WeGA, Briefe, Digitale Edition
author: Jähns, Friedrich Wilhelm
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Berlin S.W. 24. Markgrafen Strasse.
Dear Sir

I have to thank you very much first for your kind letter – & then for letting me have the beautiful photographs at the price of 15 th. ₤ 2.50 which I paid for the M. S. of Franz Schubert (Fragment of the Terzett “Die Advocaten”) I have to thank you all the more as procuring the photographs has cost you more than I should pay you. – And I can only be at case by your att[e]ndance that the M. S. of Franz Schubert has given you pleasure. —

I have also to thank you for kindly copying the M. S. of Weber – parts out of Oberon which your Father presented to you[^1] – for which I congratulate you heartely –

[^1: Fragment (1 Bl.) aus dem Oberon-Klavierauszug (Nr. 12 ½, 16 und Beginn Nr. 19) in Abschrift von A. B. Fürstenau mit autographer Textunterlegung Webers als Übersetzungsvorlage für Karl Theodor Winkler. Laut Brief vom 1. November 1872 hatte Jähns von Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge erfahren, dass Ch. J. Hargitt dieses Blatt erworben hatte, allerdings war der Besitzer bis 1874 der Vater Charles Hargitt.]

I hope you will not be offended if I seem impolite after receiving so many Kindnesses from you. In your copy – guaranteed by Carl Winkler (the German translator of Oberon). – I recognise distinctly the – to me so well known handwriting of Weber – & there can be no doubt that the notes were written by Weber – but the words Preghiera, Pianoforte, Huon, Adagio, Fatima,Andante con moto, Allegro, Reiza, da capo, Cavatina, & Andantino, cause my doubt. I have seen the Oberon Ouverture the notes written by Weber himself but words like Tempi etc. were written by quite a different hand[^2] & which is remarkably like the – in your copy – above underlined words. Why Weber did not write those words himself is not known to me – but that he did not[^3] do so is quite certain.

[^2: Jähns meint die Stichvorlage der Oberon-Ouvertüre im Klavierauszug für die deutsche Ausgabe bei Schlesinger. Das aus dem Schlesinger-Archiv stammende Manuskript befand sich zu diesem Zeitpunkt wohl noch im Besitz von Rudolph von Hertzberg (was Jähns erst später erfuhr); zu einem unbekannten späteren Zeitpunkt ging es in die Weberiana-Sammlung von Jähns über (heute D-B, Weberiana, Beilage zu Cl. I, 33). Jähns beschreibt das Manuskript hier – ebenso wie in seinem Werkverzeichnis, S. 392 sowie im Brief an Friedrich Culemann vom 9. Mai 1868 – falsch. Schreiber ist nicht Weber, sondern durchgehend Anton Bernhard Fürstenau, von Webers Hand stammen lediglich die Titel-Formulierung für den Klavierauszug sowie die Adresse für den Brief-Versand an Schlesinger. Der Irrtum kam offenbar zustande, da Jähns das Blatt aus der Erinnerung beschrieb; er hatte es laut Culemann-Brief von 1868 zuletzt “vor etwa 25 bis 30 Jahren” gesehen, also um 1840.]

[^3: dreifach unterstrichen]

I believe that the words in the Ouverture as well as in your M. S. were written by Fürstenau Weber’s companion – to & in England. Whereas I recognise in your copy the words (in the second Act) “nach dem Sturm.” to be written by Weber himself. – For this reason I beg you to trace the above underlined words Preghiera – Huon, Pianoforte & Reiza. exactly through Oilpaper for me. – I beg you not to be offended at my asking for this favour – but it will be of equal worth to you as to me. –

As for the Guarantee of Aloys Fuchs[^4] – it is the safest that can be. He was as great a connoisseur of Autographs & M. S as he was an honest Man. –

[^4: Bezogen wohl auf das Schubert-Autograph “Die Advocaten”.]

“Bastien and Bastienne” is an Opera composed in 1768 – by Mozart – when he was twelfe years old. It has one Act – An Intrade & 14 Numbers. The Text is of French Origin but translated & arranged by Anton Schach[t]ner in Vienna. This Opera has never been printed & is in the possession of C. A. André in Frankfurt a/m., who is said to have sold it to the Royal Berlin Library. The Opera is in 61 sheets of paper, 171. pages written on – each page 12 lines. – Singing persons are Bastienne (Sopran) – Bastien (Tenor) Colas (Bass). The music has more of the German than Italien character[^5].

[^5: Originale Fußnote von Jähns: “to see: L. v. Köchel, Verzeichniss der Werke von Mozart. Leipzig. Breitkopf u. Härtel. 1862.”]

Your specimen of this Opera cannot be the real one written in Mozart’s Hand as the Text is in french. – I regret very much your not possessing this treasure though perhaps the above informtion may not be quite useless to you. –

What you say in your letter about the high prices of M. S. I only know too well: & I conclude from this, – that soon there will be no more of the most famous & valuable autographs to be had. – For example – lately 2 songs = (Cyklen von Franz Schubert) which the composer – Johann Kafka in Vienna – sold to a friend of mine – Herr Carl Meinert in Dessau – for 200 Gulden = ₤ 200[^6]. And this happened in Germany where M. S. are to be had comparatively cheap. –

[^6: Das Autograph der Winterreise war ursprünglich im Besitz von Carl Haslinger, spätere Besitzer waren Siegfried Ochs und Louis Koch, heute US-NYpm, Cary 215.]

If one can get anything cheaper now; one ought to keep it safely & that is why I send you a second Autograph of Franz Schubert. Which I had first received when I send you “die Advocaten”.

As this: “Lied eines Kriegers” (Soldiers Song). – is an excellent one: and you might possibly wish to posses it – I send it you. Apparently this Soldiers Song is not complete in the 2nd Strophe – but it only seems to be so – for where the accompaniment is missing in the 2nd strophe, it is exactly the same as in the 1st strophe. – It has also Name and Title – a good deal of Text & is very long – the price is 35 thr ₤ 5. – 5. 0. – Which does not seem at all high – to me – & therefore especially worthy of your notier. If you do not wish to keep this M. S. I shall feel obliged by your returning it as soon as possible as the owner is not aware that I have sent it you. But if on the other hand you think you would care to possess it – Will you Kindly forwards me the sum named by post or through one of the Berlin Bankers. –

Again thanking you for your great & many kindnesses to me I am dear Sir Yours Most respectfully. F. W. Jähns Prof. May 5th 1874. – Charles J Hargitt Esq. – Thurloe Cottage Thurloe Square. London.