Correspondence

*Letter from Leonard Bernstein to Helen Coates.* June 11, 1976. Leonard Bernstein Collection. Library of Congress Music Division.

This page contains selected primary source correspondence of and to orchestral conductors active in the 19th through 20th centuries. Correspondence serves as evidence of conductors' daily lives, career paths, travels, thoughts, and more. These items are cataloged individually under call numbers that begin with ML95 or are part of special collections.

Titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog and special collection finding aids when available.

Selected Correspondence

Pierre Boulez to George Crumb
Call Number: George Crumb Papers, Box 13 Folder 10
Published/Created: 1971 July 20
Letter from French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) on New York Philharmonic letterhead to American composer George Crumb (1929-2022) about programming Ancient Voices of Children with the orchestra.
Pierre Boulez to Thomas Shepard
Call Number: ML95.B696 no. 1 Case
Published/Created: 1968 April 16
Typed signed letter from French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) to Thomas Shepard of CBS Records, New York.
Hans von Bülow letters
Call Number: ML95.B905 Case
Published/Created: 1852-1886
Autograph letters from German conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow (1830-1894) to various individuals including conductor F. Kempe and A.W. Thayer.
Ferruccio Busoni to Hans von Bülow
Call Number: ML95.B94 Case
Published/Created: 1893 October 22
Letter in German, dated New York, from Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) to German conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow (1830-1894).
Leopold Damrosch to Rafael Joseffy
Call Number: ML95.D18 Case
Published/Created: 1879 September 30
Autograph letter in German, dated New York, from German-American conductor, violinist, and composer Leopold Damrosch (1832-1885) to Hungarian pianist Rafael Joseffy (1852-1915).
Leopold Damrosch to Franz Liszt
Call Number: ML95.D18 Case
Published/Created: 1880 June 3
Autograph letter in German, dated New York, from German-American conductor, violinist, and composer Leopold Damrosch (1832-1885) to Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Weimar.
Niels Gade to Magda Boetticher
Call Number: ML95.G224 Case
Published/Created: 1883 October 15
Autograph letter in German, dated Copenhagen, from Danish conductor, composer, and violinist Niels Gade (1817-1890) to Magda Boetticher. Gade was conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and director of the Copenhagen Musikforeningen.
Georg Goltermann to Hugo Heermann
Call Number: ML95.G73 Case
Published/Created: 1878 April 4
Letter in German, dated Frankfurt am Main, from German conductor, cellist, and composer Georg Goltermann (1824-1898) to German violinist Hugo Heermann (1844-1935). Goltermann was music director at the Stadttheater in Frankfurt am Main.

Serge Koussevitzky to Claude Debussy
Call Number: ML95.K918 Case
Published/Created: 1913 November 1
Typed letter, signed, in French from Russian-born conductor, composer, and double-bassist Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) to French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918).
Pierre Monteux to Editions Russe
Call Number: ML95.M65 no. 1
Published/Created: 1922 July 6
Letter from French conductor Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) to Edition Russe
Muck, Karl
Call Number: ML95.M93
Published/Created: 1906-1922
2 letters and 2 autographs from German pianist and orchestral conductor Dr. Karl Muck (1859-1940). Muck conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1912-1918); Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra (1922-1933); Bayreuth Festival; and Royal Opera House, Berlin.
Naumann, Johann Gottlieb
Call Number: ML95.N18
Published/Created: 1800
2 letters from German conductor, composer, and organist Johann Gottlieb Naumann (1741-1801).
Eugene Ormandy to Albert Goldberg
Call Number: Albert Goldberg Correspondence, Box 1
Published/Created: 1955-1981
Correspondence from Hungarian-born American conductor Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) to American music critic Albert Goldberg (1898-1990).
Karl Pöhlig to Oscar G. Sonneck
Call Number: ML95.P75 Case
Published/Created: 1912 March 27
Letter from conductor and cellist Karl Pöhlig (1864-1928), conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra (1907-1912) to Oscar G. Sonneck, Chief of the Library of Congress Music Division
Alessandro Pomè to Filippo Filippi
Call Number: ML95.P76 Case
Published/Created: 1886, 1890
2 letters from Italian orchestra conductor Alessandro Pomè (1851-1934) to Italian music critic Filippo Filippi (1830-1887)

