Guide to the Sandor Salgo Papers SC0870
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Sandor Salgo Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SC0870
Physical Description:
31.25 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1939-2005
Access to Collection
The materials are open for research use. Audio-visual materials are not available in
original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
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Preferred Citation
[identification of item], Sandor Salgo Papers (SC0870). Dept. of Special Collections and
University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Biographical / Historical
Professor emeritus of Music, Sandor Salgo conducted the Marin Symphony for 33 years
(1956-1989), the Carmel Bach Festival for 35 years (1956-1991), the San Jose Symphony for 19
years (1951-1970), and the Modesto Symphony for nine years (1951-1970). For 24 years during
that period, as professor of music at Stanford University, he conducted its symphony and
opera program (1949-1974).
With the Marin Symphony, at Carmel and Stanford, he introduced more works to the Bay Area
than any other conductor. These included in Marin the first West Coast performance of
Britten's War Requiem, Honegger's Jeanne d'arc au bûcher, Dutilleux, Frank Martin,
Szymanowski's and Milhaud's Second Violin Concertos, and Virgil Thomson's Mother of Us
All.
He developed the Carmel Bach Festival from a local event into a nationally recognized
celebration of Bach's music, with three weeks of concerts and recitals, and performances of
the cantatas and of one of the Passions or the B Minor Mass each year. Often an opera was
featured, with memorable performances of Beethoven's Fidelio, Monteverdi's Orfeo, and
Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, Il Clemenza di Tito, Magic Flute, and Don Giovanni. Performing
an extraordinary span of the Baroque repertory and works from the Classical period, he
pursued a middle road between the romantic and modern sensibility and the viewpoint of early
music revivalists.
Sandor Salgo was raised in Budapest, Hungary, where he graduated from the Liszt Academy in
1928, after which he studied music in Berlin with the great violin master Carl Flesch and in
Dresden with the distinguished conductor Fritz Busch. The conducting teacher to whom he said
he owed the most was George Szell, whom he studied with much later, in Princeton in the
1940s. In the 1930s, he played in several orchestras, including the Budapest Opera, where he
played under Dohnányi, Richard Strauss, Erich Kleiber, Bruno Walter, and Hans
Knappertsbusch, and, for three weeks, at Bayreuth under Toscanini. While Salgo returned to
Europe later in his life, he refused ever to visit Hungary or even speak Hungarian, because
of the repressive government during his youth, the anti-Semitism, and in the Nazi years, the
holocaust.
Sandor Salgo began his professional career as a violinist with the Roth String Quartet. In
1937, he came to the United States for the first time on a tour with the Quartet. Two years
later, he was offered a job teaching music at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton,
where he stayed 10 years, and met and married his wife, Priscilla. In Princeton, after
attending one of Salgo's orchestra concerts in 1942, Albert Einstein expressed his written
appreciation, "Mr. Sandor Salgo is a musician of high standing. The concert he gave ... has
made a deep impression on me." Later, the two met to play violin duets by Vivaldi. Salgo
recalled that Einstein was not a very good violinist, and that once, one of the musicians in
a string quartet with which he was playing shouted at him, "What's the matter with you,
Albert? Can't you count?"
After three years of wartime service as a musician in the U.S. Army, he joined the Stanford
University faculty and conducted the orchestra in an increasingly adventurous repertory that
included works of Bartók, Kodaly, Copland, Dutilleux, Sessions, Carter, and Berg. Milhaud's
Stanford Serenade was dedicated to the distinguished Los Angeles oboist Donald Leake, who
had played at the Carmel Festival, as well as to Salgo and the Stanford Orchestra, who
together gave its premiere in 1970. Salgo conducted the Stanford Opera in major company
repertory that included Verdi's Falstaff and the West Coast premieres of Stravinsky's Rake's
Progress and Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges, as well as operas by Mozart, Gluck, Dvorák,
Poulenc, Foss, Moore, and Dallapiccola. He "discovered" Jess Thomas, then a graduate student
there, and gave the tenor his first roles.
