Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/perform.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/2002604961
Collection material in English, Russian, and French
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.
Gift; Olga Koussevitzky; 1960.
Bequest; Olga Koussevitzky; 1978.
Gift of four scrapbooks; Boston Symphony Orchestra; 2017.
The materials had been maintained at one time by Mrs. Koussevitzky in the Koussevitzky's home in Lenox, Massachusetts, and in an apartment in New York.
No further accruals are expected.
Processed by Kate Rivers, Kevin LaVine, Loras Schissel, Wayne Shirley, and others, in 1998. The finding aid was originally created using Word Perfect 5.1 software. In 2002, Michael A. Ferrando coded and edited the finding aid for EAD format. Nancy Seeger processed additional materials and updated the finding aid from 2013 to 2016.
Audiovisual materials have been transferred to the Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Some of the audiovisual materials have been cataloged separately and are identified as part of the Serge Koussevitzky Collection (MAVIS collection no. 3173).
Special Collections in the Music Department of the Boston Public Library include the Serge Koussevitzky Collection, which contains scores, scrapbooks and photographs. The Boston Symphony Orchestra Archive contains materials relating to Serge Koussevitzky and his tenure at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Koussevitzky Music Foundation Web site contains a complete list of commissions.
The following Library of Congress collections contain materials relating to Serge Koussevitzky, including correspondence, writings, photographs, and biographical information: the Aaron Copland Collection , Leonard Bernstein Collection , Nicolas Slonimsky Collection , Vernon Duke Collection , Nikolai Lopatnikoff Collection , Oliver Daniel Papers , Louise Talma Papers , Irving Fine Collection , Andre Kostelanetz Collection , Sergei Rachmaninoff Archive , George and Ira Gershwin Collection , Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation Collection , Boris Koutzen Collection , Daniel Chester French Papers , Archibald MacLeish Papers , Artur Rodzinski Collection , and the Mildred Spiegel Zucker Collection of Leonard Bernstein Correspondence and Related Materials .
The materials of the Serge Koussevitzky Archive are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.
The Serge Koussevitzky Archive 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.
Restrictions apply concerning the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult a reference librarian in the Performing Arts Reading Room for information concerning these restrictions.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Serge Koussevitzky Archive, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
In an attempt to clarify the complex relationships between the Ushkoff, Naumoff and Koussevitzky families, the names of family members -- as many as could be discovered in the available family correspondence -- have been arranged in a vertical tabular format, as follows. This format was favored over the more traditional horizontal "family tree" format due to its superior legibility in view of the complexity of this genealogy.
An attempt had been made to include as much information about each family member as is available: marriage dates (a "=" indicates a marriage; in the case of multiple marriages, names of spouses are preceded by a number between parentheses, indicating the order in which these marriages took place); birth and death dates (indicated by "*" and "†" respectively); and distant or uncertain family relationships (a "+" precedes the name of the family member).
In order to more readily identify various family members (many of whom possess the same name), each person appearing in this genealogy has been assigned an identification number, appearing between square brackets ("[ ]"), and preceding the person's name. Family members have been further subdivided into arbitrarily named "generations," roughly grouping family members contemporary with each other. Available information is included here about family members belonging to "Generation 1" (the earliest members who can be identified) through "Generation 7" (the most recent members). Due to the complexity and sheer number of family members in the Ushkoff and Naumoff families, their genealogical record appears first; that of the Koussevitzky family follows. In the case of the latter, family identification numbers pick up, within each generation, where those of the Ushkoff/Naumoff families have left off. Also, as the earliest available genealogical information regarding the Koussevitzky family dates from the generation immediately preceding that to which Serge Koussevitzky belonged (that is, to the roughly contemporary "Generation 3" of the Ushkoff family), the Koussevitzky family records appearing in this section begin with the "Generation 3" designation. According to this numbering system, Serge Koussevitzky is listed as "[14]" when he first appears in this genealogy as the husband of Natalie Ushkoff Koussevitzky ("[13]"); then also as "[69]" when appearing again in the Koussevitzky family list. Olga Naumoff Koussevitzky is listed as "[30]" in the Ushkoff/Naumoff Family list.
