fmb-1829-07-08-01

            Sir,
Having read in your last number an article under the head of “Music and Musicians”, I beg to offer you some remarks for the purpose of preventing any misconception which may arise from the article alluded to.
Mr Fetis has, it appears, thought fit to drag my name before the Public, by referring to some expressions which may have fallen from me in private conversation with him, and also to draw conclusions therefrom in corroboration of his censure on a celebrated English composer. You, Sir, have further deemed it incumbent on you, while commenting on his strictures, to identify my alleged observations, with the published censure of Mr Fetis.
While denying the right of Mr Fétis thus to quote any private and detached expression of mine in order to support his own opinions, I must at the same time question the justice of your holding me up to the British Public as a co-censor with that Gentleman. Whatever were the words used by me on the occasion referred to, they were uttered merely to give expression to a momentary feeling caused by a performance which to use your own language was “timid and unsatisfactory”. Generally speaking, a single performance will in no case enable any one to give a public judgement on the merits of an Eminent Composer; but, while admitting this, I must also for myself, resist that criticism which, from a detached and single expression, uttered in private, draws a general conclusion as to the opinions of the Individual so uttering it.
Feeling myself deeply indebted to the English “Music and Musicians” for enjoyments, which have made my short residence in this Country a bright period of my life, I must say that the allusions in your paper of Sunday last were most painful to my feelings by their appearing calculated to create misconceptions to my prejudice among those, from whom I have received so much kindness and for whom I feel the liveliest regard.
I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy          

            <TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0 ../../../fmbc_framework/xsd/fmb-c.xsd" xml:id="fmb-1829-07-08-01" xml:space="default"> <teiHeader xml:lang="de"> <fileDesc> <titleStmt> <title key="fmb-1829-07-08-01" xml:id="title_39b1f177-e9ef-4f76-b3c2-73a98107f763">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an Robert Bell in London <lb></lb>London, 8. Juli 1829</title> <title level="s" type="incipit" xml:id="title_92070f27-2e2f-427d-902d-cf0945b82c4c">Having read in your last number an article under the head of “Music and Musicians”, I beg to offer you some remarks for the purpose of preventing any misconception which may arise from the article</title> <title level="s" type="sub" xml:id="title_b343f45a-04ed-48db-84d4-4e4e1c83fcf5">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online (FMB-C)</title> <title key="not_yet_determined" type="precursor">noch nicht ermittelt</title> <title key="not_yet_determined" type="successor">noch nicht ermittelt</title> <author key="PSN0000001">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</author><respStmt><resp resp="writer"></resp><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName></respStmt><respStmt resp="transcription"> <resp resp="transcription">Transkription: </resp> <name resp="transcription">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> <respStmt resp="edition"> <resp resp="edition">Edition: </resp> <name resp="edition">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> </titleStmt> <publicationStmt> <publisher>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe (FMB-C). Institut für Musikwissenschaft und Medienwissenschaft. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin</publisher> <address> <street>Am Kupfergraben 5</street> <placeName> <settlement>10117 Berlin</settlement> <country>Deutschland</country> </placeName> </address> <idno type="URI">http://www.mendelssohn-online.com</idno> <availability> <licence target="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)</licence> </availability> <idno type="MSB">Bd. 1, 188 </idno></publicationStmt> <seriesStmt> <p>Maschinenlesbare Übertragung der vollständigen Korrespondenz Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys (FMB-C)</p> </seriesStmt> <sourceDesc source="edition_template_manuscript"> <msDesc> <msIdentifier> <country>Großbritannien</country> <settlement>Oxford</settlement> <institution key="RISM">GB-Ob</institution> <repository>Oxford, Bodleian Library</repository> <collection>Music Section</collection> <idno type="signatur">M.D.M. d. 53/115.</idno> </msIdentifier> <msContents> <msItem> <idno type="draft_third_party_authorized">Konzept fremder Hand mit eigenhändigen Korrekturen</idno> <title key="fmb-1829-07-08-01" type="letter" xml:id="title_ac29c690-5726-403e-bb26-af2f3cdb9572">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an Robert Bell in London; London, 8. Juli 1829</title> <incipit>Having read in your last number an article under the head of “Music and Musicians”, I beg to offer you some remarks for the purpose of preventing any misconception which may arise from the article</incipit> </msItem> </msContents> <physDesc> <p>1 beschr. S.</p> <handDesc hands="1"> <p>George Smart oder William Ayrton: Das Briefkonzept an Robert Bell, den Herausgeber des Atlas, ist wohl auf Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys Bitte hin von einem befreundeten Engländer entworfen und niedergeschrieben worden (siehe auch Kommentar zu Brief Nr. 189). Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys Notizbucheintrag vom 7. Juli 1829 zufolge – »Atlas (Mühlfls, Smart, Ayrton)« – könnte es sich bei dem Schreiber um George Smart oder um William Ayrton, den Herausgeber des Harmonicon, handeln (GB-Ob, M.D.M. g. 1, fol. 6r). Bei der Durchsicht hat Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Passagen mit Bleistift korrigiert oder gestrichen.</p> </handDesc> <accMat> <listBibl> <bibl type="none"></bibl> </listBibl></accMat> </physDesc> <history> <provenance> <p>Green Books</p> </provenance> </history> <additional> <listBibl> <bibl type="copy_from_foreign_hand">Abschrift, US-Wc, Freemantle Collection.