"...that you will regret one day to have deferred its publication" – Autograph letter and secretarial letter, both signed

Two letters of the Alsatian physician, theologian, philosopher, organist and musicologist to G. Schirmer, Music Publishers, New York. 

1. Secretarial letter signed, dated Strasburg [sic], March 3, [19]20.  In English.  1 p.  In full: "Dear Sir, Your letter of January 1st reached me on the return from a concert trip to Spane [sic].  If I had known that the publication of the three volumes of chorals [sic] would be deferred, I should not have hurried to do the work over again.  Let me only tell you that this edition of Bach's chorals is looked at as a necessity for the Anglo-American world by all organists & that you will regret one day to have deferred its publication.  Continually enquiries, concerning the term of this publication, are adressed [sic] to me.  I shall come back to the question in some time & point it out to your once more & à fond [=thoroughly], exposing then also the arrangements concerning the honorarium you offer to pay in Marks. / For the moment, as I am busy to prepare a journey to Sweden, I accuse [sic] reception of your letter & beg to forward to me the sum of fr. 2475, which you owe me for expenses already made & acknowledge by you, as soon as possible; while keeping back for the moment the other sum of M. 1782.66. / With kindest regards to M. Baker / I remain / Sincerely yours / Prof. Dr. A. Schweitzer."  Note in pencil in the margin in an unknown hand, on the part of G. Schirmer, regarding the postponement:  "I declare! He forgot what he had written"; note to foot, in the same hand, "à fond" [repeating the French expression in the letter].  Upper edge slightly frayed. 10 x 8 inches (20.5 x 26 cm)

2. Autograph letter signed, dated Lambaréné, French Equatorial Africa [place name given in English!], November 14, 1946.  In French.  1 p.  In full, translated: "Dear Mister Schirmer, excuse me for answering your letter of January 4, 1946, so late, in which you repeat get back to your request that I contribute the three volumes of chorales by Bach.  Unfortunately, I can only repeat my answer that this is completely impossible.  My life is so busy and I have to many  ongoing projects that I still want to finish that I have to decline, to my great regret, the contribution of the three volumes. / Believe me, it takes its toll on me that I will not be able to complete the honorable task that your company has asked me to do.  Oh, if that could only have happened when I offered do so right after the first war [WW I], when I was not yet involved in these other tasks... / With my good thoughts Yours truly Albert Schweitzer / [P. S.] I ask you to give my regards to Mr. Nathan Broder who signed the letter that you had sent to me. / I am still in Africa, and I still do not know when I will return to Europe."  With original autograph envelope.  Torn and frayed, with some loss to head (minimal loss to text) and plastic tape repairs. Letter: 11 x 8.5 inches (27.5 x 21 cm). Envelope: 5.75 x 4.5 inches (14 x 11 cm).

Back in 1912, Schweitzer and his teacher Charles-Marie Widor had begun a complete edition of J.S. Bach's organ works, which was published by Schirmer. The first five volumes were out by about 1920, but publication of the remaining three volumes, containing the chorales was postponed at the publisher's request (see the first letter, above).  Schweitzer shelved the edition, plunged himself into his many other tasks and increasingly focused on his medical work in Lambaréné.  When Schirmer finally got back to him after World War II with the request to complete the edition, he was engrossed in his life as a doctor and administrator in Africa and less than pleased (see the second letter, above).  Schweitzer finally produced volume 6 in 1954, but volumes 7 and 8 appeared only after his death, in 1967.

The hand of the first letter is unknown, but it may be assumed that Schweitzer, as a professor, had access to a secretary whose English was better than his. (23133)

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