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March 19th
1911
My dear Mr Busoni,
your letter
Ein entsprechender Brief ist im Busoni-Nachlass nicht überliefert.
interested
me deeply – more than this
it was to me a positive joy,
for I have felt, as you have felt,
that all that has been
done so far in the “develop-
ment” of Indian themes
has had in it much of
untruth, both artistically
and spiritually. Nothing
has flowered from a root;
nothing has unfolded from
within outward. I speak
|
March 19th
1911
My dear Mr Busoni,
your letter
Ein entsprechender Brief ist im Busoni-Nachlass nicht überliefert.
interested
me deeply – more than this
it was to me a positive joy,
for I have felt, as you have felt,
that all that has been
done so far in the “development” of Indian themes
has had in it much of
untruth, both artistically
and spiritually. Nothing
has flowered from a root;
nothing has unfolded from
within outward. I speak
of course, only of these
compositions that I know –
there may be good things
that I have not heard, but
all that I have met with
has been not at all “from
the New World”
Vgl. Antonín Dvořáks gleichnamige Symphonie e-Moll “Aus der Neuen Welt”.
but
rather a distorted reflex
of the Old. How glad
I should be if my small
researches could be of
any service to you!
For your letter touches
the very heart of the
matter. Yet I have
thought: must not
the artist see the country,
the life of the American
continent in its deepest and broadest
sense – must he not come in touch
with what America really is and
from what conditions American life
has sprung, must he not receive
the inspiration of America’s vast
forests, prairies, mountains and
deserts, its prehistoric
past, its untouched wilderness –
before he can express anything
that can really be American? –
In time, such expression must
spring naturally and involuntarily,
I should think, from the land
itself. Yet we who were born here
were Europeans a
generation or so ago (to the aborigenes
we are as much – nay, more truly –
foreigners as are the so-called
European “foreigners” to us). But
what I mean is this: that few of the
European-born musicians who visit us
see anything of American life other
than the life of our cities, which
is, for the most part, moulded on a
European model. How often I have
wished that they might see these
oldest cities in America, the
“pueblos” or towns of the gentle
agricultural Indian peoples of New Mexico
and Arizona – towns of unknown antiquity and of marvellous
interest and charm. There
they stand, with all
their wealth of picturesque
suggestion, – but only a
few government officials
and a few American tourists
and missionaries ever visit
them. Of course the towns
are inaccessible and
the discomforts in some
cases are great; but
if you return to us another
year, let us arrange
for you a tour to include
New Mexico if this year’s
tour has not already
done so! If you make
your “personal observations
among the tribes” – I wish I
might be there to help,
wherever my small experience
could be useful! But
theses are only impossible
wishes.
From what you said
last spring of your impressions on travelling
across this continent I
am sure that your keen
sense of truth and your
really rare power of
true discernment
would enable you to penetrate, and deeply feel
and clearly understand
these phases of American
life which might form the stimulens
of an art-work broadly expressive
of this continent. The great
artist does not have to live
through things – he has the spiriteye, the inner vision that reveals
truth in a momentary glance.
Yet it is hard to imagine some
experiences, and it is a wonderful
experience to live once in the world
of Yesterday, in the unbroken
stillness of a wilderness untouched
as yet by civilization, with only
the people of an earlier age
for companion.
And this is the heritage (broadly speaking)
of all Americans since the landing of
the first European vessel. I would not
exchange my share of these impressions for anything else that life
could offer me, so do I treasure
those nights under the stars, those
pristine dawns, those long days
so close to untamed, unharnassed
Nature! And yet how “tame”, how flat and
colorless is our poor attempt
at art!