The courses he taught were popular, in particular his Beethoven course, which he gave for
some 10 years. One year it had the second-highest enrollment of any course at Stanford,
second, he recalled with much amusement, to a course in sexual behavior. The impact of his
teaching was once attributed to "a combination of his courtly, European manner and the force
of his scholarship and knowledge" and a "gentle, down-to-earth quality to his lectures,
which are designed to help listeners make more sense of classical music." "The only way to
understand music is to see how it is put together," he said. "It is what is behind those
notes. It is the poetry of it." One of his more celebrated students, the late Denis de
Coteau, former music director of the San Francisco Ballet, who received the DMA degree under
Salgo in 1964, recalled, "When I went to work with him at his home, I didn't feel like I was
a student. I felt like a friend. He has a humanness about him."
Following retirement in 1974, he continued to give lectures on the campus and for alumni,
and wrote a book, Thomas Jefferson, Musician and Violinist, in 2000. It was Jefferson, and
specifically the Declaration of Independence, that he devoured as a 16-year-old and who
inspired his earliest dreams of America. Awards he received included the Dinkelspiel Award
for Outstanding Service to Undergraduate Students and the French government's Chevalier des
arts et lettres.
Salgo was perfectly suited to the role he was to play, not only in musical gifts, training,
and experience, but also in temperament and style, which was gracious and patiently
insistent — ideal for dealing with the range of musicians he faced here and the patrons. As
one of his leading former students, Mark Volkert, assistant concertmaster of the San
Francisco Symphony, was quoted as saying in Salgo's oral history about his B Minor Mass
performances, "No one captures the drama of the piece like Mr. Salgo. He's always scholarly,
never mannered, and he captures the emotions just precisely. ... It was a romantic style,
but beyond that there were the emotions that were lacking in what is called the authentic
style." As an interpreter above all, Salgo devoted himself to making the expressive or
spiritual message utterly clear and involving.
He died Jan 20, 2007. He was survived by his wife of 63 years, Priscilla, a daughter, Debra
Danove, and grandsons Daniel and Michael, of Chicago.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Orchestral music, Arranged
Musical performances
Music -- Study and teaching
Papers Accession ARCH-2007-151
box 1
Photographs of Sandor Salgo
1960s
box 1
Articles on the Carmel Bach Festival
box 4, folder 1
Marin Symphony clipping
3/23/80
box 4, folder 2
Office (miscellaneous correspondence)
box 4, folder 3
Lectures, assorted correspondence
box 4, folder 5
Casper, G. – correspondence
1997-2005
box 4, folder 6
Colburn correspondence (Isaac Stern)
box 4, folder 7
Germany, assorted correspondence 1977-91
box 4, folder 8
East Berlin correspondence 1978-82
box 4, folder 11
Fan mail (Stanford)
1956-91
box 4, folder 12
1955 (several family letters 1955 and one letter from 1939)
box 4, folder 13
Unlabeled (correspondence)
box 4, folder 15
Montana (2 letters from Richard Drake)
1991
box 4, folder 16
Suitner, Otmar, correspondence
1973-78
box 4, folder 17
Carmel (clippings)
1964-66
box 4, folder 18
Carmel retirement (correspondence)
1991
box 4, folder 23
Carmel, clippings
1956-63
box 4, folder 29
Carmel, clippings
1972-73
box 4, folder 48
Carmel, clippings
1996-97
box 5
Files (about half is clippings of reviews of performances in Marin, Modesto,
San Jose, Stanford, etc., 1957-88; rest is programs from Carmel Bach Festival,
1965-92)
box 6
Files (includes programs and a few other items from Marin Symphony, Modesto
Symphony, San Jose Symphony, and Stanford concerts; miscellaneous correspondence;
