Brief von Natalie Curtis an Ferruccio Busoni ([New York], 2. März 1911)
author: Natalie Curtis
source date: 1911-03-02
edition published: 2023-04
language: en
availability: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

[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 Generalprobe. I wish you [2] 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 BlueBird 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

Natalie Curtis