ELISABETH SCHUMANN

1888-1952

Noted German-born American soprano

 

 Archive of correspondence, photographs, programs, books, &c.

from the collection of her pupil

Elizabeth Killiam,

together with materials pertaining to

Elizabeth Killiam’s own career

 

The collection is interesting for its insight into the life and career of a prominent opera singer as well as the window it provides into the world of music in the pre-Second World War period particularlly in Germany, Austria and Italy. 

 

 

Trained in Berlin and Dresden, Elisabeth Schumann made her stage debut in Hamburg in 1909, singing the role of the Shepherd in Wagner’s Tannhäuser. She remained in Hamburg for seven years, adding many of the roles which were to make her famous, including Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Eva in Die Meistersinger and especially Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier. She was a member of both the Vienna and Covent Garden Opera companies and a fixture at the Salzburg Festival, singing until 1937. With the threat of war hanging in the air, Schumann left Europe and came to America, where she was a welcome addition to the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Elisabeth Schumann’s many recitals of German lieder in this country won her a vast public, and her silvery voice, lovely stage personality and infectious charm placed her in that rare category of artists that are not only admired, but loved.”

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Schumann-Elisabeth.htm

 

Elisabeth Schumann excelled in opera and operetta, oratoroi and lieder, leaving a rich legacy of recordings. She was a much beloved artist, admired by her public for her vivacity, elegance and beauty. Closely connected with Richard Strauss, Otto Klemperer, Lotte Lehman, Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwängler and other leading contemporary musicians, documents of her life and work are also documents of her musical times.”

www.elisabethschumann.org

 

 Correspondence

 

20 Letters from Elisabeth Schumann to Beth Killiam:

 

·         July 6, 1944 (Stone House, Rockport, Maine)

Reply to a letter from Beth Killiam. Elisbeth Schumann is spending the summer in Maine and teaching students. She is accepting Beth Killiam as a student. She informs her that Leo Rosenek, her accompanist, is as well in residence.

 

·         July 11, 1944 (Stone House, Rockport, Maine)

Elisabeth Schumann encourages Beth Killiam to come and stay in Maine in a house provided by Mrs. Cuntis-Zimbalist.

 

·         September 11, 1944  postcard from Camden Maine

 

·         October 17, 1944 (Reno, Nevada)

Elisabeth Schumann spent three weeks in Reno and expresses her impatience to return to New York.

 

·         July 6, 1945  postcard Samoset Hotel, Rockland, Maine

 

·         October 14, 1945

Letter from London. “But it is wonderful to be here and my welcome in the Albert Hall was overwhelming, that I never will forget it as long as I live. Seven thousand people greeted me with no ending applaus[!e] and you will imagine it was not easy starting to sing…” She writes that she is traveling a lot. She went to Belfast. “I fly on ct. 24 in English uniform with the “Ensa” to Germany for eight concerts.” Two Concerts in Hamburg, two in Cassel, one in Lübeck, Düsseldorf, Köln and Berlin. She will return on Nov. 10th to London for more concerts and return to N.Y December 1^st.

She relates that she sang and spoke the day she wrote the letter on the radio for the BBC, which was transmitted to Germany and Austria as well.

 

·         September 5, 1946 (London)

Writes that she will give 16 more concerts in England and has to go to Germany again at the end of October before returning to New York on Nov. 11^th.

 

·         May 12, 1947

Letter written on board R.M.S. Elizabeth on her way to London.

 

·         July 18, 1947 (Falkenberg)

Thank you letter to birthday greetings. Elisabeth Schumann is relating that she will fly back to London for 2 days on the 28^th. She will then leave for Abauo, Italy on July 31^st for 18 days. She will return to London on August 22nd and leave for the US two months later. She extends her congratulations on Killiam’s performance in the “Zauberflöte.”

 

·         March 11, 1948 postcard from Mexico City

Writes that she gave 2 concerts in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and one concert was transmitted on the radio.

 

·         May 4, 1948

Letter from the aboard the R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth.

 

·         July 23, 1948 postcard from Stratford-Upon-Avon

 

·         October 10, 1948 postcard from Paris

 

·         February 17, 1949

Thank you note for a letter with enclosed check.

 

·         June 19, 1949

Thank you letter for birthday greetings Beth Killiam had sent.

 

·         July 18, 1949 postcard from Ouderkerk a.d. Amstel, Netherlands

 

·         October 19, 1949

Elizabeth Schumann is writing from Amsterdam (?). She is leaving England December 2^nd and will arrive on December 7^th. She writes that before that she will be traveling to Germany and Switzerland in November. She closes the letter saying that she has a recital in Amsterdam in 2 hours.

 

·         June 16, 1950

Thank you letter for a telegram and present Beth Killiam had sent to Elisabeth Schuman. Included with the letter is a newpaper clipping about the summer music school being held at Brynanston School in Dorset, conducted by William Glock and where Elisabeth Schumann will be teaching.

 

·         September 24, 1950 (London)

Thanking Beth Killiam for letters and letting her know that she will return on October 22^nd after a stay of 4 months in London.

 

·         August 14, 1951 postcard from Cunard R.M.S. Caronia crossing the Atlantic to England

 

·         October 30, 1951 postcard

Expresses congratulations on Beth Killiam’s new apartment.

 

 

4 small cards: 3 Christmas Greetings 1947, 1950, 1951 and one business card 1944.

