Anthony van Hoboken

born Rotterdam, March 23, 1887; died Zurich, Nov 1, 1983

Documents associated with this person:

Dutch collector and bibliographer.

Hoboken as Collector

Hoboken's private collection, amassed from 1919 onward, includes first and early editions of music from the Baroque to the late Romantic--notably over 1,000 items of Haydn--and early theory and literature (Otto Erich Deutsch was the librarian of the collection 1926-35; catalogue, ed. G. Brosche, Tutzing, 1982-98). This collection was transferred to the Austrian National Library in 1974. Hoboken's principal publication was Joseph Haydn: thematisch-bibliographisches Wekverzeichnis (Mainz, 1957-78).

Hoboken and Schenker

Originally trained as an engineer, Hoboken studied music in Holland, then in Frankfurt and Munich, where he studied with Otto Vrieslander, before moving to Vienna, where he became a pupil of Schenker's, beginning lessons on October 15, 1925 twice a week (initially Thursdays and Saturdays) and continuing through at least to June 29, 1932 (when the Lesson Books OC 3 cease).

The exhaustive preparatory work that Schenker did for all of his publications in many cases entailed acquiring photographic copies of the autographs of works to be studied. It was thus at Schenker's instigation that, in November 1927, Hoboken announced the founding of an archive of photographic negatives and photostatic prints (at original size) of autographs of works by the masters, at the same time putting out an appeal (Aufruf) to librarians, private collectors, and dealers to make manuscripts in their possession available for photography. The collection was named the Photogrammarchiv musikalischer Meister-Handschriften, and was held in the Music Department of the Austrian National Library.

Additionally, in the latter part of Schenker's life, Hoboken--a wealthy man--became Schenker's principal patron, on a par with Baron Alphons Rothschild in the earlier part of his life. He subvented the printing costs of Das Meisterwerk in der Musik, vol. II (1926), and paid those of Der freie Satz (1935). Hoboken was involved in other plans, such as a monthly periodical devoted to Schenker's theory, in late 1927, and books in honor of Schenker, none of which came to fruition. Hoboken gave the eulogy at Schenker's funeral and published tributes to him (OC 2/pp. 90/91). Schenker himself paid tribute to Hoboken at the end of the Foreword to the first edition of Der freie Satz: For the fact that so exalted a work should find its way into the world at all in this godless time, the author, and the whole musically-interested world, thanks the generous act of patronage of an inspired musician, a true and faithful adherent and friend of the new teaching. His name, Anthony van Hoboken, is for all time inseparably associated with this work, and the amateur for whom C. P. E. Bach wrote his Versuch in times past celebrates his resurrection.

Correspondence with Schenker and Others

The correspondence between Hoboken and Schenker survives at OJ 11/54 and OC 14/1 (Hoboken to Schenker: 1924-35: 49 items), and OJ 89/1-8 (Schenker to Hoboken: 1927-35: 79 items); that between Hoboken and Oswald Jonas at OJ 36/31 (Jonas to Hoboken : 1939-54; 11 items) and OJ 36/152 (Hoboken to Jonas: 1938-54: 14 items).

Sources:

  • Federhofer, Hellmut, Heinrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern und Briefen ... (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1985), pp. 154-57 et passim
  • NGDM2
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