</bibl> <bibl type="printed_letter">Atlas 4, Nr. 165, 12. Juli 1829, S. 460 (Druck stimmt mit dem Konzept überein, Hinzufügung der Datumszeile »103, Portland-street, July 8th, 1829.«).</bibl> <bibl type="printed_letter">Harmonicon 7, 1829, S. 193.</bibl> <bibl type="printed_letter">BAMZ 6, Nr. 35, 29. August 1829, S. 280 (dt. Übersetzung).</bibl> </listBibl> </additional> </msDesc> </sourceDesc> </fileDesc> <encodingDesc><projectDesc><p>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C: Digitale Edition der vollständigen Korrespondenz Hin- und Gegenbriefe Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys auf XML-TEI-Basis.</p></projectDesc><editorialDecl><p>Die Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C ediert die Gesamtkorrespondenz des Komponisten Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy 1809-1847 in Form einer digitalen, wissenschaftlich-kritischen Online-Ausgabe. Sie bietet neben der diplomatischen Wiedergabe der rund 6.000 Briefe Mendelssohns erstmals auch eine Gesamtausgabe der über 7.200 Briefe an den Komponisten sowie einen textkritischen, inhalts- und kontexterschließenden Kommentar aller Briefe. Sie wird ergänzt durch eine Personen- und Werkdatenbank, eine Lebenschronologie Mendelssohns, zahlreicher Register der Briefe, Werke, Orte und Körperschaften sowie weitere Verzeichnisse. Philologisches Konzept,  Philologische FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Uta Wald, Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Digitales Konzept, Digitale FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Technische Konzeption der Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence FMB-C Ausgabe und Webdesign: Dr. Ulrich Taschow.</p></editorialDecl></encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <creation> <date cert="high" when="1829-07-08" xml:id="date_051dde60-c574-4abe-906f-e5aea330d740">8. Juli 1829</date></creation> <correspDesc> <correspAction type="sent"> <persName key="PSN0000001" resp="author" xml:id="persName_cf2f4a32-9ead-43a7-abc0-93f6d88df3e2">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName><note>counter-reset</note><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName> <placeName type="writing_place" xml:id="placeName_9dd3fa49-d7a1-449f-984b-a8e08b08d2ed"> <settlement key="STM0100126">London</settlement> <country>Großbritannien</country></placeName></correspAction> <correspAction type="received"> <persName key="PSN0109787" resp="receiver" xml:id="persName_3c64cead-e176-4385-88be-92b8e8e6ef3a">Bell, Robert (1800-1867)</persName> <placeName type="receiving_place" xml:id="placeName_cb1162fc-8958-4736-aaec-241c18c40479"> <settlement key="STM0100126">London</settlement> <country>Großbritannien</country> </placeName></correspAction> </correspDesc> <langUsage> <language ident="en">englisch</language> </langUsage> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc status="draft">  </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text type="letter"> <body> <div n="1" type="act_of_writing" xml:id="div_619cfe69-ad2e-4d91-b6b8-30a5dab79841"><docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="author" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor><docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="writer" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor><salute rend="left">Sir,</salute><p style="paragraph_without_indent">Having read in your last number an article under the head of “Music and Musicians”, I beg to offer you some remarks for the purpose of preventing any misconception which may arise from the article alluded to. </p><p>M<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> <persName xml:id="persName_7b29cc73-3d65-4caa-aafd-ba54edee903f">Fetis<name key="PSN0111039" style="hidden">Fétis, François-Joseph (1784-1871)</name></persName> has, it appears, thought fit to drag my name before the Public, by referring to some expressions which may have fallen from me in private conversation with him, and also to draw conclusions therefrom in corroboration of his censure on a celebrated English composer. You, Sir, have further deemed it incumbent on you, while commenting on his strictures, to identify my <hi rend="underline">alleged</hi> observations, with the <hi rend="underline">published</hi> censure of M<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> <persName xml:id="persName_f8b78b9c-0bdf-4894-8f55-7cbe3172db7b">Fetis<name key="PSN0111039" style="hidden">Fétis, François-Joseph (1784-1871)</name></persName>.</p><p>While denying the right of M<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> <persName xml:id="persName_387158fb-65b1-4d86-b161-3a1c514dbb2d">Fétis<name key="PSN0111039" style="hidden">Fétis, François-Joseph (1784-1871)</name></persName> thus to quote any private and detached expression of mine in order to support his own opinions, I must at the same time question the justice of your holding me up to the British Public as a co-censor with that Gentleman. Whatever were the words used by me on the occasion referred to, they were uttered merely to give expression to a momentary feeling caused by a performance which to use your own language was “timid and unsatisfactory”. Generally speaking, a single performance will in no case enable any one to give a public judgement on the merits of an Eminent Composer; but, while admitting this, I must also for myself, resist that criticism which, from a detached and single expression, uttered in private, draws a general conclusion as to the opinions of the Individual so uttering it.</p><p>Feeling myself deeply indebted to the English “Music and Musicians” for enjoyments, which have made my short residence in this Country a bright period of my life, I must say that the allusions in your paper of Sunday last were most painful to my feelings by their appearing calculated to create misconceptions to my prejudice among those, from whom I have received so much kindness and for whom I feel the liveliest regard.</p><p> <seg type="closer" xml:id="seg_3b7523ed-bed1-46bc-84b4-8afbeba00c6d">I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant</seg></p><signed rend="right"><add resp="UT" type="editors_addition">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy</add></signed></div></body> </text></TEI>