236 Part III: Emigration Yearsfor publication, the truth is that he was still pursuing other interests
as well. He missed his piano, which was indispensable for his current
analytical and other writing on music. This included his latest projects:
a growing interest in the works of Wagner and also a detailed study of
operatic sound; his idea was to explore the way in which revolution and
regression are intertwined in opera. Furthermore, Stefan Zweig had
suggested to him that he should write a book about Schoenberg, an
offer that was not just flattering, but also extremely tempting, since the
book on Berg that had been published by Herbert Reichner Verlag had
been a success and Zweig, who was actively involved on behalf of the
publisher, hoped for a repeat performance. Over and above this, Adorno
was busy completing a number of texts that he wished to publish
with the title of ‘Zweite Nachtmusik’, and he also had a text to finish
on ‘Beethoven’s Late Style’ for the journal Der Auftakt: Blätter für die
tschechoslowakische Republik.
At the close of 1937, Adorno must have felt that he was being driven
from one improvised situation to the next, and that he was constantly
forced to sit between different stools.^106 The reasonably stable residence
in London coupled with the prospect of completing his doctorate in
Oxford fairly soon had now disappeared. Instead, he was faced with the
necessity of starting up again both professionally and privately in New
York, where he would have to depend primarily on the institute and on
the contacts Horkheimer had made. By the end of 1937, he could no
longer count on financial help from his parents. Oscar Wiesengrund had
difficulties in Nazi Germany with his wine business, which he was now
too old to continue with and had to sell. Furthermore, because of the
currency restrictions it was quite impossible for him as a Jew to transfer
money abroad. Nevertheless, Adorno was not downcast about his future
prospects in the United States. On the contrary, he was looking forward
to his collaboration with Horkheimer and attempted to persuade
Benjamin of the rightness of this view. This was hinted at in the letter
in which he informed him of the latest developments, well aware that
his impending move to America would come as a blow to Benjamin
because it would increase his sense of intellectual isolation. For this
reason, Adorno stressed that in New York – especially there – he would
keep an eye on Benjamin’s financial situation. He also assured him that,
since he was convinced ‘that war will be unavoidable in the relatively
immediate future’, he would do everything in his power ‘to bring you
over to America as quickly as possible’.^107 He had a personal interest
in this of course, since, despite his growing attachment to Horkheimer,
he felt that no one was as close to him as Benjamin. Adorno, who
had earlier been guilty of mistaken political assessments, could now see
the likely course of world events very clearly. With the hegemony of
Germany, a catastrophe was now inevitable. That was his message to
Benjamin. For this reason it was pointless to ‘go on fighting a losing
battle in Europe’. ‘It might be a source of some ironic consolation that