Correspondence and Related Materials
- Scope and content:
-
The following division of the inventory contains a listing not only of those correspondence files that physically constitute this portion of the whole body of the papers of Guido Adler, but also of letters found in all other sections of the collection. As noted in the general introduction, an underlying principle in the arrangement of the papers has been to preserve the contexts of the various documents as fully as possible. Thus many letters connected with specific activities represented elsewhere in the collection have been kept in the folders associated with these activities, rather than transferred to the general correspondence files. The most substantial, although by no means the only, special folders scattered throughout the papers are about a dozen in number. They are connected with the periodic anniversaries that marked Adler's career; his participation in two major musical societies; his work in organizing the Haydn and Beethoven centennial festivals; and his editorship of the two editions of the Handbuch der Musikgeschichte. To facilitate reference to these files, and to save space, the following abbreviations are used.
BZ-Beethoven Zentenarfeier (1927) (Boxes 43-45).
CM, Prague-Congratulatory messages on the occasion of Adler's appointment to a professorship at the German University in Prague (1885) (Box 37).
CM, 60BD-Congratulatory messages on the occasion of Adler's 60th birthday (1915) (Box 37).
CM, Hofrat-Congratulatory messages on the occasion of Adler's reception of the honorary title Hofrat (1919-20) (Box 37).
CM, 70BD-Congratulatory messages, Adler's 70th birthday (1925) (Box 37).
CM, 75BD-Congratulatory messages, Adler's 75th birthday (1930) (Box 38).
CM, 80BD-Congratulatory messages, Adler's 80th birthday (1935) (Box 38).
CM, 84BD-Congratulatory messages, Adler's 84th birthday (1939) (Box 38).
HB1-Handbuch der Musikgeschichte, first edition (1924) (Boxes 7-8).
HB2-Handbuch der Musikgeschichte, second edition (1929) (Boxes 10-13).
HZ-Haydn Zentenarfeier (1909) (Boxes 39-42).
IGM-Internationale Gesellschaft für Musikwissenschaft (International Musicological Society) (ca. 1928-36) (Box 23).
IMG-Internationale Musikalische Gesellschaft (International Musical Society) (ca. 1903-14)(Box 23).
All other special files are identified by name in separate listings.
Individuals and organizations represented in the general correspondence section by separate folders are indicated by asterisks following their names. Names not so marked are represented only by letters in the particular files cited.
In identifying the character of the material found for each person or group, the following conventional abbreviations are used.
ALS-autograph letter, signed. AL-autograph letter. LS-letter, signed. So-called Briefkarten ("letter cards") are classified as letters.
ANS-autograph notecard, signed (variants as above).
APS-autograph postcard, signed (variants as above).
CC-calling card (a large number of which have brief messages written on them).
n.d.-no date indicated.
n.p.-no place indicated
TLS-typescript letter, signed (variants as in ALS above).
TPS-typescript postcard, signed (variants as above).
v.p.-various places indicated in several different letters.
Full dates for letters are given, where possible, when the files contain only one or two items. Larger numbers of documents are given inclusive dates. When a considerable number of places are represented in any single group of letters, only the most important are identified. For the material in related files, such as those listed above, only the type of document is normally indicated, since the occasion and the general time period are usually clear.
To aid those who may use this inventory in identifying, or in obtaining information about, the people represented by correspondence, abbreviations indicating one of a number of standard dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference works have been given in brackets following the dates of the individual person. Although a relatively large number of persons have been identified, no references have been found in published works for many others. Names of individuals are presented as fully as possible on the basis of the available material. In some cases, however, only a surname can be provided, and in others a nickname or diminutive serves as a given name. Without additional evidence, it seemed best to reproduce such names exactly as they appear in the documents. The reference works cited are identified with the abbreviations given below. For German readers it may be useful to note that many of the persons cited in B5 are also found in R12. As successive volumes of ÖBL appear, it should be possible to identify a larger number of figures in the latter part of the alphabetic series. Death dates for a few individuals who are clearly no longer alive have thus far remained elusive.
