Just in: Arnold Schoenberg's other letters go to North Texas
mainA grandson of the great composer by his first marriage has withheld the documents and letters owned by his side of the family from the Arnold Schoenberg Centre in Vienna and given them instead to the University of North Texas.
Arnold Greissle-Schoenberg, 88, is the son of Gertrude Schoenberg (pictured below, the daughter by his first marriage to Mathilde von Zemlinsky, and his pupil, Felix Greissle. The family migrated to America in 1938; Gertrud died in 1947. Some of the material appears to contain information of great consequence about the genesis of the 12-note row. It may mean scholars will have to split their time between Vienna and Denton.
Report here.
Why do you think he did this, Mr. Lebrecht? Do you believe his statements about being impressed by the University of North Texas’s collection? Just wondering.
Me, too. Families…
Norman, You picked a portrait of my grandmother Gertrud Schoenberg (Kolisch) (“Trude”), not Gertrud Greissle (Schönberg) (“Trudi”). For Trudi, see http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/schoenberg/painting/idportraithtms/ritter120.htm
I believe copies of all the materials have also been deposited at the Schönberg Center in Vienna.
As to why, I don’t know, but it is much easier to get a tax deduction for a charitable gift made to an institution in the United States. These materials actually belonged to Felix Greissle, Trudi’s husband, before being collected by his son Arnold.
Ouch! Thank you – will amend immediately… Are you around next week in LA?