http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu012014 Hugo Leichtentritt Papers Processed by the Music Division of the Library of Congress Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2009 Guides to Special Collections in the Music Division of the Library of Congress

Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2012562125

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2012 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Hugo Leichtentritt Papers 1888-1972 (bulk 1890-1933) ML31.L45 Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951 1,600 items 23 containers 10.0 linear feet Collection material in German and English Music Division Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Hugo Leichtentritt was a German musicologist, music critic, and composer. The collection contains his original music manuscripts, correspondence, clippings, programs, scrapbooks, articles and drafts of his writings on music history, criticism, and theory. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

 People Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951--Archives. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951--Correspondence. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951--Manuscripts. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951. Music of the Western nations. Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951. Selections. Subjects Composers. Music critics. Music--History and criticism. Music--Manuscripts. Music--Performance--History. Musical criticism. Musicologists. Form/Genre Articles. Clippings (Information artifacts) Correspondence. Drafts (Documents) Programs (Documents) Promotional materials. Scrapbooks. Administrative Information Provenance

Gift, Nicolas Slonimsky, circa 1952.

 Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

 Processing History

The Hugo Leichtentritt Papers were processed by Pamela Murrell in April 2009. Christopher Hartten revised the finding aid and coded it for EAD format in 2012.

 Related Material

The Library of Congress Music Division holds the Nicolas Slonimsky Collection (ML31.S6) and Serge Koussevitzky Archive (ML31.K66), both of which contain correspondence from Leichtentritt.

 Copyright Status

Materials from the Hugo Leichtentritt Papers are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.

 Access and Restrictions

The Hugo Leichtentritt Papers are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.

Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.

 Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Hugo Leichtentritt Papers, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note Date Event 1874, Jan. 1 Born in the province of Posen, Prussia 1891-1894 Attended Harvard University 1894-1895 Continued musical studies in Paris 1895-1898 Attended the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin 1898-1901 Ph.D., in Philosophy, Berlin University; dissertation entitled Reinhard Keiser in seinen Opern 1901-1924 Taught at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin 1901-1933 Gave private composition lessons and wrote music criticism for various German and American publications 1933 Left Germany to lecture at Harvard University 1940 Retired from Harvard University 1940-1944 Lecturer, Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Mass. and New York University 1951, Nov. 13 Died, Cambridge, Mass. Scope and Content Note

The Hugo Leichtentritt Papers consist of music manuscripts, correspondence, clippings, programs, scrapbooks, and writings on music history, criticism, and theory. The collection spans the period 1888 to 1972, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1890 to the 1933.

Leichtentritt's personal compositions include songs, and works for solo piano, organ, small instrumental combinations, and orchestra. These are chiefly represented by manuscript scores, parts, and sketches. Leichtentritt's dramatic works are often regarded as his most significant original compositions: Esther (1923-1926), Cantata, op. 27: Ich bin eine Blume zu Saron (1930), and his comedic opera, Der Sizilianer (1915-1918). A handwritten thematic index, located in box 21, provides details about the history of many of his compositions. Leichtentritt frequently reconstructed or arranged the compositions of other composers to illustrate concepts for teaching. These are respresented in the subseries of "Music by Other Composers" alongside scores and parts by various composers, including Bach, Haydn, Handel, and Monteverdi. Lichtentritt's settings of texts by the German poets Richard Dehmel and Friedrich Hölderlin are extensively represented.

The collection also contains seven scrapbooks that date from 1888 to 1933. These span Leichtentritt's early career, from his years as an undergraduate at Harvard University, through his employment at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin, to his later hiring by Harvard in 1933. The albums chiefly contain articles, clippings, correspondence, programs, and promotional material in German and English about various musical performances and composers.

Leichtentritt's writings consist of manuscript and typescript drafts of articles, essays, critical commentary, and analyses. Most notable are the materials for his book Music of the Western Nations, which was published posthumously by Nicolas Slonimsky in 1956. Although the final version contained twelve chapters, there are fourteen present in his draft, including a foreword, introduction, and index. Equally intriguing is Leichtentritt's unfinished autobiography that chronicles his military life in Germany during World War I, his travels throughout Europe, and his seven-year tenure as a lecturer at Harvard University. The collection also contains a draft of his 1901 dissertation, Reinhard Keiser in seinen Opern, which he submitted for his Doctorate of Philosophy degree from Berlin University. Other writings include a work on the history of motet music and analyses of compositions by Chopin, Copland, Handel, and Monteverdi.

