The Kurt Schindler’s writings on Spanish Music: a new source for musical heritage in Manhattan

Abstract

In 2003 I founded in the old secretary archive of the Hispanic Institute, in the basement of the building, forty-six photocopies’ pages with the handwriting of the German composer Kurt Schindler (1882-1935). These pages were distributed in two groups, the first one of thirty-nine pages and the second one of only six pages. The topic was Spanish music, which was divided in six big groups. After reading them carefully, I realized that these pages were the draft copy of the introductions to a series of six concerts on Spanish music that Schindler gave in the Hispanic Institute, founded in 1916 by the Spanish Professor Federico de Onís (1885-1966) in The University of Columbia. I presume that those concerts were part of the Musical Evenings, which activities took part on Wednesdays weekly. With these talks Schindler wanted to give a general idea on Spanish popular music as well as the new compositions than Basque and Catalan composers were writing taking an inspiration on popular songs. Also, Schindler explained to the audience’s contemporary Spanish piano music, showing his taste and knowledge as pianist of this repertoire.