Overview
Papers of musician Rudolf Kolisch including correspondence, musical and literary compositions, recordings, performance records, teaching materials, subject files, and biographical materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1886-1978
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
47.5 linear feet (141 boxes, 19 volumes)The papers came to the Houghton Library in 1986 directly from Kolisch's residence in Watertown, Mass. They reflect in their holdings of correspondence, documents, scores, and recordings the entire range of his personal and professional life on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and his broad-ranging activities and interests as performer, scholar, author, and theorist.
The correspondence includes (among the over one thousand correspondents) extensive exchanges with Adorno, Berg, Eisler, Leibowitz, Korngold, Krenek, Nono, Schoenberg, Steuermann, Stockhausen, and Stuckenschmidt . A large part of this section contains correspondence with concert and broadcasting agencies, as well as universities, colleges, and conservatories (Series I). - The composition series documents Kolisch's extensive literary output, consisting of analytical essays, lectures, broadcasts, and program notes; it is, for the most part, to this date, still waiting to be published (Series II). - The great number of manuscript and printed scores are significant for their performance and analytical markings by Kolisch, often reflecting the collaboration with the composer (Series III). - The performance records include programs and clippings, with scrapbooks preserved of the Kolisch Quartett concert seasons 1928-1933, and also the rehearsal diaries, 1921-1927 (Series V). - The subject files include papers relating to composers or organizations. - (See also Regina Busch, '"Der Nachlass von Rudolf Kolisch," Mitteilungen der Internationalen Schönberg Gesellschaft vol. 2 (1987), p. 7 ff.) (Series VIII). - The large collection of reel-to-reel tapes have been copied to compact disks by Kolisch's assistant David Satz. His commentaries on these recordings contain so many valuable facets and details that they are included, unedited, as an appendix to the printed finding aid (Appendix).
Biographical / Historical
The violinist Rudolf Kolisch was born in Klamm, Austria, in 1896. He studied violin, composition and musicology in Vienna, and was close to the circle around his teacher Schoenberg (who married Kolisch's sister Gertrud in 1924). Kolisch's quartet was founded in 1922; first known as the Wiener Streichquartett, then Kolisch Quartett, it became internationally known as one of the protagonists of the Second Viennese School. Bartok, Berg, Webern, and Schoenberg entrusted them with the first performances of many of their works. In 1939, while touring the USA, the quartet in its original formation disbanded. In 1944, after years of struggle, Kolisch became the primarius of the Pro Arte Quartet, in residence at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and later joined the faculty at the School of Music. In 1967 he left that position for the New England Conservatory, Boston, where he taught until his death in 1978. (For additional biographical information, see Claudia Maurer Zenck, "Was sonst kann ein Mensch denn machen, als Quartett zu spielen? Rudolf Kolisch und seine Quartette. Versuch einer Chronik der Jahre 1921-1944," in Österreichische Musikzeitschrift no. 53 (1998), p. 8ff.).
Arrangement
Arranged into the following series:
- I. Correspondence
- A. Letters to Rudolf Kolisch
- B. Letters from Rudolf Kolisch
- C. Other letters
- II. Compositions (literary) by Rudolf Kolisch
- A. On general subjects
- B. On individual composers
- III. Compositions (musical) by others (and also by Rudolf Kolisch)
- A. Manuscript
- B. Printed (with analytical or performance markings)
- B1. Full-size scores
- B2. Miniature scores
- B3. Pasted-up scores
- IV. Compositions (literary) by others
- A. Manuscript
- B. Printed.
- V. Performance records
- A. Concert programs (in chronological sequence)
- A1. Kolisch Quartett
- A2. Pro Arte Quartet
- A3. Rudolf Kolisch Solo
- B. Concert reviews (in chronological sequence)
- B1. Kolisch Quartett
- B2. Pro Arte Quartet
- B3. Rudolf Kolisch Solo
- C. Other (business etc.)
- C1. Kolisch Quartett
- C2. Pro Arte Quartet
- C3. Rudolf Kolisch Solo
- VI. Teaching materials (by institution and place)
- VII. Biographical material
- A. Personal documents
- B. Miscellaneous
- C. Articles, obituaries, and memorials
- VIII. Subject files, orgnaized by Rudolf Kolisch
- IX. Audio and visual documents
- A. Visual materials
- B. Audiotapes and CD copies
- X. Appendix [available only in print version]
- A. David Satz: inventory of recordings
- B. Indices
- XI. Additions to collection
Please note that item number 717 was inadvertently omitted from this finding aid.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2004KO. Manuscripts presented by and purchased from: Mrs. Lorna Kolisch, 178 Columbine Place, Hercules, California 94547; received: 23 Dec 1986. Purchased with funds raised by the Committee for the Music Collections at the Houghton Library.
96M-39. Item (2211) presented by: Mr. David Satz, 549 First Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215; received: 22-28 Feb 1997.
97M-52. Items (784) and (1692a) presented by: Regina Busch,Trauttmansdorffgasse 27, 1130 Vienna, Austria; received: 20 Mar 1998
Part of item (2174) presented by: Andreas Lehner; received: Jan 2001.
Separated Materials
Books and scores without performance markings were transferred to the Houghton Rare Book Collection, accessioned as a group under *86-99. Some items contain inscriptions by composers or authors. A collection of slides of Arnold Schoenberg paintings is now at the Fine Arts Library at Harvard.
Processing Information
Processed by: Barbara M. Wolff
Boxes 122 and 123 were inadvertently skipped during numbering.
- Title
- Kolisch, Rudolf, 1896-1978. Rudolf Kolisch papers, 1886-1978: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou00066
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
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