Hugo Leichtentritt Papers
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2012562125
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2012
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Hugo Leichtentritt Papers 1888-1972 (bulk 1890-1933)
Leichtentritt, Hugo, 1874-1951
Biographical History for: Hugo Leichtentritt Papers 1888-1972 (bulk 1890-1933)
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.
series
Music, 1893-1972
subseries
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.
file
4 stimmen Fuge (piano), 1896
The 7 penitential psalms (voices, chorus, orchestra), undated
Allegro maestoso (piano), 1893
Andante, op. 1 (piano), 1890
Aus dem 106 Psalmen für 3 Stimmen mit Klavier, 1892
Canon in der Oktave (piano), 1896-1897
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
Ca'tchua (orchestra), 1908
Chinesisch-deutsche Jahres-und Tageszeiten von Goethe (no. 1-8), op.4: ein Liederzyklus (voice, orchestra), 1912
Concert for cello and orchestra, op. 24, 1927
Concerto for violin and orchestra, op. 14, undated
Cyprian de rose (voices), 1892
Danket dem Herrn, denn er ist freundlich (double chorus), 1899
Dirge of Saul: for baritone solo, women's chorus, and instruments, circa 1944?
Doppelter contrapunkt, 1897
Dreistrimmiger [?] canon, undated
Esther: dramatische Legende nach der Bibel (voices, violin, organ), 1914
Esther: dramatische Legende nach der Bibel (voices, chorus, orchestra), 1923-1926 and undated
Etude (piano), undated
Etude (piano), 1932
Etude no. 1 (piano), undated
Etude no. 3 (piano), undated
From the 130th psalm (voices, chorus, orchestra), 1897
Des Frühlings Ankunft (voice, piano), 1910
Hero und Leander: op. 30, undated
Ich sehe dich in Tausend bildern: op. 2, no. 7 (voice, piano), 1910
Introitus solemnis: for organ, op. 33, 1933 see also Prelude for organ
Jewish marching song (voice or chorus, piano), undated
Kol nidreh: for mixed chorus and organ, undated
Kontrapunkt, 1895-1897
Lieder und Gesänge, op. 2 and 3 (voice, piano), 1909-1910 and undated
Miscellaneous compositions, undated
Piano concerto (piano, orchestra), 1929
Piano quintet, op. 14, 1914
Prelude for organ, 1930 see also Introitus solemnis
Psalm 2 (voices, orchestra), 1897
Scherzo and trio (piano), 1895
Schwimm hin, Ringelein: aus Des Knaben Wunderhorn (voice, piano), 1909-1910
Der Sizilianer (voices, orchestra), 1915-1918
Sonata for cello and piano, 1929
Sonata for piano, 1898
Sonata for piano, op. 23, 1926
Sonata for viola and piano, op. 13, 1913
Sonata for violin and piano, op. 17, 1919
Song for the twentieth reunion of the class of 1894, Harvard College (voice, piano), 1914
String quartet, 1894
String quartet, 1897
String quartet, op. 1, 1913
String quartet, op. 7, undated
String quartet no. 2, op. 20, undated
String quartet no. 3, undated
Suite for cello solo, undated
Suite for harpsichord, op. 31, 1932
A summer day: tone poem for women's chorus and chamber orchestra, op. 11, undated
Symphonic suite (orchestra), undated
Tenebrae factae sunt (voices), undated
Theme (piano), 1893
Theme and variations for piano, op. 26, 1930
Theme and variations for string quartet, undated
Toccata and fugue for piano, op. 29, 1931
Variations on a Siamese melody: for orchestra, 1931
Unidentified, undated
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.
A-Ca
Ch-Deh
Del-Ha
He-Ho
Ho-Mu
No-V
Scrapbooks, 1888-1933
Unbound volumes of articles, clippings, correspondence, and programs.
1880s-1920s and undated
1918-1933 and undated
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.
"Aaron Copland: Third symphony," 1946
"The American scene of music," undated
Analyse der Chopin'schen Klavierwerke, 1920-1922
Autobiography, undated
"Claudio Monteverdi as Madrigalkomponist," undated
"Essais et critiques," 1893-1894
Geschichte der Motette, 1908
Handel, 1924
"History of ancient art," 1892-1893
"Jean Sibelius: Fifth symphony," undated
"Julius Caesar," undated
Miscellany, undated
Music, history, and ideas, undated
Music of the Western nations, 1956
"Nationalism and internationalism in music," undated
"Die Oper," undated
"Protestant music and the Reformation," 1934
"The reform of Trent," undated
"Reinhard Keiser in seinen Opern," 1901
"Schubert," undated
Tagebuch, 1893
Miscellany, 1889-1931
One article, two programs, and a thematic index of Leichtentritt's musical compositions.
"Bericht über die fünfte Hauptversammlung," 1920
Programs, 1889, 1931
Thematic index, undated