I was much interested
in what you said in regard to a
dramatic plot. Shall I see
you on your return? I hope
so. I have long felt that some
great artist
must focus the gropings
toward self-expression of
this land. And Dvořák
could not. But your
letter is like your book
– a few words disclosing
a view from the mountain-top! – which reminds
me to tell you that your
great little book has
made many friends –; also,
Schirmer has filled one
show-window with innumerable copies – a Busoni
window! –
I look forward
to hearing you on April
5th and to perhaps
an hour of talk? – Of “plot”
and many other things; and
perhaps you will let me
show you some of my
Indian relics –
With many
greetings and with
high esteem
I am always your
sincere friend
Natalie Curtis
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<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split">
<opener>
<address rend="right">
<addrLine><placeName key="E0500978">33 West 69</placeName></addrLine>
<addrLine><placeName key="E0500031">New York City</placeName>.</addrLine>
</address>
<dateline rend="right"><date when-iso="1911-03-19">March 19<seg rend="sup underline">th</seg>
<lb/><seg rend="underline">1911</seg></date></dateline>
<salute rend="indent">My dear <persName key="E0300017">Mr Busoni</persName>,</salute>
</opener>
<p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">your letter
<note type="commentary" resp="#E0300314">Ein entsprechender Brief ist im <persName key="E0300017">Busoni</persName>-Nachlass nicht überliefert.</note>
interested
<lb/>me deeply – more than this
<lb/>it was to me a positive joy,
<lb/>for I have <add place="above">felt,</add> as you have felt,
<lb/>that all that has been
<lb/>done so far in the <soCalled rend="dq-uu">develop
<lb break="no"/>ment</soCalled> of Indian themes
<lb/>has had in it much of
<lb/>untruth, both artistically
<lb/>and spiritually. Nothing
<lb/>has flowered from a root;
<lb/>nothing has unfolded from
<lb/>within outward. I speak
</p></div>
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of course, only of these
compositions that I know –
there may be good things
that I have not heard, but
all that I have met with
has been not at all “from
the New World”
Vgl. Antonín Dvořáks gleichnamige Symphonie e-Moll „Aus der Neuen Welt“.
but
rather a distorted reflex
of the Old. How glad
I should be if my small
researches could be of
any service to you!
For your letter touches
the very heart of the
matter. Yet I have
thought: must not
the artist see the country,
the life of the American
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p type="split" rend="indent-2-first">
of course, only of these
<lb/>compositions that I know –
<lb/>there may be good things
<lb/>that I have not heard, but
<lb/>all that I have met with
<lb/>has been not at all <soCalled rend="dq-uu">from
<lb/><rs key="E0500942">the New World</rs></soCalled>
<note type="commentary" resp="#E0300314">Vgl. <persName key="E0300459">Antonín Dvořáks</persName> gleichnamige <title key="E0400684">Symphonie e-Moll <soCalled>Aus der Neuen Welt</soCalled></title>.</note>
but
<lb/>rather a distorted reflex
<lb/>of <rs key="E0500943">the Old</rs>. How glad
<lb/>I should be if my small
<lb/>researches could be of
<lb/>any service to you!
<lb/>For your letter touches
<lb/>the very heart of the
<lb/>matter. Yet I have
<lb/>thought: must not
<lb/>the artist see the country,
<lb/>the life of <placeName type="pre-split" key="E0500942">the American
</placeName></p></div>
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continent in its deepest and broadest
sense – must he not come in touch
with what America really is and
from what conditions American life
has sprung, must he not recieve
the inspiration of America’s vast
forests, prairies, mountains &
deserts, its prehistoric wildern
past, its untouched wilderness –
before he can express anything
that can really be American? –
In time, such expression must
spring naturally & involuntarily,
I should think, from the land
itself. Yet we who are born were born here
were Europeans a
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split"><placeName key="E0500942" type="split">
continent</placeName> in its deepest and broadest
<lb/>sense – must he not come in touch
<lb/>with what <placeName key="E0500942">America</placeName> really is and
<lb/>from what conditions <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName> life
<lb/>has sprung, must he not rec<choice><sic>ie</sic><corr>ei</corr></choice>ve
<lb/>the inspiration of <placeName key="E0500942">America’s</placeName> vast
<lb/>forests, prairies, mountains <choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice>
<lb/>deserts, its prehistoric <del rend="strikethrough">wildern</del>
<lb/>past, its untouched wilderness –
<lb/>before he can express anything
<lb/>that can really be <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName>? –
<lb/>In time, such expression must
<lb/>spring naturally <choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> involuntarily,
<lb/>I should think, from the land
<lb/>itself. Yet we who <del rend="strikethrough">are born</del> were born here
