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Subject: Alexander Wheelock Thayer
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E. C. Herman wrote on 07.07.2010:
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in Ihrer Kurzbeschreibung zu der Wechselausstellung über den Beethoven-Biographen Alexander Wheelock Thayer wird u.a. sein Brief an Hermann Deiters 1891 erwähnt, in welchem Thayer offenbar seinen Kummer über vermeintliche Charakterschwächen Beethovens Ausdruck gibt sowie den ausnehmenden Schwierigkeiten bei der Lektüre der Konversationshefte; es ist sogar von Hoffnungslosigkeit und Verzweiflung die Rede.-
Da es zu dieser Wechselausstellung offenbar kein Begleitbuch gibt, möchte ich Sie fragen, wo dieser besagte Brief Thayers (Weihnachten 1891) noch gelesen werden kann.
Vielen Dank. |
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Reply: Alexander Wheelock Thayer
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Nicole Kämpken replied on 08.07.2010:
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Hallo Frau Herman,
hier der entsprechende Teil unserer Beschriftungen aus der Ausstellung mit Textexzerpten aus den Thayer-Briefen:
"Last year my head trouble became so severe, that my
physician advised me to lay the Beethoven again by side
and employ my mind upon some task of lighter labor, and
of a totally different character, so that my mind might rest from its long strain of Beethoven. I obeyed him and took on my study of the "Hebrews in Egypt and the Exodus" which had long divided my thoughts with Beethoven and
music. My views of that history are so completely new and differ so widely from any ever published, and (as it seems to me) stand upon such logical and memorable foundations,that it seemed a pity not to write them out fully, and I have done this, and send the manuscript to the United States. Whether any publisher will print it I do not know, but the topic
is now off my mind, and I think I am much more able now to continue work than before, after a few more days of rest…"
(Thayer an Deiters, 20. November 1889)
Thayer
Brief an Hermann Deiters, Triest, Weihnachten 1891:
Der letzte erhaltene Brief an Deiters bringt das ganze Ausmaß seiner Hoffnungslosigkeit und Verzweiflung in Bezug auf die Fertigstellung seiner Beethoven-Biographie zum Ausdruck.
"I entered my 75th year under unlucky auspices; for besides my old head trouble, my eyes suddenly failed me and for weeks … My mind was in sad confusion. I could not think that it is, I was incapable of
pursuing a train of thought … writing letters (as at this moment) strains my eyes and cannot be long continued.
[…]
I can say little that is encouraging. One thing, I long since made up my mind, is only now possible, namely to bring the materials into order and so transmit them to you. But when I shall be able to do even this work I have no idea. You know that no man living so desires to see 'Finis' at he end of the work as I; and only this is for me worthy living for
Your old and rather melancholy friend A. W. Thayer."
Weitere Informationen zu Thayer finden Sie in den Artikeln von Luigi Bellofatto, die in Band 5, 6 und 8 der Bonner Beethoven-Studien veröffentlicht wurden:
http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=8014&template=verlag_pub_reihe_de&_mid=Wissenschaftliche_Publikationen
Herzlichen Dank für Ihr Interesse, für Rückfragen stehe ich gerne zur Verfügung.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen |
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