All names of family members are transliterated exactly from the Cyrillic, using (modified) Library of Congress transliteration standards; therefore the anglicized (or gallicized) "Ushkoff," "Na[o]umoff," and "Koussevitzky" become, respectively, "Ushkov," "Naumov," and "Kusevitskii" to accurately reflect their Russian spelling. Similarly, "Serge," "Natalie," and "Olga" become "Sergei," "Nataliia," and "Ol'ga," respectively. All Russian patronymics ("middle names," based on the name of a person's father) have been retained, as have traditional feminine forms of the family name (i.e., "Ushkova," "Kusevitzkaia").
Finally, this genealogy was based on the work of musicologist Victor Yuzefovich, who participated in the processing and identification of much of the material contained in the Koussevitzky Archive, and without whose assistance this record could not have been created.
Kevin LaVine, June 1998
The Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) Archive, which documents the life and career of the Russian-born conductor, composer, and double bassist, spans the years 1880 to 1978, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1924 to 1951. Koussevitzky was an innovator and visionary in his roles as a composer, music director, music publisher, recording artist, champion of contemporary music, and supporter of musicians’ rights.
The archive ranges from Koussevitzky's years in his native Russia, where he began his conducting career and in 1909 established his publishing firm (known in the West as Édition Russe de Musique), past his death in 1951 when his widow Olga took over the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, and up to her death in 1978. Koussevitzky held the post of music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1951, which is the date range in which most of the materials fall. Through his work as a conductor and publisher, and his efforts to commission new musical works, Serge Koussevitzky maintained deep ties with many of the finest composers and musicians of the day. These figures are represented in their personal and professional affiliations with the conductor. Koussevitzky was a visionary who realized his dream of creating a music academy by establishing the Berkshire Music Center (now Tanglewood Music Center) in 1940, in Lenox, Massachusetts. A summer school maintained by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Berkshire Music Center since its beginning has nurtured young composers, musicians, and conductors, such as Leonard Bernstein, Eleazar de Carvalho, and Lukas Foss. Its early teaching faculty included some of the most important musical figures of the day, including Aaron Copland, Paul Hindemith, Olin Downes, Gregor Piatigorsky, Robert Shaw, and Herbert Graf. Koussevitzy ensured that his legacy of promoting new music and cultivating new musical talent would continue through his foundations, which offer commissions and aid in the development of musical artistry through various activities. In addition to serving as a record of Koussevitzky's life and career, and documenting some of the most significant aspects of twentieth-century music, the archive extensively chronicles periods in the history of organizations such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berkshire Music Center, the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, and the American International Music Fund. The archive is organized in eleven series: Correspondence, Writings, Personal Files, Visual Materials, Business and Organizational Files, Subject Files, Clippings, Scrapbooks, Programs, Awards and Honors, and Realia.
The
The
The bulk of the writings about Serge Koussevitzky are dated from the 1920s to the 1940s. They include articles and essays from popular magazines and scholarly journals, newspaper reviews and editorials, scripts, tributes, and poetry written in honor of Koussevitzky. Among the biographical materials are items relating to three biographies: typewritten drafts for Diana Cavallo’s
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The Serge Koussevitzky Archive is organized in eleven series:
The correspondence series is divided into ten subseries. Items from a particular person or organization may be filed in more than one series, or subseries, throughout the collection. It will be necessary to review materials in all sections to locate each piece of correspondence pertaining to a given person. The order preserves many parts of a system put in place by Olga Koussevitzky, who maintained paperwork and files for Serge Koussevitzky before and after their marriage.
Alternate or transliterated names or search terms are indicated between brackets following the name of the entry. Additional clarifying information is indicated between parentheses following the name of the entry.
Arranged in ten subseries, roughly ranging from the most significant in "General Correspondence" to the least detailed in "Greeting, Calling, and Business Cards." Correspondence may be arranged alphabetically or chronologically therein.
This material incorporates the portion of the collection which for many years was the only "processed" section of the Koussevitzky Archive; names of correspondents represented were noted in Music Division index files, and the material was made available to researchers. This group of correspondence is now greatly expanded, however. Items found here reflect the many important connections between the Koussevitzkys and leading musical and artistic figures of the first half of this century; also included is correspondence from prominent Boston-based patrons and close friends. In addition, this subseries includes correspondence to and from various organizations and companies.
Names which appear in the General Correspondence subseries also may appear elsewhere in the collection. Letters in this subseries are often more personal or lengthy than those located in other sections of the collection. Each correspondent represented here is listed individually in the guide to this material.
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Correspondence lacking complete or identifiable signatures. Includes correspondence in Roman or Cyrillic alphabets, and correspondence containing first names only. The correspondent's name might be illegible, or missing completely.
