Collection Summary
Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford
1953-1973
1969-1973
1953-1973
1969-1973
ML31.D328
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975
Shackelford, Rudy, 1944-
20 items
1 container
0.25 linear feet
Italian
English
Collection material in Italian and English.
Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Luigi Dallapiccola was an Italian composer
known for his use of serial techniques. His works ranged from large dramatic forms, such
as his ballet Marsia and his opera Ulisse, to chamber works, including Liriche
Greche, his first completely dodecaphonic composition. Rudy Shackelford is an
American composer, organist, and writer. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he began
corresponding with Dallapiccola regarding the transcription of the latter's Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera for organ. The collection
contains letters related to this activity, as well as an annotated score of the work
itself.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Rudy Shackelford, 1988.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
Music Division staff processed the Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy
Shackelford prior to 2012. Emily Baumgart and Alicia Patterson coded the finding aid in
August 2021.
Related Material
Several collections in the Music Division contain music and correspondence by Luigi
Dallapiccola, most notably the [Margaret ("Peggie") Dwight
Collection on Luigi Dallapiccola], the [Harold Spivacke
Collection], and the [Nicolas Slonimsky
Collection].
Copyright Status
Materials from the Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford are governed
by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable
international copyright laws.
Access and Restrictions
The Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford is open to research.
Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to
determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions on using or copying materials may apply.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
[item, date, container], Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford, Music
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Notes
Luigi Dallapiccola
Luigi Dallapiccola was born in Pisino d'Istria, now part of Croatia, on February 3,
1904. Territorial disputes over the area and his family's Italian nationalist ties
resulted in the family's internment at Graz. They returned to Pisino after World War
I when the region was transferred to Italy. In Graz, Dallapiccola was influenced by
operatic works, particularly those by Mozart and Wagner; later in the 1910s, he was
also influenced by the music of Debussy as well as early Italian composers. He began
studying at the Florence Conservatory in 1922, piano with Ernesto Consolo and
composition with Roberto Casiraghi and Vito Frazzi. He joined the faculty of the
Conservatory in 1931 and remained there until his retirement in 1967. By the early
1930s, he had become familiar with the serial music of Arnold Schoenberg, Anton
Webern, and Alban Berg, and began experimenting with 12-tone techniques in his
Cori di Michelangelo
(1933-1936) and
Tre Laudi
(1936-1937), focusing on using serial techniques to create melodic lines.
His last work in diatonic style, the ballet
Marsia
, and his first fully serialist composition,
Liriche Greche
, were both composed in 1942. Many of his works focus on protests against
fascism, including the one-act opera
Il Prigioniero
(1944-1948) and the cantata
Canti di Liberazione
(1951-1955). After World War II, Dallapiccola's music gained more widespread
recognition, leading to international success and teaching appointments at
Tanglewood. His last largescale work, the opera
Ulisse
, was completed in 1968. He died in Florence on February 19, 1975.
Rudy Shackelford
Rudy Shackelford was born in Newport News, Virginia, on April 18, 1944. He studied at
Virginia Commonwealth University and received his MM and DMA degrees in composition
from the University of Illinois, studying under Gordon Binkerd. He received several
fellowships in composition from the MacDowell Colony during the 1970s and began
corresponding with Dallapiccola in 1969 regarding his organ transcription project of
Dallapiccola's
Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera
. He also edited the first English-language collection of essays by
Dallapiccola,
Dallapiccola on Opera
, and has written multiple scholarly articles as well as poetry.
Scope and Content Note
The Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford chiefly consists of
typescript letters, written from 1969 to 1973, pertaining to Shackelford's plans to
transcribe Dallapiccola's
Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera
for organ. An annotated copy of the work is included in the collection. The
composers also discuss some of Dallapiccola's other compositions and his professional
travels during this time period. Included on some letters are musical excerpts in
Dallapiccola's hand. The letters are in English and Italian, and a set of translations is available.
Organization of the Luigi Dallapiccola Correspondence with Rudy Shackelford
The collection is arranged in two series:
-
[Correspondence,
1969-1973](corr)
-
[Music, 1953](mus)
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975--Correspondence.
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975.
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975.
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975. Quaderno musicale di Annalibera.
Dallapiccola, Luigi, 1904-1975. Quaderno musicale di Annalibera.
Shackelford, Rudy, 1944-
Shackelford, Rudy, 1944- --Correspondence.
Subjects
Arrangement (Music)
Composers--Italy--Correspondence.
Piano music.
Twelve-tone system.
Titles
Dallapiccola / Shackelford correspondence
Form/Genre
Art music.
Autographs (Manuscripts)
Personal correspondence.
Scores.
Container List
1
Correspondence, 1969-1973
1969-1973
Letters between Luigi Dallapiccola and Rudy Shackelford, primarily pertaining to
Shackelford's organ transcription project. Some of these include musical excerpts
and annotations. All items in Folder 1 are typescript letters, signed.
Arranged chronologically.
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1969 July
9
1969
July 9
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1969 September
14
1969
September 14
Note: Includes notated music in
Dallapiccola's hand
1/1
Shackelford, Rudy to Luigi
Dallapiccola, 1969 October
8
1969
October 8
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1969 October
13
1969
October 13
1/1
Shackelford, Rudy to Luigi
Dallapiccola, 1969 December
30
1969
December 30
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 January
24
1970
January 24
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 March
11
1970
March 11
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 May
7
1970
May 7
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 June
7
1970
June 7
Note: Includes corrected tone rows in
Dallapiccola's hand
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 July
1
1970
July 1
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 August
18
1970
August 18
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 October
26
1970
October 26
Note: Includes musical notation of tone row
in Dallapiccola's hand
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 November
16
1970
November 16
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1970 December
10
1970
December 10
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1971 January
12
1971
January 12
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1971 March
29
1971
March 29
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1971 September
5
1971
September 5
1/1
Dallapiccola, Luigi to Rudy
Shackelford, 1973 September
8
1973
September 8
1/2
English translations of letters
from Dallapiccola to Shackelford, 1969-1973
1969-1973
1
Music, 1953
1953
Score for Dallapiccola's Quaderno Musicale di
Annalibera.
1/3
Quaderno
Musicale di Annalibera,
1953
1953
Photocopied score for piano, with annotations in Dallapiccola's
hand
Note: Annotations pertain mostly to row
iterations. Originally included with letter from Dallapiccola to Shackelford,
1970 June 7