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Negotiations
for the publication of the song between Mahler and C.F. Kahnt, the publisher of Mahler's most recent songs, were opened in the late autumn of 1906
and the composer signed the contractual letter on 8
December 1906 (GMBsV,
171–2). Presumably during the negotiations a copy of the song
(perhaps made by Alma Mahler) had been sent to Hoffmann for perusal.
There can be little doubt that this derived from Mahler's
autograph, which is in C major, the key eventually used for the
published medium-voice transposition. The contract
specified that 'the copy of the work remains in the possession
of the publisher as their property'. However, the
decision to also issue the song in a high-voice version (E flat
major) must have been taken early, since such a transposition
was
advertised, along with the medium-voice version, in late
January 1907. The
printer's copy for the transposition was undoubtedly prepared
in-house, though Mahler was presumably sent proofs. |
