When Artur Schnabel moved to Berlin in 1900 he was barely eighteen years old and completely unknown. He was hired by Therese Behr’s agent to accompany her at a concert in a small German town. By that time she was a sought after Lieder singer. Therese was very impressed by Artur’s personality and playing, asked him to compose lieder for her, and so she started a collaboration with him that grew over the time. From then on they corresponded regularly; first the notes exchanged were business only such as agreeing on rehearsal times. Soon their meetings became more personal, they fell in love and got married in 1905. As both were soon traveling the world they kept in touch with letters as, fortunately for us, the telephone was not yet ubiquitous. Besides, both appear to have enjoyed writing letters.
Starting in 2014 the German musicologist Britta Matterne has been working on preparing an edition of the correspondence between Artur and Therese Schnabel. Ann Schnabel Mottier is co-editor. On September 14, 2016, the 140th birthday of Therese Behr Schnabel, the completed German edition of the correspondence was presented at the Frankfurt Bechstein Center.
When Artur Schnabel moved to Berlin in 1900 he was barely eighteen years old and completely unknown. He was hired by Therese Behr’s agent to accompany her at a concert in a small German town. By that time she was a sought after Lieder singer. Therese was very impressed by Artur’s personality and playing, asked him to compose lieder for her, and so she started a collaboration with him that grew over the time. From then on they corresponded regularly; first the notes exchanged were business only such as agreeing on rehearsal times. Soon their meetings became more personal, they fell in love and got married in 1905. As both were soon traveling the world they kept in touch with letters as, fortunately for us, the telephone was not yet ubiquitous. Besides, both appear to have enjoyed writing letters.
Starting in 2014 the German musicologist Britta Matterne has been working on preparing an edition of the correspondence between Artur and Therese Schnabel. Ann Schnabel Mottier is co-editor. On September 14, 2016, the 140th birthday of Therese Behr Schnabel, the completed German edition of the correspondence was presented at the Frankfurt Bechstein Center.