B5-Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 5th ed., completely revised by Nicolas Slonimsky. New York: G. Schirmer, Supplement, 1956.
DBF-Dictionnaire de biographie française. Paris: Letouzey. 1933-.
DBI-Dizionario biografico degli italiani. Rome: Enciclopedia italiana, 1960-.
EI-Enciclopedia italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti. Rome: Istituto Giovanni Treccani, 1929-39. 5 supplements, 1938-61.
EJ-Encyclopaedia Judaica. Jerusalem: Encyclopaedia Judaica [New York: Macmillan], 1971-72.
G5-Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 5th ed., edited by Eric Blom. London: Macmillan [New York: The Free Press], 1954. Supplementary volume, 1961.
GB-Der Grosse Brockhaus. 16th ed. Wiesbaden: Brockhaus, 1953-63.
LC-National Union Catalogue. Formerly A Catalog of Books Represented by Library of Congress Printed Cards...Ann Arbor; Edwards, 1942-.
M4-Hans J. Moser. Musik Lexikon. 4th ed. Hamburg: H. Sikorski, 1955. Nachtrag, 1958. Ergänzungsband, 1963.
NDB-Neue deutsche Biographie. Berlin: Duncker und Humbolt, 1953-.
NÖB-Neue österreichisches Biographie. Vienna: Amalthea. 1923-.
NYPL-Dictionary Catalog of the Music Collection, New York Public Library. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1965. Supplement, 1964-71.
ÖBL-Österreichisches biographisches Lexikon 1915-1950. Graz: Böhlaus, 1957-.
ÖM-Österreichische Musikzeitschrift. 1945-.
R7-Hugo Riemann. Musik Lexikon. 7th ed. Leipzig: Max Hesses Verlag, 1909.
R11-Hugo Riemanns Musik Lexikon. 11th ed., edited by Alfred Einstein. Berlin: Max Hesses Verlag, 1929.
R12-Riemann Musik Lexikon. 12th ed., edited by Wilibald Gurlitt. Mainz: B. Schott's Söhne, 1959-67. Ergänzungsband, Personenteil A-K, 1972.
RE-Enciclopedia della musica. Edited by Claudio Sartori and Riccardo Allorto. Milan: Ricordi, 1963-64.
SM-Steirisches Musiklexikon. Edited by W. Suppan. Graz: Akademische Druck-und Verlagsanstalt, 1962-66.
TB-Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker. Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler...Leipzig: Verlag von Wilhelm Engelmann, 1907-50.
UJE-Universal Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1939-43.
V-Hans Vollmer. Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts. Leipzig: VEB E. A. Seemann, 1953-62.
WW-Who's Who. New York: St. Martin's [et al.], 1848-.
WWW-Who Was Who in America. Chicago: An. N. Marquis, 1943-.
Z-Zenei Lexikon. Revised ed., edited by Dénes Bartha. Budapest: Zenemükiadó Vállalat, 1965.
While the primary function of this portion of the inventory is to serve as a guide to the location of all of the correspondence in the collection, a few references have been included to individuals not represented by letters, in order to draw attention to the existence of important materials of other types elsewhere in the collection. Similarly, cross references are included for material in the CLIPPINGS AND OFFPRINT section that might bear on Adler's relationships with persons represented by correspondence. In this regard a check of the thesis of Miss Gail Means cited in the general introduction to this volume will reveal additional material among Adler's books and music. The present central section of the inventory may thus be used as an index of the contemporaries of Adler who are represented in any significant way in the papers as a whole.
At present, with the exception of the material on Gustav Mahler, all of the correspondence among Adler's papers remains unpublished. The letters of Mahler have been reproduced in an article of mine cited in the entry for the composer, and preliminary work has been done for the publication of several other groups of letters, notably those of Schönberg. It is my hope that this inventory will encourage exploration and study of the many other substantial bodies of correspondence found in the papers. Although a collection such as this inevitably contains much that is routine and perfunctory, much remains that illuminates the feelings and attitudes of a wide variety of individuals, and the material in this section as a whole throws light on many sides of musical life in Austria and Europe during the period in which Adler was active.