Scope and Content Note
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 Correspondence series, one of the largest in the archive, and the first to be processed, contains both professional and personal correspondence between the Koussevitzkys and their colleagues, family, friends, and the public. Correspondents include most of the leading musical and artistic figures of the first half of the twentieth-century reflecting Koussevitzky’s stature and influence in the field. Correspondence is found throughout the archive, often accompanying other types of materials, so it will be necessary to consult the entire archive, particularly the Business and Organizational Files series, to ensure the most comprehensive search results. The Correspondence series is divided into ten subseries. Items found in the General subseries reflect the many important connections between the Koussevitzkys and leading musical and artistic figures of the first half of the twentieth-century. Correspondents inlcude Leonard Bernstein, who was in the first conducting class of the Berkshire Music Center; Aaron Copland, who taught at the Berkshire Music Center, and was instrumental in creating and shaping it; Berkshire Music Center instructors Paul Hindemith, Bohuslav Martinů, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Robert Shaw; and musical luminaries such as Prokofiev, Sibelius, Shostakovich, Roy Harris, Stravinsky, and Debussy, to name just a few. Correspondence from the administrative staffs of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berkshire Music Center are found here, including Boston Symphony Orchestra presidents Ernest Dane and Henry Cabot, Koussevitzky’s longtime executive secretary and close personal friend Margaret Grant, and his editor and publisher Gabriel Paitchadze. General Correspondence also includes correspondence to and from prominent Boston-based patrons and close friends, as well as various organizations and companies. The remaining subseries include family correspondence between Serge, Natalie (Koussevitzky’s first wife and Olga’s aunt), and Olga Koussevitzky; requests from artists wishing to work with him; greeting cards from servicemen to Koussevitzky; routine solicitations; professional and personal invitations to various events; appreciations and fan mail; requests for his time or financial support; greeting, calling and business cards; and correspondence from unidentified individuals.
The Writings series is subdivided into two subseries: By Serge Koussevitzky and About Serge Koussevitzky. The writings by Koussevitzky include a wide array of documents, from addresses, articles, and essays, to brief comments or statements on musical topics, or political issues of particular importance to him, such as Russian relief and support of Israel. Koussevitzky’s perspectives on conducting are delineated in several essays, such as the “Art of Conducting” and “Music and Conducting.” He wrote several pieces about the role of music in society, on the importance of supporting young musicians and composers, and advocating for contemporary music. Koussevitzky’s speech from 1938 describing his vision for creating a music center for training young musicians and composers is included here as well. His editorial entitled “A wrong to be repaired” (also known as “Justice to Composers”) offers his vision of creating a composers’ fund. His sensitivity to the plight of the Russian people throughout various difficult times in their history is reflected in several writings on American-Soviet friendship and cultural exchange, Russian heroism, the support of Russian students and composers, and Russian relief during the Second World War.
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 Triple Memoir: A Documentary Memoir of Three 20th Century Lives, Koussevitzkys and Naumoffs, 1968-1973, and for Hugo Leichtentritt’s Serge Koussevitzky, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New American Music, and drafts and notes in Russian for Arthur Lourié’s Sergei Koussevitzky and His Epoch, a Biographical Chronicle. Many of the writings in this subseries relate to various aspects of Koussevitzky’s musicianship and his importance in the field, such as his role as mentor, his qualities as a conductor, and his approach to music. There are remembrances by BSO musicians, tributes by Copland, Foss and Virgil Thomson, newspaper accounts of his first concert with the BSO, and reviews and critiques of his double bass concerts. In addition, this subseries includes poems to and about Koussevitzky, and even his servant’s remembrances.
The Personal Files series relates to the private lives of Serge, his first wife Natalie and his widow Olga Koussevitzky. It contains materials related to their deaths, including obituaries, tribute statements, and condolence letters. Identity documents for all three individuals are present, including naturalization papers and passports. Wills, estate documents, and marriage certificates are included, as well as a significant amount of personal financial, tax, and legal documents. Materials that relate to Olga and her family, such as her memoirs and diaries, correspondence, and her writings (much of it about her husband) can be found here. Documents relating to Olga’s caricatures of world-famous musicians (housed in the Visual Materials series) include correspondence, programs, clippings and articles. In addition, there are memoirs belonging to Olga’s father Aleksandr Naumov, who was a government minister and state council member in Tsarist Russia, which are accompanied by annotations and notes.
