A letter of Cortot

[8_octaves]

Hello all,

here :  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gy%C3%B6rgy_Cziffra
and here : https://alfredcortot.webstarts.com/

it says the following (letter of A. Cortot to G.Cziffra):

„Dear friend,

listening to the radio yesterday afternoon, I heard your magnificent version of the "Carnival of Venice" and I cannot resist expressing to you my very sincerest admiration. Even though my personal conception is slightly different from yours, in certain details of expression, your interpretation was inspired, worthy of Schumann's original intention, both hidden and openly revealed, and was consistently moving and picturesque. Bravo, dear friend, and thank you for the joy you have brought me on the highest levels of inspired interpretation.

        Very Sincerely Yours,

                                    Alfred Cortot.“

Whereas here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Cziffra

the "Carnival of Vienne" is mentioned ("Faschingsschwank aus Wien", I presume, op.26), but not the fulltext of the letter.

There are questions and conclusions one could draw or ask, I think.

1 ) What is the exact text of the letter?
2 ) Did Schumann write a "Carnival of Venice"?
3 ) Cortot had forgotten the correct name of the piece, because he was so old. 
4 ) An work of Schumann which isn't on IMSLP has been spotted, played by Cziffra in the radio! 
5 ) German WP (and the other homepage) should correct the letter's text, or, in the other case, tell the readers about Cortot's flaw.
6 ) I'm stupid because all of this is an "old hat" and known for centuries. 
7 ) It's an April-hoax by WP and the homepage, prepared on March 25th 2015 already. (Which is at the moment the latest modification-date of the German WP-article.) 

I strongly prefer option 6. 

Cordially, 8_octaves!

[j_menz]

Faschingsschwank aus Wien is frequently translated as Carival of Venice. See the Henle edition as an example, or the Edition Durand.

Why the frequent mistranslation I don't know, but the Cortot letter is more evidence of it's age.

[8_octaves]

Faschingsschwank aus Wien is frequently translated as Carival of Venice. See the Henle edition as an example, or the Edition Durand.

Why the frequent mistranslation I don't know, but the Cortot letter is more evidence of it's age.

Hi j_menz, thanks for the info  .

I searched a little bit around, sniffed...and whiffed... may be we can narrow it. As follows:

Clara Schumann 1887 Ed.: no other language forms.
Clara Schumann 1887 Ed., Volksausgabe: 2 other language forms: Carnival jest from Vienna // Folie de Carnaval de Vienne

Schirmer, Ed. (Vogrich), 1887: 1 other form: Vienna Carnival-Scene
In the foreword of it, which I LUCKILY read, a dangerous word appears:

"[...]The title of the present piece is not easily explainable, and, excepting the first number, there is but little to remind us of a carnival, and still less of the levity attributed to the Viennese. [...]"

This word I took for further recherches. And I found this one:

Pers.Main Entry       Schumann, Robert, 1810-1856
Unif. Title       [Faschingsschwank aus Wien, piano, Op.26]
Title       Viennese carnival / Schumann ; edited by Harold Bauer.
Imprint      New York : G. Schirmer, 1946.
Descr.      score (44 p.).
Alt.Series       Schirmer’s library of musical classics ; Vol. 99
Add.Entry    Bauer, Harold, 1873-1951 ed.

So far so "good", Mr. Harold Bauer (or: his source, if it isn't his edition, which should then be before 1946, but after 1900 because of no entries of "Viennese" in the Hofmeister XIX catalog.).

(Btw.: Harold Bauer, who, once upon a time had a masterclass-student who played the op. 18 Grande valse brillante only on the white keys to him, because by his "normal" teacher he was told "first learn the notes, and the other signs later!")  .

But I can imagine, that the word "Viennese" easily may have led to the spotted mistranslations.

What would you think, @j_menz? Possible - or not?

Greetings, 8_octaves!

[j_menz]

But I can imagine, that the word "Viennese" easily may have led to the spotted mistranslations.

What would you think, @j_menz? Possible - or not?

I think that's most likely, particularly given the word Carnival and it's association with Venice.

Aside from editors, it may have entered the public consciousness through mishearings by audience members, or by critics who then put it into print.

[8_octaves]

I think that's most likely, particularly given the word Carnival and it's association with Venice.

Aside from editors, it may have entered the public consciousness through mishearings by audience members, or by critics who then put it into print.

Yes, I think so, too, j_menz.

I did further investigation, though (in case you are interested? )

The Bauer-Edition would, carefully spoken(!), fit concerning another area, too. And that's the date. 1946.

About 1950 Cortot retired to Lausanne...

https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/138964/Alfred-Denis-Cortot

...from where he wrote the letter to Cziffra, as I found out in the web on an amazon-discussion-page:

. With every good wish, un souvenir amicale, mon cher jeune ami lointain," /sgd/ Alf. Cortot, handwritten, addressed iin his own hand from 44 Avenue Jaman, Lausanne. Something like that. It's Cortot's standard style, address, and signature. But a generous gesture, and now we can all relax and enjoy Cziffra, who IS vastly enjoyable, his having received the imprimatur.

So, perhaps Cortot himself owned the 1946 Bauer-Edition of the "Viennese Carnival"? Then he mistranslated it or confused it in the letter. So, he might be one of the people who were the first to APPLY the mistranslation, leading to the known consequences. The mistranslation then, later, was adopted (or, at least added) by Durand, Henle, etc.

So: Bauer, Cortot, and people like you and me, via mishearings and via "Carnival = Venice", as you pointed out, may be guilty!

j_menz, how shall these people be sentenced by law?  

I suggest: collective punishment for all of them equally: Water, bread, and they should for 2 days listen only to the most negligible and insignificant music still-to-be-specified and play that, too!  

Very cordially, 8_octaves!  

PS / Addition: Of course Cortot would only THEN be "guilty", if he REALLY wrote the mistranslation in the letter.