 Organization of the Hugo Leichtentritt Papers

The Hugo Leichtentritt Papers are organized in four series:

Music, 1893-1972 Scrapbooks, 1888-1933 Writings, 1892-1956 Miscellany, 1889-1931 http://lccn.loc.gov/2012562125 Container List Container Contents 1-14, 22-23 Music, 1893-1972 Music by Leichtentritt

Manuscript and published scores, parts, and sketches. Researchers should consult Leichtentritt's thematic index for more detailed compositional histories of select works.

Arranged alphabetically by title.

 1/1 4 stimmen Fuge (piano), 1896 Score 1/2 The 7 penitential psalms (voices, chorus, orchestra), undated Score 1/3 Allegro maestoso (piano), 1893 Score 1/4 Andante, op. 1 (piano), 1890 Sketch 1/5 Aus dem 106 Psalmen für 3 Stimmen mit Klavier, 1892 Title page 1/6 Canon in der Oktave (piano), 1896-1897 Scores 1/7-11, 22/1 Cantata for contralto solo and orchestra, or piano, on selected verses from the canticle of Solomon, op. 27: Ich bin eine Blume zu Saron, 1930 Score 1/12 Ca'tchua (orchestra), 1908 Score fragment 2/1-2 Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-und Tageszeiten von Goethe (no. 1-8), op.4: ein Liederzyklus (voice, orchestra), 1912 Scores 2/3-6 Concert for cello and orchestra, op. 24, 1927 Scores and sketches 2/7-8, 3/1-2 Concerto for violin and orchestra, op. 14, undated Scores and violin solo parts 3/3 Cyprian de rose (voices), 1892 Score 3/4 Danket dem Herrn, denn er ist freundlich (double chorus), 1899 Score 3/5-6 Dirge of Saul: for baritone solo, women's chorus, and instruments, circa 1944? Score and sketches 3/7 Doppelter contrapunkt, 1897 Exercises 3/8 Dreistrimmiger [?] canon, undated Sketch 3/9 Esther: dramatische Legende nach der Bibel (voices, violin, organ), 1914 Score

Incomplete

 3/10-11, 4/1-2, 22/2-4, 23/1-2 Esther: dramatische Legende nach der Bibel (voices, chorus, orchestra), 1923-1926 and undated Scores and sketches 4/3 Etude (piano), undated Score 23/3 Etude (piano), undated Score and sketches 4/4 Etude (piano), 1932 Score 4/5 Etude no. 1 (piano), undated Score 4/6 Etude no. 3 (piano), undated Score 4/7-8 From the 130th psalm (voices, chorus, orchestra), 1897 Scores 4/9 Des Frühlings Ankunft (voice, piano), 1910 Score 4/10-12, 5/1-3 Hero und Leander: op. 30, undated Parts 5/4 Ich sehe dich in Tausend bildern: op. 2, no. 7 (voice, piano), 1910 Printed score 5/5 Introitus solemnis: for organ, op. 33, 1933 see also Prelude for organ Printed score 5/6 Jewish marching song (voice or chorus, piano), undated Score 5/7 Kol nidreh: for mixed chorus and organ, undated Score

Laid in: solo voice arrangements by Louis Lewandowski and an unidentified composer, used as source material by Leichtentritt

 5/8 Kontrapunkt, 1895-1897 Exercises 5/9-10 Lieder und Gesänge, op. 2 and 3 (voice, piano), 1909-1910 and undated Scores 5/11 Miscellaneous compositions, undated Sketches and fragments 5/12 Piano concerto (piano, orchestra), 1929 Score

Incomplete or unfinished

 6/1 Piano quintet, op. 14, 1914 Score 6/2 Prelude for organ, 1930 see also Introitus solemnis Score 6/3 Psalm 2 (voices, orchestra), 1897 Score