research on T. Jefferson; correspondence with Darius Milhaud, 1965-72)
box 7
Binders and bound objects
box 8
Loose papers; programs and ephemera from several orchestras and from other
miscellaneous performances
box 9
Assorted papers, one binder, correspondence (mostly still in envelopes), card
file index, button "I Go for Salgo"
box 10
Letter from Albert Einstein; packet of travel materials (mostly newsprint);
assorted papers (possibly some certificates); Album "The Salgo Years Marin Symphony
1956-1989" [mostly programs]; binder of notes and registrations for Salgo Lectures
1996; photo album Music of Beethoven in Honor of Founders' Day 1974; album "Johann
Sebastian Bach Golden Chair to honor Maestro Sandor and Priscilla Salgo Carmel Bach
Festival" [list of names 1992]
box 11
Assorted papers (programs, correspondence, clippings, etc.); 2 books: vocal
score to Puccini's La Boheme and Henry N. Switten's Living Musical Theory, First
Volume (1943 – self-published course book, inscribed to Salgo); Modesto Symphony
Orchestra programs 1976-1987
box 12
Marin Symphony programs 1969-1988; Marin Symphony Guild programs 1957-69;
Carmel Bach Festival Programs 1954-1991; framed item "Priscilla" [1991 printed piece
on her name]
box 13
Assorted programs, publicity (including a small amount of newsprint), and
other papers 1940-; 1 reel of audiotape: Side 1 Jean Gilles "Te Deum", Side II Jean
Gilles "Requiem" copied from a record
box 14
Assorted files, programs, and loose papers; Notebook on orchestration; album
of congratulatory letters re Marin Symphony; small notebook "Love Notes to Maestro
Salgo"; notes on Bach, Samuel Barber, and other topics not clearly noted
box 16
photos from Bach Festival; hand-made portfolio "Maggie & Jiggs 1971"
containing music for a skit about behind-the-scenes at the Carmel Bach Festival; and
drawing of a costume [flat box]
box 17
San Jose Symphony Orchestra in recognition…
box 17
CA State Assembly in appreciation…music conductor of the Modesto Symphony May
1986
box 17
Association of CA Symphony Orchestras, in honor of contributions to classical
music…August 12, 2000
box 17
Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council in appreciation August 1991
box 17
Modesto Symphony Guild…May 12, 1988
box 17
CA State University, Stanislaus, in appreciation…September 1986
box 17
Framed poem written for ACSO luncheon in honor of Salgo, August 12,
2000
box 17
Ceremonial key to the City of Modesto
box 18
Annotated books from Salgo's library (on Bach):
box 18
Adrich, Putnam. Ornamentation in J. S. Bach's Organ Works
box 18
Bach, the Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute. Spring 1990,
Spring-Summer 1991
box 18
Bach-Händel-Schütz-Ehrung der DDR 1985 : V. Internationales Bachfest in
Verbindung mit dem 60. Bachfest der Neuen Bachgesellschaft, Leipzig, 19. bis 27. März
1985
box 18
Bachforschung und Bachinterpretation heute : Wissenschaftler und Praktiker im
Dialog : Bericht über das Bachfest-Symposium 1978 der Philipps-Universität
Marburg
box 18
Boult, Adrian Cedric. The St. Matthew Passion; its preparation and
performance
box 18
Chailley, Jacques. Les passions de J.-S. Bach
box 18
David, Hans Theodore. J. S. Bach's Musical Offering
box 18
Durr, Alfred. De Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach. Band 1, Band
2
box 18
Durr, Alfred. Performance Practice of Bach's Cantatas. American Choral
Review
box 18
Geiringer, Karl. Johann Sebastian Bach, the Culmination of an Era
box 18
Geiringer, Karl. Symbolism in the Music of Bach
box 18
Gerber, Rudolf. Bachs Brandenburgische Konzerte
box 18
Marshall, Robert L. The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach
box 18
Mellers, Wilfrid. Bach and the Dance of God
box 18
Reinhart, Walther. Die Auffuhrung der Johannes-Passion von J. S.
Bach
box 18
Riemenschneider, Albert. The use of the Flutes in the Works of J. S.
Bach
box 18
Schrade, Leo. Bach, the conflict between the sacred and the
secular.
