Schulhoff spent a total of four years working on the "Sextet for Two Violins, Two Violas and Two Violoncellos". While the first movement was already completed in Dresden on 27 April 1920, it took until 30 April 1924 to complete the fair copy of the other movements in Prague.
None other than Paul Hindemith had agreed with Schulhoff to hold the premiere of the work in Donaueschingen. This took place on 19 July 1924 and was performed by the Zika Quartet, Hindemith’s brother Rudolf and Hindemith himself. After the success of the premiere, Schulhoff sent the manuscript to Universal-Edition, Vienna in order to have it printed, but asked for it to be returned for revision on 17 April 1926. This revision never materialized, and seemingly no further performances ensued during his lifetime.
In 1978, the first printed score of the sextet was published by Supraphon, Prague, but without the individual parts. Since the mid-1980s, the work has finally found its way back into the concert hall: credit must be given to Gidon Kremer, who was the first to campaign for its revival. In the meantime, several first-rate ensembles have taken up the string sextet into their repertoire. This is reflected not only in concert life but also in the sales of records.
Schulhoff dedicated the sextet to Francis Poulenc. I am not aware of any personal contact between the two, but it is safe to assume that Schulhoff was familiar with the French composer's oeuvre; after all, in 1924 he presented Poulenc in a short article in the magazine "Auftakt" together with Hindemith, Stravinsky, Casella and others.
The publication of Erwin Schulhoff's string sextet was more than overdue; due to its youthful esprit and along with this the courageous expressivity, the work can indisputably take its place alongside the sextets of Brahms and Schönberg.
(Foreword by Michael Rische, 24 October 1997)