A mixture of various types of correspondence, including solicitations from charitable organizations, routine invitations to events, and letters from musical organizations.
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Letters to Koussevitzky from servicemen around the world, and responses from Koussevitzky. Includes greeting cards, illustrations, and postcards.
Primarily unsolicited letters from performers wishing to arrange auditions or concert appearances with Koussevitzky.
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
The first folder (106/1) contains information about family names, and explains the connections between different branches of the families of Serge Koussevitzky, Natalie Koussevitzky (neé Oushkoff) and Olga Koussevitzky (neé Naoumoff). Sections of this subseries include: letters between Serge, Natalie, and Olga Koussevitzky; correspondence written by relatives of Serge Koussevitzky; correspondence written by members of the Naoumoff family; and correspondence written by members of the Oushkoff family.
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent within each subseries.
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Folders:
Fan mail and appreciative letters from the public. These letters are largely from concertgoers and others who heard Koussevitzky perform, and who wish to express their gratitude for the conductor's service to music.
Arranged chronologically.
Letters that make requests of Serge Koussevitzky. Categories include: requests that he program certain pieces on his concert series; requests that he appear in concert, often for charitable causes; or requests that he lend financial or other support to various organizations.
Arranged chronologically.
Professional and personal invitations sent to Serge, Natalie or Olga Koussevitzky. Items include invitations to various musical and cultural events, charity functions, weddings, private parties and other social occasions.
Professional and personal cards sent or presented to Serge, Natalie, or Olga Koussevitzky. Most items are signed, and some may contain brief messages. In addition to birthday, Christmas, holiday and religious greeting cards, these materials include telegrams, calling cards, business cards, birthday letters from friends, family and fans, and congratulatory, condolence and announcement cards. Miscellaneous items include handwritten lists of individuals who sent or received cards, several copies of the Koussevitzkys' business and calling cards, and a copper plate used to engrave Olga Koussevitzky's calling card (as Olga Naoumoff).
Arranged in two subseries: Writings by Serge Koussevitzky and Writings about Serge Koussevitzky. Arranged alphabetically therein.
Published and unpublished writings chiefly in English or Russian. Addresses and talks given at various events and functions; essays and articles written for both popular magazines and scholarly journals; comments, statements and editorials on political topics of the day, as well as on music and cultural subjects; tributes; interviews; typed or handwritten drafts and notes; galley proofs; book outlines; and scripts from broadcasts. Items may be accompanied by various documents, including clippings, correspondence, programs, and notes.
Arranged alphabetically by title, subject, journal title, venue or event.
Published and unpublished writings chiefly in English or Russian. Articles, essays and news items written for newspapers, popular magazines and scholarly journals; biographical materials; addresses; reviews; tributes; editorials; typed or handwritten drafts; scripts from broadcasts; poetry and lyrics written in honor of Koussevitzky; articles from programs; clippings; and reprints. Includes some materials written by Olga Koussevitzky. Items may be accompanied by various documents, including clippings, correspondence, programs, and notes.
Arranged alphabetically by title, author, journal or magazine title, or subject.
Personal documents and other materials pertaining to the private lives of Serge, Natalie, and Olga Koussevitzky. Includes identity documents, such as naturalization papers and passports; marriage certificates; wills and estate documents; and obituaries and biographical narratives. Their financial and legal papers include bank statements, bills and receipts, tax and insurance documents, legal correspondence and records. There is also material relating to their various homes, including Seranak; and documents relating to Serge Koussevitzky's honorary degrees, tributes and awards. Contains address books and datebooks, clippings, and correspondence. The first subseries relates to Serge, Natalie, and Olga; and the second subseries relates to Olga and the Naumov and Ushkov families. The latter subseries includes Olga’s memoirs, her father’s memoirs, writings by her mother, family documents, materials relating to her caricatures, and Olga's awards and honors, and speeches and writings.
Arranged in two subseries: Serge, Natalie, and Olga Koussevitzky; and Olga Koussevitzky and Family. Arranged alphabetically therein by subject or type of document.
Chiefly formal and informal photographs of Serge, Olga, and Natalie Koussevitzky, and their family, relatives, friends and notable colleagues. The photographic materials also include slides, contact sheets, and negatives. The artwork includes Olga Koussevitzky's caricatures, drawings and sketches of Serge and Olga Koussevitzky, and photographs of paintings, drawings, and sculptures of Koussevitzky. Other materials include Tanglewood posters and architectural designs, and drawings and designs for the Koussevitzkys' property at Charpignat-Lac du Bourget, in France.