<lb/><seg rend="align(right)">were <placeName key="E0500943">Europeans</placeName> a</seg>
</p></div>
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generation or so ago, – (to the aborigenes
we are as much – nay, more truly –
foreigners than as are the so-called
European “foreigners” to us). But
what I mean is this: that few of the
European-born musicians who visit us
see anything of American life other
than the life of our cities, which
is, for the most part moulded on a
European model. How often I have
wished that they might see these
oldest cities in America, the
“pueblos” or towns of the gentle
agricultural Indian peoples of New Mexico
& Arizona – towns of unknown an-
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
generation or so ago<orig>, –</orig> (to the aborigenes
<lb/>we are as much – nay, more truly –
<lb/><hi rend="underline">foreigners</hi> <del rend="strikethrough">than</del> as are the so-called
<lb/><placeName key="E0500943">European</placeName> <soCalled rend="dq-uu">foreigners</soCalled> to us). But
<lb/>what I mean is this: that few of the
<lb/><placeName key="E0500943">European</placeName>-born musicians who visit us
<lb/>see anything of <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName> life other
<lb/>than the life of our <hi rend="underline">cities</hi>, which
<lb/>is, for the most part<reg>,</reg> moulded on a
<lb/><placeName key="E0500943">European</placeName> model. How often I have
<lb/>wished that they might see these
<lb/>oldest cities in <placeName key="E0500942">America</placeName>, the
<lb/><soCalled rend="dq-uu">pueblos</soCalled> or towns of the gentle
<lb/>agricultural <add place="above">Indian</add> peoples of <placeName key="E0500919">New Mexico</placeName>
<lb/><choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> <placeName key="E0501021">Arizona</placeName> – towns of unknown an
</p></div>
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tiquity and of marvellous
interest and charm. There
they stand, with all
their wealth of picturesque
suggestion, – but only a
few government officials
& a few American tourists
& missionaries ever visit
them. Of course the towns
are inaccessible and
the discomforts in some
cases are great; but
if you return to us another
year, let us arrange
for you a tour to include
New Mexico if this year’s
tour has not already
done so! If you make
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
tiquity and of marvellous
<lb/>interest and charm. There
<lb/>they stand, with all
<lb/>their wealth of picturesque
<lb/>suggestion, – but only a
<lb/>few government officials
<lb/><choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> a few <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName> tourists
<lb/><choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> missionaries ever visit
<lb/>them. Of course the towns
<lb/>are inaccessible and
<lb/>the discomforts in some
<lb/>cases are great; but
<lb/>if you return to us another
<lb/>year, let us arrange
<lb/>for you a tour to include
<lb/><placeName key="E0500919">New Mexico</placeName> if this year’s
<lb/>tour has not already
<lb/><seg rend="indent">done so! If you make</seg>
</p></div>
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your “personal observations
among the tribes” – I wish I
might be there to help,
wherever my small experience
could be useful! But
theses are only impossible
wishes.
From what you said
last Spring of your im-
pressions on travelling
across this continent I
am sure that your keen
sense of truth and your
really rare power of
true discernment
would enable you to pen-
etrate, & deeply feel
& clearly understand
these phases of American
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
your <q rend="dq-uu">personal observations
<lb/>among the tribes</q> – I wish I
<lb/>might be there to help,
<lb/>wherever my small experience
<lb/>could be useful! But
<lb/>theses are only impossible
<lb/>wishes.</p>
<p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">From what you said
<lb/>last <choice><orig>S</orig><reg>s</reg></choice>pring of your im
<lb break="no"/>pressions on travelling
<lb/>across this continent I
<lb/>am sure that your keen
<lb/>sense of truth and your
<lb/>really rare power of
<lb/>true discernment
<lb/>would enable you to pen
<lb break="no"/>etrate, <choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> deeply feel
<lb/><choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> clearly understand
<lb/>these phases of <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName>
</p></div>
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life which might form the stimulens
of an art-work broadly expressive
of this continent. The great
artist does not have to live
through things – he has the spirit-
eye, the inner vision that reveals
truth in a momentary glance.
Yet it is hard to imagine some
experiences, and it is a wonderful
experience to live once in the world
of Yesterday, in the unbroken
stillness of a wilderness untouched
as yet by civilization, with only
the people of an earlier age
for companion.
