Enclosed a copy of part of a letter from Schirmer's about my first Kammersymphonie Opus 9. By a curious neglect of Universal-Edition there was no copyright taken on this work, and every professional thief could have stolen it. That it escaped is a miracle.

I wanted to protect at least the musical text of this work. This is why I extended the orchestration to full orchestra. We had negotiated – Mr. Engel of Schirmer's and I – about the contract, and I don't remember for which reason we did not reach an agreement. Anyhow, Schirmers has not published this work for more than ten years, and I think they have ac cordingly lost every claim on being refunded for their expenses. A skillful lawyer could certainly at least reach more convenient terms from them.

The score and the parts have been written on transparent paper, for rental purposes. Perhaps the score which is in my own handwriting might justify a rewriting – but I think it is not absolutely necessary. All conductors in Germany could read my manuscripts very easily.

I would be very glad if you would negotiate with Schirmers. I personally would not demand an advance. I would be contetend with a small one if you find it more practical. The chances for getting many performances of this work here and especially abroad are very great, because the work is brilliant.and effective. The new orchestration facilitates playing and understanding very much.

The manuscript should remain my property. Photostatic copies would serve every purpose.

I would like to hear soon from you about this proposition.

How are you? Your business seems to flourish and you redevelop Peters Edition in an astonishingly rapid tempo. Congratulations.