Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Creator: | Krasner, Louis, 1903-1995. |
Title: | Louis Krasner Papers |
Inclusive Dates: | 1949-1988 |
Bulk Dates: | 1971-1973 |
Quantity: | 2.25 linear ft. |
Abstract: | Correspondence, notes, clippings, and other material relating to musician, composer, WCNY radio host, and Syracuse University music professor Louis Krasner |
Language: | Majority in English, scattered items in French and German. |
Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Louis Krasner (1903-1995) was a renowned Ukrainian-born American classical violinist. He is perhaps best known for commissioning and premiering Alban Berg's famous violin concerto. He studied at the New England Conservatory and performed as a virtuoso recitalist in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1944 Krasner was named concertmaster of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, a post he left in1949 to join the faculty of Syracuse University where he taught violin and chamber music until 1972. He was an active contributor to local radio station WCNY, hosting a program entitled "What's With Music," and also taught at the New England Conservatory and at Tanglewood.
The Louis Krasner Papers consists of correspondence, memorabilia, notes, clippings and other material. The majority dates from the period shortly after Krasner's retirement from Syracuse University while he was working at local radio station WCNY as host of the show "What's With Music."
Correspondence contains incoming and outgoing. Incoming includes letters to WCNY about their programming, particularly Krasner's show.
Memorabilia contains biographical material and clippings and press releases about Krasner. It also includes two photographic albums signed and inscribed by Krasner to a Mrs. Howe.
Scores contains a number of pieces of music, none written by Krasner. Composers represented include Robert Erickson, Earl George, Alexandru Hrisanide, Richard Swift and William Valente, among others.
Subject files consists of material on a variety of topics. Subjects include musicians and music in modern society; various competitions such as the Leventritt Competition and the NPR-sponsored choral competition "Let the People Sing"; proposals by Krasner shortly after his retirement; programs, clippings and Krasner's own notes for several seasons of the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, several of whose concerts were broadcast on WCNY; Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigreti, who died in 1973 and whose work was featured in six one-hour programs on WCNY; What's With Music, a program hosted by Krasner on WCNY; and of course several folders of material relating to WCNY and Krasner's work with them in general.
A small amount of Miscellany completes the collection. There is a set of index cards of unknown purpose (perhaps Krasner's own inventory of his papers?), and three spiral notebooks filled with Krasner's notes on music, music programs, and so on.
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
See also the Louis Krasner Collection of Bookplates and Ephemera. For recordings of Krasner's performances please search the Classic Catalog or contact the repository listed above for a complete listing. The Syracuse University Archives is the repository of material related to Krasner's teaching activities in the School of Music.
Other Louis Krasner papers are held by Harvard University and the New England Conservatory.
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Louis Krasner Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Gift of Louis Krasner.
Created by: MRC
Date: 1 Nov 2011
Revision history: 7 Nov 2011 - updated related material (MRC);
21 Jul 2021 - added albums (RMH)
Correspondence | |||||||||||
Box 1 | Incoming 1957-1958, 1972-1973 - includes letters to WCNY concerning Krasner's program | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Outgoing 1971-1973 |
Memorabilia | |||||||||||
Albums - engravings or etchings; both signed and inscribed by Krasner to a Mrs. Howe | |||||||||||
Box 3 | Berlin 1922 | ||||||||||
Box 3 | Berlin-Potsdam 1923 | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Biographical sketches | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Clippings about 1949-1950, 1963, 1967-1971, 1977 | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Press releases 1971-1973 | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Programs 1948, 1973, 1984 - 2 for concerts, 1 for a conference at which Krasner participated in a panel discussion |
Scores | |||||||||||
Manuscripts | |||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Erickson, Robert: String quartet undated - several parts, also photocopy of full score | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Erickson, Robert: Quartet for strings 1956 | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | George, Earl: Genevieve (…Another Fourth of July) undated - an opera in two scenes | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Harris, Donald: Fantasy for violin and piano 1957 | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | Hrisanide, Alexandru: Musik für mehrere violinen undated - French, English and German | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | Hrisanide, Alexandru: Concerto per clavicembalo e orchestra 1973 - German | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | Hrisanide, Alexandru: Soliloquium x 11 1971 | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | Huggler, John: Music in two parts for large orchestra (Op. 64) 1964-1965 - "for Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra" | ||||||||||
Oversize 2 | Maneri, Joseph: Piano concerto undated | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Swift, Richard: Concerto for piano and chamber ensemble II 1980 | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Swift, Richard: Great praises for soprano and piano 1977 - poems by Richard Eberhart | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Swift, Richard: In the country of the blue (Trio II) 1988 | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Swift, Richard: In this corner wearing trunks 1957-1958 - poem by Helen Rowland | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Swift, Richard: The valleys are asleep 1972 | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Valente, William: Shakespeare songs 1986 - includes invitation to concert and program | ||||||||||
Published | |||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Nowak, Lionel: Sonata for solo violin 1952 | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Pinkham, Daniel: Easter cantata 1963 - signed and inscribed by Pinkham to Erich Leinsdorf | ||||||||||
Oversize 1 | Pinkham, Daniel: Concertante 1963 - signed and inscribed by Pinkham to Erich Leinsdorf |
Subject files | |||||||||||
Box 1 | Let the People Sing competition 1972-1973 - NPR-sponsored choral competition | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Leventritt competition 1973 | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Music Before 1600 1972 - WCNY program | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Music / musicians 1971-1973, undated - clippings relating to musicians, music education, music in general (2 folders) | ||||||||||
Box 1 | New Music and the Listener - includes "statement" on new music by Krasner | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Programs 1973-1974 - miscellaneous performances | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Proposals 1973 - proposals by Krasner for various projects | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Speculum Musicae 1971-1973 - clippings, programs, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music 1971-1975, undated - programs, clippings, Krasner's notes (2 folders) | ||||||||||
Szigreti, Joseph | |||||||||||
Box 1 | The Art of Joseph Szigreti 1973 - as presented on WCNY; clippings, notes, correspondence, etc. | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Interview transcript - interviewer, date and venue unknown | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Tribute to Szigeti, by Krasner 1973 | ||||||||||
Box 1 | Miscellaneous 1973 - clippings, copies of correspondence from Szigeti, Krasner's notes, etc. | ||||||||||
WCNY | |||||||||||
Box 2 | Press releases 1973, undated | ||||||||||
See also Memorabilia : Press releases above, for WCNY press releases related to Krasner personally. | |||||||||||
Box 2 | Publications 1972-1975 - Preview magazine | ||||||||||
Box 2 | Workshop proposal 1973 - for summer workshop on media and music | ||||||||||
Box 2 | Miscellaneous 1971-1973 - memos, roughs of program lineups, Krasner's notes, etc. | ||||||||||
What's With Music? - WCNY program hosted by Krasner | |||||||||||
Box 2 | General 1971-1974, undated - Krasner's notes for each program, sometimes biographical info about guests; Sep 1972 includes Krasner's mention of the Israeli Olympic athletes killed in Munich (2 folders) | ||||||||||
Box 2 | Schedules undated |
Miscellaneous | |||||||||||
Box 2 | Index cards - unknown purpose, perhaps Krasner's inventory of his papers? | ||||||||||
Box 2 | Notebooks - three spiral notebooks filled with Krasner's notes (2 folders) |