Unfinished

 6/4 Scherzo and trio (piano), 1895 Score 6/5 Schwimm hin, Ringelein: aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn (voice, piano), 1909-1910 Score 6/6-11, 23/4 Der Sizilianer (voices, orchestra), 1915-1918 Scores, vocal part for "Isadore", and librettos 7/1-3 Sonata for cello and piano, 1929 Scores and corrections 7/4-5 Sonata for piano, 1898 Score and sketches

Includes revised Finale

 7/6-9, 23/5 Sonata for piano, op. 23, 1926 Scores 7/10 Sonata for viola and piano, op. 13, 1913 Scores and viola part 7/11-13 Sonata for violin and piano, op. 17, 1919 Scores, violin part, and sketches 7/14 Song for the twentieth reunion of the class of 1894, Harvard College (voice, piano), 1914 Score 7/15 String quartet, 1894 Score 7/16 String quartet, 1897 Score 7/17 String quartet, op. 1, 1913 Printed score

Annotations

 7/18 String quartet, op. 7, undated Score 8/1 String quartet no. 2, op. 20, undated Parts 8/2-3 String quartet no. 3, undated Scores and parts 8/4 Suite for cello solo, undated Title page 8/5 Suite for harpsichord, op. 31, 1932 Score 8/6-8 A summer day: tone poem for women's chorus and chamber orchestra, op. 11, undated Scores and double bass part 8/9-12 Symphonic suite (orchestra), undated Scores and sketches

Unfinished

 8/13 Tenebrae factae sunt (voices), undated Score 8/14 Theme (piano), 1893 Score 9/1-3 Theme and variations for piano, op. 26, 1930 Scores and sketches 9/4-5 Theme and variations for string quartet, undated Score and parts

Incomplete

 9/6-7 Toccata and fugue for piano, op. 29, 1931 Score and sketches 9/8 Variations on a Siamese melody: for orchestra, 1931 Score 9/9 Unidentified, undated Sketches Music by Other Composers

Manuscript and printed scores and parts in the hands of Leichtentritt and other composers. Includes manuscript copies and arrangements by Leichtentritt used for student instruction.

Arranged alphabetically by composer and title of work therein.

 9/10-9/20 A-Ca 10/1-10/41 Ch-Deh 11/1-11/46 Del-Ha 12/1-12/27 He-Ho 13/1-13/30 Ho-Mu 14/1-14/42, 23/6 No-V 15-16 Scrapbooks, 1888-1933

Unbound volumes of articles, clippings, correspondence, and programs.

Arranged chronologically.

 15/1-15/4 1880s-1920s and undated 16/1-16/3 1918-1933 and undated 17-21 Writings, 1892-1956

Manuscript and typescript drafts of book chapters, articles, essays, and other writings on music history. Includes Leichtentritt's unfinished autobiography and his journal from 1893.

Arranged alphabetically by title.

 18/1 "Aaron Copland: Third symphony," 1946 18/2 "The American scene of music," undated 18/3-4 Analyse der Chopin'schen Klavierwerke, 1920-1922 18/5-8 Autobiography, undated 19/1 "Claudio Monteverdi as Madrigalkomponist," undated 19/2 "Essais et critiques," 1893-1894 19/3-5 Geschichte der Motette, 1908 17/1-3 Handel, 1924 19/6 "History of ancient art," 1892-1893 19/7 "Jean Sibelius: Fifth symphony," undated 20/1 "Julius Caesar," undated 20/2 Miscellany, undated 20/3 Music, history, and ideas, undated

Introduction only

 20/4-8 Music of the Western nations, 1956 20/9 "Nationalism and internationalism in music," undated

Chapter 10 from an unidentified work

 21/1 "Die Oper," undated 21/2 "Protestant music and the Reformation," 1934 21/3 "The reform of Trent," undated 21/4 "Reinhard Keiser in seinen Opern," 1901 21/5 "Schubert," undated 21/6 Tagebuch, 1893 21 Miscellany, 1889-1931

One article, two programs, and a thematic index of Leichtentritt's musical compositions.

Arranged alphabetically by title or subject.

 21/7 "Bericht über die fünfte Hauptversammlung," 1920

Article that mentions Leichtentritt

 21/8 Programs, 1889, 1931 21/9 Thematic index, undated

Index cards with bibliographic information for Leichtentritt's compositions