 

 

Photographs

 

·         Snapshot of Elisabeth Schumann sitting outside on a patio. (85x60 mm)

 

·         Publicity Photograph the Musical Courier, New York. (250x200 mm)

 

·         Snapshot of  Picnic, Elisabeth Schumann and other unidentified persons (75 x 106mm)

 

·         Role Portrait for Rosenkavalier (?) (132x80 mm)

 

·         1932 in Vienna. (130x85 mm)

 

·         Mid- 1930s in New York.  Portrait signed by Elisabeth Schumann in 1944. (175x 11 mm)

“To my dear pupil Beth in remembrance of Rockport 1944”

 

·         November 22, 1944 Receiving US Citizenship from Judge Knox (140x94 mm)

On Back: “Merry Xmas and a peaceful 1945 to my dear Beth. Elisabeth Schumann”

 

·         October/November 1945  In her British ENSA (Entertainment National Service Association) Uniform  (125x 75 mm) Photograph Signed by Elizabeth Schumann

“To Dear Beth. In Remembrance on my last role as “fille du regiment.”

 

·         June 7, 1944 Portrait Signed by Elisabeth Schumann (133x80 mm)

Note on the back to Beth Killiam describing her stay in a cottage in Scotland and mentions a concert she will give on June 11^th in Edinburgh.

 

·         1946 in London, Original fine portrait photograph of Schumann by the noted Austrian portrait photographer, Lotte Meitner-Graf signed by Elisabeth Schumann (306x233 mm) Graf's printed hand stamp to verso of photograph and signed in white crayon at lower left corner, partly trimmed, on front.

Inscribed on photograph “Merry Christmas to my sweet Beth 1947”

Graf had a studio in Vienna up until 1938. She re-established her studio in London in the 1940's where she photographed various celebrities including musicians-Marian Anderson,Benjamin Britten, Leonarnd Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan, scientists and authors. 

 

 

Contemporary Newspaper Excerpts

 

Review of Elisabeth Schumann’s performance in Edinburgh and her work, obituary of Edyth Walker, obituaries of Elisabeth Schumann.

 

 

Programs Featuring Elisabeth Schumann

 

11 programs of performances (some with news clippings relevant to the performance):

Five performances at The Town Hall in New York City: Dec. 4, 1943; Dec. 2, 1944; Jan. 14, 1947; Nov. 29, 1947(duplicate); Feb. 4, 1950 with Bruno Walter with program insert.

 

Performance at The Curtis Institute of Music in 1946

 

Performance at the National League Benefit Concert with Rudolf Serkin

 

Performance at the YM & YWHA

 

Performance at the Berkshire Playhouse in 1951

 

 

Publications Relating to Elisabeth Schumann

 

Puritz, Elizabeth. The Teaching of Elisabeth Schumann. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1956.

 

Schumann, Elisabeth. German Song. With 4 Plates in Color & 41 Black-And-White Illustrations. London: Max Parrish & Co. Ltd., 1948.

 

Schumann, Elisabeth. Liederbuch. Favourite Songs. Bach/Mozart/Beethoven/ Schubert/ Schumann/ Mendelssohn /Franz / Brahms/ Wolf/ Mahler/ Franckenstein/ Marx/ Rich. Strauss. Wien: Universal-Edition, 1928. Pencil markings.

 

Extracts “Elisabeth Schumann and Richard Strauss,”from Gerd Puritz. Elisabeth Schumann, A Biography. Ed.and translated by Joy Puritz. (www.elisabethschumann.org/)

 

 

Miscellaneous

 

Press release for performance Mar. 26, 1947 at YM & YWHA

 

Four reproduction photographs cut from programs

 

Two liner notes for recordings

 

 

Materials Pertaining to Elizabeth Killiam’s Career

 

Correspondence

Letters to Beth Killiam:

 

·         September 9, 1940

Fragment of a letter signed by Edyth Walker.

 

·         August 31, 1943

Reference letter plus an additional copy by Alois M. Nagler, Office Supervisor of Cross-Cultural Survey Navy Project, Institute of Human Relations at Yale University stating that Beth Killiam has been employed as a German-English translator for seven weeks.

 

·         May 31, 1944

Letter form Manley O. Hudson, Law School of Harvard University thanking Beth Killiam for her work as secretary for the previous nine months.

 

·         June 5, 1945

Letter from Dr. Trigant Burrow recommending Beth Killiam’s work as secretary. He worked in his office in the winter and spring of 1944/45.

 

·         May 28, 1946

Recommendation letter from Irwin Untermeyer stating that Beth Killiam had been employed as private secretary since January 1, 1946.

 

·         December 10, 1947

Letter from Ilse expressing her thanks for considering her as a pupil and nice time spent on a trip to visit Beth Killiam in New York.

 

·         January 28, 1948

Letter and copy to Beth Killiam from E. Everet Minett, Acting Executive Director of Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, informing her that her employment has been terminated due to the offices move to Chicago.

 

·         April 22, 1948

Recommendation letter from Elisabeth Schumann praising Beth Killiam’s musical and teaching experience.

Includes 2 copies

 

·         June 14, 1948

Letter from Rosalie Thornton recommending Beth Killian as a voice teacher.

 

·         July 12, 1948

2 copies of letter from A. Tillman Merritt, Music Department at Harvard University, recommending Beth Killiam as a voice teacher. He mentions that she had been a student of his at Radcliffe College.

 

·         September 16, 1949

Recommendation letter from Sara A. Bonnet stating that Beth Killiam had worked as her secretary since October 1948.

 

·         Summer 1953

Postcard from Mary Hampton vacationing in Florence, Italy.

 

·         April 14, 1954

Recommendation letter from Sally Curtiss Smith to Dr. Carl Parrish, Chairman of the department of Music at Vassar College requesting to consider Beth Killiam as a voice instructor.

 

·         July 13, 1954