Arranged in four subseries: Photographs, Slides, and Negatives; Artwork; Posters; and Architectural and Landscape Designs.
Formal portraits and informal snapshots of Serge, Olga, and Natalie Koussevitzky, alone and with family, relatives, friends and colleagues. Includes photographs of Koussevitzky with the double bass, conducting orchestras, and in formal portraits with Boston Symphony Orchestra. Also includes photographs of Berkshire Music Center grounds, buildings and staff, and Koussevitzky homes.
Drawings, sketches, and caricatures of Serge, Olga and Natalie Koussevitzky; photographs of paintings, sculptures, and drawings; Olga's caricatures.
Includes posters from 1909-1910 announcing concerts in the "Serge Koussevitzky Concerts" series, Russian posters from 1942-1943 announcing various concert events, and advertising posters for various events at Tanglewood and the Berkshire Music Center.
Arranged chronologically.
Designs relating to the Berkshire Music Center and Tanglewood, Seranak, the Koussevitzkys' house and property at Charpignat-Lac du Bourget in France, and the property in Phoenix, Arizona that the Koussevitzkys planned to develop. In addition, there are designs for a monument in memory of Serge Koussevitzky, at Lenox, Mass. Many items are oversized.
Arranged chronologically.
The American International Music Fund, established in 1956, is an affiliate organization of the International Music Fund and dedicated to stimulating and promoting the appreciation of contemporary music through live performance, recording and broadcasting. This subseries documents its founding, management, and activities, and includes correspondence; promotional and publicity materials, such as press releases, brochures, and flyers; handwritten notes; drafts of various documents; clippings and articles; legal and financial documents; publications, including newsletters; writings; studies and reports; programs; and interview transcripts. It also contains significant materials relating to two AIMF initiatives, the Recording Guarantee Project, which tapes performances of contemporary and commercially unrecorded works; and the Koussevitzky International Recording Award, which is an annual award given to a composer of a symphonic work first released on commercial recording during the year. Both initiatives involve disseminating recordings to educational centers and broadcasting stations.
Arranged alphabetically by type of materials or initiative.
Materials relating to the creation, management and activities of the Berkshire Music Festival and Berkshire Music Center. Includes speeches and addresses, clippings, correspondence, donor materials, financial and legal materials, memorandums, meeting minutes, draft and final festival programs, promotional materials, reports, and faculty and student materials, including programs, rosters, instructions, and schedules.
Arranged chronologically and alphabetically by type of materials therein.
Materials relating to the management and activities of the Boston Symphony Orchestra spanning the 1881-1977 seasons. Includes speeches, addresses and statements; clippings; correspondence; concert schedules; materials relating to repertoire, scores, and works performed by the BSO; contracts and agreements; draft and final programs; promotional materials; materials relating to radio broadcasts; reviews; itineraries; and materials relating to recordings. Materials which span several seasons appear together after the chronologically arranged materials. These items include documents relating to the unionization of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and to repertoire, programming, scores, and recordings.
Arranged chronologically by season and alphabetically by type of materials therein.
The International Music Fund was created in 1948 by Koussevitzky to further the cause of contemporary music and to help and encourage living composers. It went dormant after his death, but was revived in 1953 by the International Music Council. It aids composers by the performance, publication, recording, and broadcasting of their works, and provides scholarships to music students of various countries. This subseries contains papers relating to its creation, management, and activities. It includes drafts, financial and budget documents, correspondence, brochures, articles, speeches, clippings, reports, programs, press releases and other promotional materials.
The Koussevitzky Music Foundation (KMF) was created by Serge Koussevitzky in May 1942, in memory of his wife Natalie, for the purpose of stimulating the growth of musical culture by commissioning new works and supporting the development of musical talent through varied activities. It should be made clear that the papers contained in this subseries are not those of the corporate entity, rather they belonged to Olga Koussevitzky in her role as president of the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. They span from the creation of the foundation to Olga's death in 1978. The papers are divided into five subseries. The Administrative Materials subseries contains papers relating to the creation of the foundation, its daily operation, and administration of its goals and objectives. Materials by and about composers who received commissions or who were being considered for them are found in the Composers/Artists subseries which also contains items relating to a few other individuals in the performing arts fields. The Subject Files subseries includes materials related to organizations, individuals, and topics that were associated with the foundation. The Financial Papers subseries contains KMF financial and legal materials. The Miscellaneous Correspondence subseries contains inquiries mostly from organizations regarding the foundation. The Scrapbooks contain clippings, programs and promotional materials documenting the activities of the KMF.
