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  4. Thursday, March 2, 1911

Natalie Curtis to Ferruccio Busoni arrow_backarrow_forward

New York · March 2, 1911

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Mus.ep. N. Curtis 2 (Busoni-Nachl. B II)
Mus.Nachl. F. Busoni B II, 1349
[1]
Thursday
morning
March 2nd
1911.

Dear Mr Busoni,

I am sending
you a few Indian songs –
– I want to send you
more, but as yet I have
had not much time
to write them out. We
have been very busy
with our preparations
for Briséïs (MacDowell
chorus.) This afternoon
we hold our General
Probe. I wish you

Thursday morning
March 2nd 1911.
Dear Mr Busoni,

I am sending you a few Indian songs – I want to send you more, but as yet I have had not much time to write them out. We have been very busy with our preparations for Briséïs (MacDowell chorus.) This afternoon we hold our Generalprobe. I wish you could be there! But since you are playing tonight I suppose that is impossible. I hope to hear you; we have had our tickets a long time in anticipation.

In the few songs that I have sent you, those that interest me most, especially from the stand-point of tonality, are the three Hopi Indian Songs which seem more remote from European conceptions than the others. Of course, the Warrior and Victory Songs admit of more stirring, and perhaps of more “popular” treatment – I mean, they would be more easily understood. And the little Blue-Bird song has quite a perfect form, I think, and also much grace and charm. But there is a strange character in the Hopi music that has always held for me a peculiar charm. It has been a great pleasure to me to have the privilege of writing these off for you. If you will permit me I will mail some more to you.

I shall see you only from a respectful distance this evening, and so I send herewith my best wishes for a pleasent trip, and the greetings of the whole Curtis household who hope to see you here, once, on your return.

May I thank you very heartily for so kindly sending me your Fugue which I shall prize very highly, as a gift, and which as a study will be always of increasing interest. With deep appreciation,

Sincerly yours

 
                                                                
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            <p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">I am sending
               <lb/>you a few Indian songs<orig> –</orig>
               <lb/>– I want to send you
               <lb/>more, but as yet I have
               <lb/>had not much time
               <lb/>to write them out. We
               <lb/>have been very busy
               <lb/>with our preparations
               <lb/>for <title>Briséïs</title> (<orgName key="E0600216">MacDowell
                  <lb/>chorus</orgName>.) This afternoon
               <lb/>we hold our <seg xml:lang="de">General<choice><orig>
                  <lb/>P</orig><reg><lb break="no"/>p</reg></choice>robe</seg>. I wish you
               
               </p></div>
2Facsimile
2Diplomatic transcription
2XML

[2]
could be there! But since
you are playing tonight
I suppose that is im-
possible. I hope to
hear you; we have had
our tickets a long time
in anticipation.

In the few
songs that I have sent
you, those that interest
me most, especially
from the stand-point
of tonality, are the
three Hopi Indian
Songs which seem
more remote from
European conceptions
than the others./ Of course, 

                                                                
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
               
               <note type="foliation" resp="#archive" place="top-left">[2]</note>
               
               <lb/>could be there! But since
               <lb/>you are playing tonight
               <lb/>I suppose that is im
               <lb break="no"/>possible. I hope to
               <lb/>hear you; we have had
               <lb/>our tickets a long time
               <lb/>in anticipation.</p>
            
            <p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">In the few
               <lb/>songs that I have sent
               <lb/>you, those that interest
               <lb/><hi rend="underline">me</hi> most, especially
               <lb/>from the stand-point
               <lb/>of tonality, are the
               <lb/>three Hopi Indian
               <lb/>Songs which seem
               <lb/>more remote from
               <lb/><placeName key="E0500943">European</placeName> conceptions
               <lb/>than the others.<orig>/</orig> Of course,
               
               </p></div>
3Facsimile
3Diplomatic transcription
3XML

the Warrior & Victory Songs admit
of more stirring, & perhaps of
more “popular” treatment – I
mean, they would be more easily
understood./ And the little Blue-
Bird song has quite a perfect
form, I think, & also much grace
& charm. But there is a strange
character in the Hopi music
that has always held for me
a peculiar charm. It has been
a great pleasure to me to
have the privilege of writing 

                                                                
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
               
               the Warrior <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> Victory Songs admit
               <lb/>of more stirring, <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> perhaps of 
               <lb/>more <soCalled rend="dq-uu">popular</soCalled> treatment – I
               <lb/>mean, they would be more easily
               <lb/>understood.<orig>/</orig> And the little Blue-
               <lb break="no"/>Bird song has quite a perfect
               <lb/>form, I think, <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> also much grace 
               <lb/><choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> charm. But there is a strange
               <lb/>character in the Hopi music
               <lb/>that has always held for me 
               <lb/>a peculiar charm. It has been 
               <lb/>a great pleasure to me to 
               <lb/>have the privilege of writing
               
               </p></div>
4Facsimile
4Diplomatic transcription
4XML

these off for you. If you will permit
me I will mail some more to
you.

I shall see you only from a
respectful distance this evening,
and so I send herewith my best
wishes for a pleasent trip, and
the greetings of the whole Curtis
household who hope to see you
here, once, on your return.

May I thank you very
heartily for so kindly sending
me your Fugue which I shall
prize very highly, as a gift, and which
[left border, lengthwise:]
as a study will be always of
increasing interest. With deep ap-
preciation, Sincerly yours

 
                                                                
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
               
               these off for you. If you will permit
               <lb/>me I will mail some more to 
               <lb/>you.</p>
            
            <p>I shall see you only from a
               <lb/>respectful distance this evening,
               <lb/>and so I send herewith my best
               <lb/>wishes for a pleasent trip, and
               <lb/>the greetings of <rs>the whole Curtis
                  <lb/>household</rs> who hope to see you
               <lb/>here, once, on your return.</p>
            
            <p>May I thank you very 
               <lb/>heartily for so kindly sending 
               <lb/>me your Fugue which I shall
               <lb/>prize very highly, as a gift, and which
               
               <cb type="margin-left"/>
               
               as a study will be always of
               <lb/>increasing interest. With deep ap
               <lb break="no"/>preciation, <seg type="closer" subtype="salute">Sincerly yours</seg></p>
            
            <closer>
               <signed rend="align(right)"><persName key="E0300818">Natalie Curtis</persName></signed>
            </closer>
         </div>

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Provenance
Deutschland | Berlin | Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin · Preußischer Kulturbesitz | Musikabteilung mit Mendelssohn-Archiv | Nachlass Ferruccio Busoni | Mus.Nachl. F. Busoni B II, 1349 | olim: Mus.ep. N. Curtis 2 |

proof Kalliope

Condition
Der Brief ist gut erhalten.
Extent
1 Bogen, 4 beschriebene Seiten
Collation
Seitenfolge: 1, 3, 2, 4 (2, 4 im Querformat)
Hands/Stamps
  • Hand des Absenders Natalie Curtis, Brieftext in schwarzer Tinte, in lateinischer Schreibschrift
  • Hand des Archivars, der mit Bleistift die Signaturen eingetragen und eine Foliierung vorgenommen hat
  • Hand des Archivars, der die Zuordnung innerhalb des Busoni-Nachlasses mit Rotstift vorgenommen hat
  • Bibliotheksstempel (rote Tinte)
Image source
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin · Preußischer Kulturbesitz: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4

Incipit
“I am sending you a few Indian songs”

Editors in charge
Christian Schaper Ullrich Scheideler
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in collaboration with
Revision
May 23, 2023: unfinished (currently being prepared (transcription, coding))
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