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  4. Monday, August 16, 1915

Natalie Curtis to Ferruccio Busoni arrow_backarrow_forward

August 16, 1915

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Mus.ep. N. Curtis 19 (Busoni-Nachl. B II)
Mus.Nachl. F. Busoni B II, 1366

I have been poring anew over your
Bach Inventions, and am waiting
impatiently for the appearance of
the Well-Tempered
Clavichord!

August 16.
1915.

Dear Master;

we are still
talking about the pleasure
of having had you, your
dear wife & “Rayfeel”
with us for a few hours,
and your visit will be
long remembered.

I am sending
you today from Harper
& Bros. two little
volumes of my Uncle’s
lighter writings – one
the well-known “Prue[1]

August 16. 1915.

Dear Master;

we are still talking about the pleasure of having had you, your dear wife and “Rayfeel” with us for a few hours, and your visit will be long remembered.

I am sending you today from Harper & Bros. two little volumes of my uncle’s lighter writings – one the well-known “Prue and I”, a picture of old New York, and the other some letters from Brook Farm, – an American experiment in communism which was to exemplify Emerson’s teaching: “Plain living and high thinking.” To this little rural colony belonged the intellects of the New England of these days, with Emerson nearby in Concord, as guide philosopher and friend. My two uncles, George and James Burrill Curtis, although very young men, were of that brilliant company, and the letters are the youthful descriptions of that period of my Uncle George’s life. His main work was, however, devoted to political and social reform and it was as statesman and reformer that he is perhaps best remembered, as he used his pen largely in that field. I asked Harpers to send you also a list of William Dean Howells’ novels.

Mother is sending you at the same time a little description of Western life by my brother, who writes under the pseudonym “Gregory Marwood”. Das Pseudonym von George DeClyver Curtis lautet korrekt: “Gregory Marword”. The book describes life on a cattle-ranch in Arizona; – the juxtaposition of scholar and cowboy being somewhat novel, the little volume has a certain charm of its own, I think. It was written a few years ago, before my brother took up his own land-claim in Southern California; therefore it does not describe his present surroundings but those of some years ago when he was in charge of 1000 head of cattle belonging to another man. His utterly primitive mode of existence and the wild expanse of untamed nature seen through the eyes of a highly cultured man, constituting the unique interest of the book.

With affectionate greetings to you all, –

N. C.

I have been poring anew over your Bach Inventions, and am waiting impatiently for the appearance of the Well-Tempered Clavichord!

 
                                                                
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               <p rend="top-left rotate(-90) small">I have been poring anew over <rs key="E0400660">your
                  <lb/><persName key="E0300012">Bach</persName> <title key="E0400659">Inventions</title></rs>, and am waiting
                  <lb/>impatiently for the appearance of
                  <lb/><seg rend="align(right)"><title key="E0400438">the Well-Tempered
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                  <dateline rend="align(right)"><date when-iso="1915-08-16">August 16.
                     <lb/>1915</date>.</dateline>
                  
                  <salute rend="indent space-above">Dear <rs key="E0300017">Master</rs>;</salute>
               </opener>
               
               <p rend="indent-3-first">we are still
                  <lb/>talking about the pleasure
                  <lb/>of having had you, <rs key="E0300059">your
                     <lb/>dear wife</rs> <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> <persName key="E0300153"><soCalled rend="dq-uu">Rayfeel</soCalled></persName>
                  <lb/>with us for a few hours,
                  <lb/>and your visit will be
                  <lb/>long remembered.</p>
               
               <p type="pre-split" rend="indent-3-first">I am sending
                  <lb/>you today from <orgName key="E0600240">Harper
                     <lb/>&amp; Bros.</orgName> two little
                  <lb/>volumes of <rs key="E0300962">my <choice><orig>U</orig><reg>u</reg></choice>ncle’s</rs>
                  <lb/>lighter writings – one
                  <lb/>the well-known <title type="pre-split" rend="dq-uu" key="E0400685">Prue
                     
                     <note type="foliation" place="bottom-right" resp="#archive">[1]</note>
                     
                     </title></p></div></div>
2Facsimile
2Diplomatic transcription
2XML

and I”, a picture of old
New York, and the other
some letters from Brook
Farm, – an American
experiment in communism
which was to exemplify
Emerson’s teaching: “Plain
living & high thinking.”
To this little rural
colony belonged the intel-
lects of the New England
of these days, with
Emerson nearby in Concord,
as guide philosopher
& friend. My two
uncles, George & James 

                                                                
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><div type="split" xml:id="letter_body"><p type="split" rend="indent-3-first"><title rend="dq-uu" key="E0400685" type="split">
                     
                     and I</title>, a picture of old
                  <lb/><placeName key="E0500031">New York</placeName>, and the other
                  <lb/>some letters from <orgName key="E0600241">Brook
                     <lb/>Farm</orgName>, – an <placeName key="E0500942">American</placeName>
                  <lb/>experiment in communism
                  <lb/>which was to exemplify
                  <lb/><persName key="E0300963">Emerson’s</persName> teaching: <q rend="dq-uu" source="#E0300963">Plain
                     <lb/>living <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> high thinking.</q>
                  <lb/>To this little rural
                  <lb/>colony belonged the intel
                  <lb break="no"/>lects of the <placeName key="E0501025">New England</placeName>
                  <lb/>of these days, with
                  <lb/><persName key="E0300963">Emerson</persName> nearby in <placeName key="E0501024">Concord</placeName>,
                  <lb/>as guide philosopher
                  <lb/><choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> friend. My two
                  <lb/>uncles, <rs type="pre-split" key="E0300962 E0300964">George <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> James
                     
                     </rs></p></div></div>
3Facsimile
3Diplomatic transcription
3XML

[2] Burrill Curtis, although very
young men, were of that brilliant
company, & the letters are the
youthful descriptions of that
period of my Uncle George’s
life. His main work was, however,
devoted to political & social
reform & it was as statesman
& reformer that he was is perhaps
best remembered, as he used his
pen largely in that field. I
asked Harpers to send you also
a list of William Dean
Howells’ novels.

