal lines notated below the voices ("Auszug für Klavier"), with a few discreet erasures and careful corrections 

8 pages, folio (34.5 x 26.5cm), 12-stave paper (J.E. & Co. No.2), the bifolios stitched, integral blank at end, [probably 1914], a few small stains

This manuscript comes from the collection of Franz Schreker (1878-1934): see Lot 238.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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Autograph manuscripts by Webern rarely appear for sale: none has sold at auction for nearly twenty years.  This manuscript contains one of Webern's earliest significant works, composed in 1908, but not published until 1921.  

Entflieht auf leichten Kähnen was the first work by Webern to employ canons throughout, which were to become a dominant feature of his music.  The music is notated with a key signature (and clearly ends in) G major.  However, the chromaticism is so dense as to lose any sense of key from the beginning.  1908 marked a turning point in Webern's harmony, when he first wrote pieces that were completely atonal, as here. He originally intended the cantata to be sung by unaccompanied choir, but this pervading chromaticism makes a capella performance very difficult.  

Webern probably wrote out this fair copy for the composer Franz Schreker around the spring of 1914, when there were hopes that Schreker would perform this piece with the Vienna Philharmonic Chorus, which he directed.  To aid Schreker's singers maintain the pitch throughout, Webern added the present piano accompaniment, which doubles the voice lines, even though ideally he had envisaged a purely vocal performance.  Schoenberg had done something similar for his unaccompanied cantata Friede auf Erden, when Schreker had premiered it in 1911, adding woodwind, horn and strings. Webern told Schoenberg about his manuscript: "the copy for Schreker also contains a piano reduction.  I told him, too, that I would, if desired, write out an instrumental accompaniment" (letter to Schoenberg of 4 June 1914).  Webern did indeed prepare another score, with an accompaniment for violin, viola, cello, harmonium and piano, but the plans came to nothing and the work was not performed until 10 April 1927 in Fürstenfeld.   

This manuscript contains many differences of detail from the version published in 1921, including the initial tempo marking, together with several expression markings and dynamics.  It contains unusual descriptive markings (like "wie ein Hauch") in some places, whereas elsewhere it lacks some more standard markings found in the edition, such as "hervortretend" and verschwindend".  The manuscript is not dated, but shows no signs of being used for the publication; indeed, the hand-writing indicates that this is an early manuscript, nearer in style to 1908 than 1921.  The rehearsal numbers are also placed differently from the edition.