| Date from letter: | 1948.11.03 Filing Element: 1948.11.03 ID: 4806 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| URN: | https://repo.schoenberg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-asc-B048062 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| First Line: | I received your information about the use of the p | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language: | E, English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transcribed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Version: | Final version | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Text: | November 3d, 1948. Mr. Walter Hinrichsen President C.F. Peters Corporation 1109 Carnegie Hall 881 Seventh Avenue New York 19, N.Y. Dear Mr. Hinrichsen: I received your information about the use of the parts from The Free Library of Philadelphia and besides, I got a letter from Mr. Cohn, of the same Free Library, in which he explains what has happened. It seems to me that there is nothing for which Mr Cohn can be blamed. They seted[!] quite correctly and it must be the Summy Company who abused a right which they did not possess. I had another experience about a year ago, when Chavez conducted my Five Orchestra Pieces and could not get the parts from the Summy Company. They agreed that I loan my barts[!] to Chavez. Neither at that time, nor later, did the Summy Company tell me that they had no right to act in this manner. I find one should sue the Summy Company because they did me great damage in this respect. They acted as your representative of my work, but not in my favor. Now, I must also answer your own letters to me, about the parts and score of the Five Orchestra Pieces. At first, it is a great mistake of yours that they are copyrighted in 1926, as you say. The first edition--the original edition, of course, for orchestra--was copyrighted in 1912. I have myself a copy of it which says 1912 and you have overlooked the term to renew this copytight. I must say that I hold you responsible for the damage. What you say was copyrighted in '22 or '23, was the arrangement for chamber-orchestra, made by Mr Greissle. I have also a copy of this. I possess a set of parts which your father has given to me for the first performance, which I conducted myself in London with Sir Henry Wood's orchestra. It was a gift from your father to me which I asked him, because I always use my own parts when I conducted in which I had made some changes and corrections which I later sent to the firm to be included in the new editions. I would not give these parts away. They are my possession and as long as I am not sure that there exist other materials--corrected and printed in sufficient numbers available for performances, I would not give them away. There is a possibility that the B.B.C. in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam possess a set of parts of the work. But, as the success in New York was so great there is the probablility that the work will now be played in many other places and that three materials would not be sufficient. In order to prepare new materials, I would suggest that either they are photostatically reproduced, but at first corrected and all the improvements included; or that, for instance in Vienna, new parts are written on transparent paper, which might, perhaps, be less expensive. Another problem is the non-existence of the orchestra scores. I myself possess only one copy of the new version and I would be ready to send you a microfilm of it for photostatic reproduction or new engraving. This would be less expensive. I estimate that the microfilming of the score would cost you no more than 5 or 6 dollars; making photostatic copies thereof. I think you will have to reprint the score, and it seems the most important question to acquire a new copyright. I am ready to make a new version, a third version which then can probable[!] obtain a copyright. I hope, nobody could then steal it from us. You have to make this up with your lawyer. In this case, I would try to simplify a little the orchestration and make it a little easier for performances, by ommitting[!] extra instruments. I think I am entitled to demand that you restore my rights. It's not my fault; if you in view of the Hitler regime would have sent a sufficient number of scores and sets of parts to your American representatives, you would have avoided my and your loss. At least now everything must be done to protect me from further losses. I hope to hear soon from you and I hope you will find a good way to satisfy my claims. With cordial greetings, I am Sincerely yours | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