Mother is sending you at
the same time a little description
of Western life by my brother, who
writes under the pseudonym
“Gregory Marwood.” Das Pseudonym von George DeClyver Curtis lautet korrekt: „Gregory Marword“. The book
describes life on a cattle-ranch
in Arizona; – the juxtaposition
of scholar & cowboy being some-
what novel, the book little volume
has a certain charm of its own,
I think. It was written a few
years ago, before my brother took
up his own land-claim in Southern
California; therefore it does not
describe his present surroundings
but those of some years ago
[left border, lengthwise:]
when he was in charge of 1000 head of
cattle belonging to another man. His utterly primitive
mode of existence & the wild expanse of untamed nature seen
through the eyes of a highly cultured man, constituting the unique inter-
est of the book. With affectionate greet-
ings to you all, – N. C.

 
                                                                
<div xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" type="split"><div type="split" xml:id="letter_body"><p type="split" rend="indent-3-first"><rs key="E0300962 E0300964" type="split">
                     
                     <note type="foliation" place="margin-right" resp="#archive" rend="rotate(-90)">[2]</note>
                     
                     Burrill Curtis</rs>, although very
                  <lb/>young men, were of that brilliant
                  <lb/>company, <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> the letters are the
                  <lb/>youthful descriptions of that
                  <lb/>period of <rs key="E0300962">my Uncle George’s</rs>
                  <lb/>life. His main work was, however,
                  <lb/>devoted to political <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> social
                  <lb/>reform <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> it was as statesman
                  <lb/><choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> reformer that he <del rend="strikethrough">was</del> is perhaps
                  <lb/>best remembered, as he used his
                  <lb/>pen largely in that field. I
                  <lb/>asked <orgName key="E0600240">Harpers</orgName> to send you also
                  <lb/>a list of <persName key="E0300965">William Dean
                     <lb/>Howells’</persName> novels.</p>
               
               <p rend="indent-3-first space-above"><rs key="E0300846">Mother</rs> is sending you at
                  <lb/>the same time a little description
                  <lb/>of Western life by <rs key="E0300966">my brother</rs>, who
                  <lb/>writes under the pseudonym
                  <lb/><soCalled rend="dq-uu">Gregory Marwood<orig>.</orig></soCalled><reg>.</reg>
                  
                  <note type="commentary" resp="#E0300314">Das Pseudonym von <persName key="E0300966">George DeClyver Curtis</persName> lautet korrekt: <soCalled>Gregory Marword</soCalled>.</note>
                  
                  <rs key="E0400686">The book</rs>
                  <lb/>describes life on a cattle-ranch
                  <lb/>in <placeName key="E0501021">Arizona</placeName>; – the juxtaposition
                  <lb/>of scholar <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> cowboy being some
                  <lb break="no"/>what novel, <rs key="E0400686">the <del rend="strikethrough">book</del> little volume</rs>
                  <lb/>has a certain charm of its own,
                  <lb/>I think. It was written a few
                  <lb/>years ago, before <rs key="E0300966">my brother</rs> took
                  <lb/>up his own land-claim in Southern
                  <lb/><placeName key="E0500343">California</placeName>; therefore it does <hi rend="underline">not</hi>
                  <lb/>describe his <hi rend="underline">present</hi> surroundings
                  <lb/><seg rend="indent-2">but those of some years ago</seg>
                  <cb type="margin-left"/>
                  <seg rend="tiny align(right)">when he was in charge of 1000 head of
                     <lb/>cattle belonging to another man. His utterly primitive
                     <lb/>mode of existence <choice><abbr>&amp;</abbr><expan>and</expan></choice> the wild expanse of untamed nature seen
                     <lb/>through the eyes of a highly cultured man, constituting the unique inter
                     <lb break="no"/>est of <rs key="E0400686">the book</rs>. <seg type="closer" subtype="salute">With affectionate greet
                        <lb break="no"/>ings to you all, – </seg><seg type="closer" subtype="signed"><persName key="E0300818">N. C.</persName></seg></seg></p>
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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, 1366 | olim: Mus.ep. N. Curtis 19 |

proof Kalliope

Condition
Der Brief ist gut erhalten.
Extent
1 Bogen, 4 beschriebene Seiten
Collation
Seitenfolge: 1, 4, 2+3 zusammenhängend 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, eine Foliierung vorgenommen und das Briefdatum ergänzt 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

Editors in charge
Christian Schaper Ullrich Scheideler
prepared by
Revision
October 31, 2023: unfinished (currently being prepared (transcription, coding))
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