box 18
Schwendowius, Barbara, ed. Johann Sebastian Bach: Life, Times,
Influence
box 18
Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach, the passions. Book I and Book II
box 18
Whittaker, W. Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. I and
II
box 18
Wolff, Christoph. Bach, Essays on His Life and Music
box 19
Annotated books from Salgo's library (on Beethoven, Berlioz, Haydn, Handel,
Rameau):
box 19
Bairstow, Handel's Oratorio "The Messiah"
box 19
Burnham, Scott. Beethoven Hero
box 19
Holoman, D. Kern. Berlioz
box 19
Hughes, Rosemary. Haydn String Quartets
box 19
Kerman, Joseph. The Beethoven Quartets
box 19
Kinderman, William. Beethoven
box 19
Larsen, Jens Peter. Handel's Messiah
box 19
Larsen, Jens Peter. Handel Studies
box 19
Mellers, Wilfrid. Beethoven and the Voice of God
box 19
Pischner, Hans. Die Harmonielehre Jean-Philippe Rameaus
box 19
Tovey, Donald Francis. Beethoven
box 19
Tyson, Alan, ed. Beethoven Studies
box 19
Weingartner, Don Felix. Ratschlage dur Auffuhrungen der Symphonien
Beethovens
box 20
Annotated books from Salgo's library (on Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky,
Dutilleux, conducting):
box 20
Bamberger, Carl, ed. The Conductor's Art
box 20
Berlioz, Hector. The Orchestral Conductor
box 20
Blom, Eric. Tchaikovsky Orchestral works
box 20
Braunbehrens, Volkmar. Mozart in Vienna 1781-1791
box 20
Dent, Edward J. Mozart's Operas
box 20
Einstein, Alfred. Mozart, his character and work
box 20
Girdlestone, Cuthbert. Mozart and His Piano Concertos
box 20
Jacob, Gordon. Orchestral Technique
box 20
Rimsky-Korsakow, Nicolas. Principles of Orchestration
box 20
Lang, Paul Henry, ed. The Creative World of Mozart
box 20
Lang, Paul Henry, ed. Stravinsky, a new appraisal of his work
box 20
Prout, Ebenzer. The Orchestra, Volume II Orchestral Combination
box 20
Rudolf, Max. The Grammar of Conducting
box 20
Zodiaque, January 1893 (issue on Henri Dutilleux)
box 21
Annotated books from Salgo's library (on music appreciation, music history,
etc.):
box 21
Bagar, Robert. The Concert Companion, a comprehensive guide to symphonic
music
box 21
Blume, Friedrich. Classic and Romantic Music, a comprehensive
survey
box 21
Boyden, David D. The History of Violin Playing from its Origins to
1761
box 21
Bukofzer, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era from Monteverdi to
Bach
box 21
Busch, Fritz. Aus dem leben eines Musikers
box 21
Busoni, Ferruccio. Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music
box 21
Cannon, Beekman C., et. al. The Art of Music
box 21
Copland, Aaron. What to Listen for in Music
box 22
Annotated books from Salgo's library (on music appreciation, music history,
etc.):
box 22
Daniels, David. Orchestral Music, a Source Book
box 22
Dart, Thurston. The Interpretation of Music
box 22
Decker, Harold A., ed. Choral Conducting, A Symposium
box 22
Donington, Robert. The Interpretation of Early Music
box 22
Drinker Library of Choral Music [a catalogue and an article on]
box 22
Einstein, Alfred. A Short History of Music
box 22
Einstein, Alfred. Music in the Romantic Era
box 22
Ford, Newell F. Peter Quince's Orchestra
box 22
Grout, Donald Jay. A History of Western Music
box 22
Hermann Fretzschmar. Dem Behrunder Moderner Hermeneutik
box 22
Haggin, B. H. The Toscanini Musicians Knew
box 22
Hindemith, Paul. A Concentrated Course in Traditional Harmony
box 22
Hofstadter, Douglas R. Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden
Braid
Box 24
Marin Symphony, Modesto Symphony, and Carmel Bach Festival
programs
1960-2000
Box 25
Reviews - News Clippings
1957-1967, 2000
Box 27
Certificates and Resolutions
1967-1988
Audio Recordings Accession ARCH-2010-025
box 1
Rehearsals and performances; list and survey notes inside each
box
1974-1998
Physical Description: 132
audiocassette(s)
box 1
Marin Symphony
1980 Jan 24
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Stanford Symphony Orchestra
1972, 1974
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Rhythmicana
1971 Dec 3
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Marin Symphony
Feb. 5, 1967
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Andrew Imbrie
General Physical Description note: 3 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Peter and the Wolf (no narration)
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Fairy Queen
General Physical Description note: 2 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Choral piece with orchestra
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Gabrieli, G. Canzon per sonar noni toni
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
box 2
Marin Symphony Orchestra
Feb. 11, 1968
General Physical Description note: 1 audiotape(s)
(reel-to-reel)