The Visual Materials series spans 1888 to 1973, with the bulk of the materials covering Koussevitzky’s life in the United States, from 1924 to 1951. It is divided into four subseries: Photographs, Slides and Negatives; Artwork; Posters; and Architectural and Landscape Designs. The Photographs, Slides and Negatives subseries contains primarily photographs (including contact sheets), both formal and informal, of Serge, Olga and to a lesser extent, Natalie Koussevitzky. There are a few of Serge dating from earlier years, including one from his teenage years. The formal portraits of Serge come in various sizes and include shots of Koussevitzky with the double bass and posing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. There are many shots of Koussevitzky conducting the BSO and other orchestras. Informal snapshots feature birthday parties at the Berkshire Music Center, trips with Olga to such places as Brazil and Israel, or Koussevitzky with various friends and colleagues at different events. Of particular interest are a series of outdoor informal shots taken around 1930 of Koussevitzky with Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Gabriel Paitchadze, Gregor Piatigorsky, Natalie Koussevitzky and Olga Naumov, among others, possibly on vacation together. The early days of the Berkshire Music Center and Berkshire Symphonic Festival are well-documented with photographs from the 1930s of buildings and the grounds. It also includes photographs of students and faculty with Koussevitzky, including the first class from 1940, and the Koussevitzky’s home, Seranak. The Artwork subseries includes Olga Koussevitzky's caricatures of famous musical figures, including herself and Koussevitzky; drawings, sketches, and cartoons of Serge and Olga; and photographs of paintings, drawings, and sculptures of Koussevitzky. Of particular interest in the Posters subseries are posters from 1909-1910 announcing concerts in the “Serge Koussevitzky Concerts” series, and Russian posters from 1942-1943 announcing various concert events. The Architectural and Landscape Designs subseries contains designs relating to the Berkshire Music Center and Tanglewood, including blueprints of Tanglewood Pavilion, and of the Berkshire Music Center small studios created by Eliel and Eero Saarinen. In addition, there are designs for the Koussevitzkys’ properties in Phoenix, Arizona, and in France. Designs for a monument in memory of Serge Koussevitzky, at Lenox, Massachusetts, is also included.
The Business and Organizational Files series is the largest series in the archive and spans the years 1881 to 1978. This series contains papers relating to the creation, management, and activities of the following entities: the American International Music Fund, Berkshire Music Center, International Music Fund, and the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. In addition, it contains papers relating to the management and activities of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, primarily during Koussevitzky’s tenure as music director, and correspondence to and from major music publishers. The American International Music Fund is an affiliate organization of the International Music Fund. The materials include documents relating to the founding of the fund and its day-to-day management, such as incorporation papers and by-laws, board agendas, membership lists, program suggestions, and materials relating to international composition contests. There are items related to benefits and receptions held in support of the fund, clippings, financial documents, promotional and publicity materials, and extensive correspondence with individuals, including major composers and musicians, orchestras, foundations, music publishers, and other music organizations. Of particular interest are materials related to the Koussevitzky International Recording Award and the Recording Guarantee Project.
Berkshire Music Center materials date from 1936 when the Boston Symphony Orchestra made its first appearances at the Berkshire Symphonic Festival, in western Massachusetts. Correspondence from the early days document such events as the donation of Tanglewood to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the negotiations for construction of a new venue (the Shed). Koussevitzky’s addresses and statements spelling out his vision for creating a “musical academy” at Tanglewood are here, accompanied by planning documents, correspondence, promotional materials and clippings. Most of the materials from 1940 relate to the inaugural season of the Berkshire Music Center, and include planning documents, student materials, reports, and meeting notes. Documents from 1941 and 1942 relate to the management of the school, selection of students, faculty decisions, creation of donor lists, building specifications, and many other issues. When the Berkshire Music Festival was suspended in 1942 because of the war, the Koussevitzky Music Foundation assumed administrative and financial responsibilities for the school. Materials are scarce from 1943 to 1945, but become more voluminous for the 1943 to 1950 seasons. Most seasons contain the following types of materials: clippings; correspondence with students, faculty, board members, donors, artists, staff, and the public; reports; promotional materials; student rosters, programs, and schedules; score and repertoire lists; addresses by Koussevitzky; and faculty rosters. Highlights from the 1946 season include correspondence relating to the premiere of Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten.