Henri Rabaud to Carl Engel
Call Number: ML95.R12 Case
Published/Created: undated
Undated letter on Boston Symphony Orchestra letterhead from French conductor and composer Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) to Carl Engel. Rabaud directed the Paris Opéra from 1914-1918 and conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the 1918 concert season.
Henri Rabaud to an unidentified recipient
Call Number: ML95.R12 Case
Published/Created: undated
Undated letter from French conductor and composer Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) to an unidentified recipient. Rabaud directed the Paris Opéra from 1914-1918 and conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the 1918 concert season.
Maurice Ravel to Rudolph Ganz
Call Number: ML95.R34 Case
Published/Created: 1908
Letter from Maurice Ravel to Swiss-born American conductor, pianist, and composer Rudolph Ganz (1877-1972). Ganz conducted the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Hans Richter to Norbert Salter
Call Number: ML95.R5347 Case
Published/Created: 1904 October 23
Autograph postcard from Austro-Hungarian conductor Hans Richter (1843-1916) to Austrian cellist Norbert Salter (1868-1935). Richter conducted the Bayreuth Festival, Birmingham Triennial Music Festival, Hallé Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra.
Alexander Ritter to Hermann Levi
Call Number: ML95.R6 Case
Published/Created: 1880-1894
17 letters from violinist Alexander Ritter (1833-1896) to German conductor Hermann Levi (1839-1939). Levi was associate conductor of the Mannheim Opera, Kapellmeister of the Hoogduitse Opera at Rotterdam, Hofkapellmeister in Karlsruhe, and Hofkapellmeister in Munich.
Jefte Sbolci to Fillipo Fillipi
Call Number: ML95.S29 Case
Published/Created: 1873 November 19
Letter from Italian conductor and cellist Jefte Sbolci (1833-1895) to music critic Flillipo Fillipi (1830-1887) on Società Orchestrale Fiorentina letterhead. Sbolci founded the Società Orchestrale Fiorentina.
Paul Scheinpflug to Havermann
Call Number: ML95.S32 Case
Published/Created: undated
Letter from German conductor and composer Paul Scheinpflug (1875-1937) to "Havermann" with newspaper clipping portrait.
Anton Schindler to Karl Haslinger
Call Number: ML95.S3695 case
Published/Created: 1845 November 24
Letter from Moravian conductor, violinist, and writer Anton Schindler (1795-1864), dated Aachen, to Karl Heslinger about Karl Holz. Schindler was the first biographer of Ludwig van Beethoven, and music director of the Münster Musikverein and city of Aachen.
Franz Schreker to Paul Bekker
Call Number: ML95.S377 Case
Published/Created: 1918-1931
92 pieces of correspondence from Austrian composer and conductor Franz Schreker (1878-1934) to German music critic Paul Bekker (1882-1937). Schreker was the founding conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Chorus from 1907-1920.
Giovanni Sgambati
Call Number: ML95.S5 Case
Published/Created: 1877-1886 and undated
26 letters and cards from Italian conductor, composer, composer, and pianist Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914) to unidentified individuals and music critic Fillipo Fillipi.
Arthur Shepherd to Carl Engel
Call Number: ML95.S52 Case
Published/Created: 1922 December 18
Letter from American conductor and composer Arthur Shepherd (1880-1958) on Cleveland Symphony Orchestra letterhead to Carl Engel. Shepherd was Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra while Nikolai Sokoloff was Music Director.
Jean Sibelius to Leopold Stokowski
Call Number: ML95.S545 Case
Published/Created: 1949 August 11
Letter in English from Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) to American composer Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977).
Jean Sibelius to Leopold Stokowski
Call Number: ML95.S545 Case
Published/Created: 1954 September 15
Letter in English from Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) to American composer Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977).
Jean Sibelius to Leopold Stokowski
Call Number: ML95.S545 Case
Published/Created: 1955 May 11
Letter in English from Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) to American composer Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977).

Theodore Thomas to Caryl Florio (William James Robjohn)
Call Number: ML95.T45 Case
Published/Created: 1888 October 16
Letter from German-American conductor and violinist Theodore Thomas (1835-1905) regarding New York Philharmonic programming to Caryl Florio, pseudonym of English composer and organist William James Robjohn. Thomas was the founding music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Theodore Thomas to Steinway & Sons
Call Number: ML95.T45 Case
Published/Created: 1903 September 23
Letter from German-American conductor and violinist Theodore Thomas (1835-1905) to Steinway & Sons. Thomas was the founding music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Theodore Thomas to Rafael Joseffy
Call Number: ML95.T45 Case
Published/Created: 1889, 1903
Two letters from German-American conductor and violinist Theodore Thomas (1835-1905) to Hungarian pianist and composer Rafael Joseffy (1852-1915). Thomas was the founding music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Arturo Toscanini to Bruno Zirato
Call Number: ML95.T785 Case
Published/Created: 1932 December 5
Autograph letter from Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) to Bruno Zirato (1884-1972), manager of the New York Philharmonic and assistant to tenor Enrico Caruso. Toscanini conducted the New York Philharmonic, NBC Symphony Orchestra, and at La Scala.
Bruno Walter to Bruno Zirato
Call Number: ML95.W267 Case
Published/Created: circa 1950s
Autograph letter in Italian from German-born conductor, pianist, and composer Bruno Walter (1876-1962) dated Beverly Hills, California, to Bruno Zirato (1884-1972).
Henry Joseph Wood to Aileen Shea
Call Number: ML95.W776 Case
Published/Created: 1930 December 17
Autograph letter, dated Cape Town, from English conductor Sir Henry Joseph Wood (1869-1944) to Aileen Shea, Library of Congress. Letter references Wood's premieres of works by Charles Martin Loeffler.
Kōsaku Yamada to Ernest Urchs
Call Number: ML95.Y2 Case
Published/Created: Possibly 1909 October 9
Letter, dated Tokyo, from Japanese conductor and composer Kōsaku Yamada (1886-1965) to Ernest Urchs, New York City, of Steinway and Co.

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Selected Correspondence