Arranged in six subseries: Administrative Materials, Composers/Artists, Subject Files, Financial Papers, Miscellaneous Correspondence, and Scrapbooks.
Documents related to the creation, management and activities of the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. Materials include correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, memoranda, press releases and other promotional materials, lists of composers under consideration, lists of compositions and recordings, financial information, address books and cards, calendars, drafts, proposals, and notes. The documents relating to the creation of the KMF include such items as by-laws, statements of purpose, formal agreements, descriptive narratives, and correspondence regarding the initial meetings to discuss the formation of the foundation. Also of interest are materials relating to the catalogs of commissioned works; critiques of works by Koussevitzky and others; and documents relating to the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress.
Arranged primarily in chronological order. At the end of the chronological run there are several categories of materials that are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Materials by and about commissioned composers. This subseries also pertains to non-commissioned composers, and other artists. Includes applications, correspondence, scores, brochures, flyers, programs, clippings, promotional materials, telegrams, letters of recommendation, and biographical and professional information.
Arranged alphabetically by last name.
Materials related to organizations, individuals, and topics that were associated with or were of interest to the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. Includes correspondence, brochures, catalogs, promotional materials, requests, and clippings. Of particular note are documents relating to various KMF anniversaries, Aaron Copland 70th birthday celebration materials, and inquiries about commissions.
Arranged alphabetically by organization or personal name, topic, or material type.
Correspondence, cancelled checks, bank ledgers, account passbooks, statements, receipts, legal correspondence, tax documents, and check registers. There are also drafts of contracts and contractural agreements between the foundation and organizations and individuals. This subseries also includes bills and documents relating to the Koussevitzkys' personal lives, such as Seranak expenses. There are several folders of financial materials, mostly bills, from 1942, when KMF sponsored the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood during the suspension of concerts because of the war.
Arranged chronologically.
Primarily correspondence from organizations and some individuals inquiring about the activities of the KMF and the awarding of commissions. Includes applications to the foundation and responses. It also includes brochures, promotional and publicity materials, applications and responses from KMF.
Arranged alphabetically.
Scrapbooks containing clippings, reviews, programs, and publicity materials documenting the activities of the Koussevitzky Music Foundation.
Contains correspondence to and from chiefly music publishers. Some correspondence may be accompanied by promotional materials, invoices, score lists, clippings, catalogs, and brochures.
Arranged alphabetically and chronologically therein.
Materials relating to people, organizations and topics of interest to the Koussevitzkys. Includes items from cultural, social, and political organizations, and causes supported by the Koussevitzkys; charitable interests; European, South American, Israel, and Cuban tours; Serge Koussevitzy as a composer for and performer of the double bass; conducting requests; RCA Victor recordings; and the Moses Smith lawsuit. Contains correspondence, clippings, promotional materials, programs, membership materials, narratives, statements and speeches, financial and business papers, scripts, and miscellaneous materials.
Arranged alphabetically by topic or type of document.
Newspaper and magazine clippings from American and international publications documenting Koussevitzky's life and career. A significant number relate to the Berkshire Music Center and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Additional clippings can be found throughout the entire Koussevitzky collection, particularly in the Business and Organizational Files and the Scrapbooks series.
Arranged chronologically.
These contain mostly clippings from American and international newspapers chronicling news, reviews and activities of Koussevitzy and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. May also include clippings about topical subjects, programs, publicity materials, notes, and miscellaneous writings. Of particular interest is a scrapbook devoted to Koussevitzky's double bass recitals; and a scrapbook from the 1940s containing programs, advertising broadsides, and clippings relating to Russian music organizations and concerts.
Arranged chronologically.
Various national and international programs. Contains some Boston Symphony Orchestra programs. The first subseries contains programs from performances that feature Koussevitzky as performer, conductor, composer, or producer. The second subseries contains programs that the Koussevitzkys collected over the years.
Arranged in two subseries: Koussevitzky Programs and Programs Collected by the Koussevitzkys; and chronologically therein.