Boston Symphony Orchestra materials span the years 1881 to 1977, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1924 to 1949, during Koussevitzky’s time as music director. Under Koussevitzky, the Boston Symphony Orchestra became a world-class orchestra, acclaimed for its sound as well as for linking its classical repertoire with contemporary European and American music. Each symphony season, particularly during Koussevitzky’s tenure, is well-documented by such materials as concert schedules; clippings; promotional items; programs; and score and repertoire lists. There is extensive correspondence with a wide array of individuals and organizations, including Boston Symphony Orchestra administrators and trustees, musicians and composers, leading national and international figures from the music world, and journalists and writers. The correspondence illustrates the myriad artistic judgments and management decisions involved in running an orchestra. Koussevitzky’s contracts can be found here, as well as correspondence from 1941 to 1944 related to the unionization of the BSO, which was the last major American orchestra to do so. The Boston Symphony was celebrated for its recordings, and under Koussevitzky the orchestra made its first electrical recordings, for Victor, in the late 1920s. These materials include documents relating to recording sessions, shedding light on repertoire decisions, recording contracts, and production values. There are also numerous repertoire lists charting various categories of works, including works performed for the first time in the United States or works performed for first time in the world, under the direction of Koussevitzky; and American composers performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The International Music Fund was created in 1948 by Koussevitzky to further the cause of contemporary music and to help and encourage living composers. These papers document the creation, management and activities of the fund. International Music Fund activities that support its mission include performing, publishing, recording and broadcasting composers’ works; and providing scholarships to music students from various countries. Materials in the subseries include financial and budget documents, correspondence, promotional materials, articles and speeches, clippings, reports, programs.
The Koussevitzky Music Foundation 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. These materials date from the creation of the foundation to Olga Koussevitzky's death in 1978. The foundation, which is still operating today, has supported the creation of many major musical works, including Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Britten’s Peter Grimes, Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Stravinsky’s Ode for Orchestra, to name just a few. 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. These materials also include papers relating to the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress, a permanent endowment which was established by the KMF in 1950. The papers of the foundation document the history and management of the organization, and its activities in carrying out its mission, including by-laws, formal agreements, correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, memos and press releases, lists of composers and works under consideration, and materials related to the catalogs of commissioned works. There is extensive material related to composers who received or were being considered for commissions, and other individuals from the world of music and culture. Some of these files are accompanied by critiques by Koussevitzky and others. In addition, there are documents relating to organizations, individuals and topics associated with the KMF, and various KMF anniversaries, Aaron Copland’s 70th birthday celebration, and inquiries about commissions. It also includes legal, tax and financial materials, including drafts of contracts between the foundation and organizations and individuals, and miscellaneous inquiries from individuals, including the public, regarding commissions and the activities of the foundation.
The Publishers subseries spans the years from 1920 to 1977 and contains correspondence to and from chiefly music publishers. It includes correspondence from such publishers as Boosey and Hawkes, G. Ricordi & Co., and G. Schirmer, Inc. Some items may be accompanied by promotional materials, invoices, score lists, clippings, catalogs, and brochures.
The Subject Files series contains materials on a wide range of topics that don’t fall easily into the other series and that document the Koussevitzky’s interests in various issues and organizations. It includes files on the Amati double bass, Koussevitzky’s compositions for the instrument, and his double bass concerts from 1908 to 1929. The Koussevitzkys’ charitable interests are well-represented here, with extensive files from the CARE organization, and different organizations relating to aid to Russia and support of Israel. Their dedication to causes and issues during World War Two are documented in materials on Russian war relief, the Nazi persecution of artists, support of President Roosevelt’s election, and benefit concerts. There are extensive files documenting Koussevitzky’s recording career with RCA Victor, as well as documents relating to his concert tours in Israel and Cuba. Koussevitzky’s involvement in events and funds in support of such composers as Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, and Schubert are included in this series. Correspondence and other materials relating to his lawsuit against author Moses Smith are present here as well.
The Clippings series contains newspaper and magazine clippings containing articles and reviews 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. The Scrapbooks (spanning 1921-1945) contain mostly clippings from American and international newspapers chronicling news, reviews and activities of Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 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. The Programs series is divided into two subseries: programs from performances that feature Koussevitzky as performer, conductor, composer, or producer, including some from his earlier career in Russia; and programs that the Koussevitzkys collected over the years. The Awards and Honors series contains honors and certificates awarded to Koussevitzky and the Realia series includes inscribed books.