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
life which might form the stimulens
<lb/>of an art-work broadly expressive
<lb/>of <rs key="E0500942">this continent</rs>. The great
<lb/>artist does not have to <hi rend="underline">live</hi>
<lb/><hi rend="underline">through</hi> things – he has the spirit
<lb break="no"/>eye, the inner vision that reveals
<lb/>truth in a momentary glance.
<lb/>Yet it is hard to imagine some
<lb/>experiences, and it is a wonderful
<lb/>experience to live once in the world
<lb/>of Yesterday, in the unbroken
<lb/>stillness of a wilderness untouched
<lb/>as yet by civilization, with only
<lb/>the people of an earlier age
<lb/><seg rend="align(right)">for companion.</seg></p>
</div>
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And this is the heritage (broadly speaking)
of all Americans since the landing of
the first European vessel. I would not
exchange my share of these impres-
sions for anything else that life
could offer me, so do I treasure
those nights under the stars, those
pristine dawns, those long days
so close to untamed, unharnassed
Nature! And yet how “tame”, how flat &
colorless is our poor attempt
at art!
I was much interested
in what you said in regard to a
dramatic plot. Shall I see
you on your return? I hope
so. I have long felt that some
great artist
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split">
<p>And this is the heritage (broadly speaking)
<lb/>of all <placeName key="E0500942">Americans</placeName> since the landing of
<lb/>the first <placeName key="E0500943">European</placeName> vessel. I would not
<lb/>exchange my share of these impres
<lb break="no"/>sions for anything else that life
<lb/>could offer me, so do I treasure
<lb/>those nights under the stars, those
<lb/>pristine dawns, those long days
<lb/>so close to untamed, unharnassed
<lb/>Nature! <add place="margin-left" rend="rotate(90) align(center) small" resp="#major_hand">And yet how <soCalled rend="dq-uu">tame</soCalled>, how flat <choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice>
<lb/>colorless is our poor attempt
<lb/>at art!</add></p>
<p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">I was much interested
<lb/>in what you said in regard to a
<lb/>dramatic plot. Shall I see
<lb/>you on your return? I hope
<lb/>so. I have long felt that some
<lb/><seg rend="align(right)">great artist</seg>
</p></div>
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must focus the gropings
toward self-expression in of
this land. And Dvorak
could not. But your
letter is like your book
– a few words disclosing
a view from the mountain-
top! – which reminds
me to tell you that your
great little book has
made many friends –; also,
Schirmer has filled one
show-window with innumer-
-able copies – a Busoni
window! –
I look forward
to hearing you on April
5th and to perhaps
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
must focus the gropings
<lb/>toward self-expression <del rend="strikethrough">in</del> of
<lb/><rs key="E0500093">this land</rs>. And <persName key="E0300459">Dvo<choice><orig>ra</orig><reg>řá</reg></choice>k</persName>
<lb/>could not. But your
<lb/>letter is like <rs key="E0400043">your book</rs>
<lb/>– a few words disclosing
<lb/>a view from the mountain-
<lb break="no"/>top! – which reminds
<lb/>me to tell you that <rs key="E0400043">your
<lb/>great little book</rs> has
<lb/>made many friends –; also,
<lb/><orgName key="E0600129">Schirmer</orgName> has filled one
<lb/>show-window with innumer
<lb break="no" rend="after:-"/>able copies – a <persName key="E0300017">Busoni</persName>
<lb/>window! –</p>
<p type="pre-split" rend="indent-2-first">I look forward
<lb/>to hearing you on <date when-iso="1911-04-05">April
<lb/>5<seg rend="sup underline">th</seg></date> and to perhaps
</p></div>
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an hour of talk? – Of “plot”
and many other things; &
perhaps you will let me
show you some of my
Indian relics –
With many
greetings and with
high esteem
I am always your
sincere friend
Natalie Curtis
|
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><p rend="indent-2-first" type="split">
an hour of talk? – Of <q rend="dq-uu">plot</q>
<lb/>and many other things; <choice><abbr>&</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice>
<lb/>perhaps you will let me
<lb/>show you some of my
<lb/>Indian relics –</p>
<closer>
<salute rend="indent-2-first">With many
<lb/>greetings and with
<lb/>high esteem</salute>
<salute rend="indent-first">I am always your
<lb/>sincere friend</salute>
<signed rend="align(right)"><persName key="E0300818">Natalie Curtis</persName></signed>
</closer>
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