Guide to the Kurt Sober Papers, 1913-1920

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Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone: (805) 893-3062
Fax: (805) 893-5749
Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/speccoll.html
© 1999
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Guide to the Kurt Sober Papers, 1913-1920

Collection number: PA Mss 21

Department of Special Collections



Davidson Library

University of California, Santa Barbara

Contact Information:

  • Department of Special Collections
  • Davidson Library
  • University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Santa Barbara, CA 93106
  • Phone: (805) 893-3062
  • Fax: (805) 893-5749
  • Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
  • URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/speccoll.html
Project Archivist:
David Seubert
Student Assistants:
Jeffrey Gordon
Date Completed:
February 1999
Encoded by:
© 1999 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Kurt Sober Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1913-1920
Collection number: PA Mss 21
Creator: Kurt Sober
Extent: 2 boxes, 1.25 linear feet
Repository: University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Dept. of Special Collections
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Abstract: Correspondence, manuscript scores, photographs, puzzles and poetry of pianist and conductor Kurt Sober dating from 1913 to 1920.
Language: English.

Administrative Information

Provenance

Originally part of Community Development and Conservation Collection (CDCC), but it is not known when the collection was donated to UCSB.

Restrictions

None.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Kurt Sober Papers, PA Mss 21, Special Collections, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Biography

Kurt Sober, German-American conductor, pianist, accompanist and voice coach was born on May 15, 1899 in Hildesheim, Germany. He graduated from the Royal Goethe Gymnasium at Hanover Germany. He studied with piano with Herman Dettmer and conducting with Johannes Schueler. He left Germany in 1933 for Florence Italy and appeared throughout Italy as a conductor, pianist, accompanist and teacher and lecturer. In 1939, Kurt Sober became the assistant director and later director of the National Conservatory of Music at Cuenca, Ecuador. He came to the United States in 1941 and later to Ojai, California. He died on March 4, 1963.

Scope and Content

Series I, Compositions is arranged in chronological order. Unless otherwise indicated the compositions are for piano or piano and voice. The title of the song in folder 8 is illegible.
Series II, Correspondence includes many letters to and from Lilo Stern, Sober's fiance. It also includes letters regarding Sober's visa application to emmigrate from Italy to the United States when the Italian government forced Foreign Jews from Italy in 1939. The letters are in English, Italian and German.
Series III, Photographs includes family photographs and photographs of Sober, including several professional promotional photos.
Series IV, Ephemera contains programs from many of Kurt Sober's performances throughout his carreer.
Series V, Puzzles, Poetry, Etc. contains poetry written by Kurt Sober and puzzles that were apparently written for an Ojai Newspaper. Also included in this section are letters that Kurt Sober wrote to newspapers concerning typographical errors. Sober seemed to have a fascintation with intellectual puzzles, cryptograms and the like.

 

Series I, Compositions

Box 1, Folder 1

Fantasie for Orchestra. Score, Mss, 1913-1914

Folder 2

Geisterstunde for Violin and Piano. Score, Mss, September 1914

Folder 3

Grenzwacht, hal' Acht! for Voice and Piano (Text by Gedicht von Oberingenieur). Score, Mss, October 1914

Folder 4

Hoch Hindenburg! For Orchestra. Score, Mss, October 1914

Folder 5

Fruhlings Fuge for Piano. Score, Mss, August 1915

Folder 6

Aus Den Bergen for Piano. Score, Mss, 1916-1917

Folder 7

Liebesfeier for Voice and Piano (Text by Felix Heingartnere). Score, Mss, October 1919

Folder 8

[Song] for Voice. Score, Mss, April 9, 1919

Folder 9

Die Schlacht for Voice and Piano (Text by Fredrich con Schiller). Score, Mss, February 17, 1919

Folder 10

Lenzessang for Voice and Piano (Text by Ernst Hodenberg). Score, Mss, May 27, 1920

Folder 11

Salve Regina Mundi aus Christopher Columbus for Choir. Score, Mss, n.d.

 

Series II, Correspondence

Box 2, Folder 1-2

General

 

Series III, Photographs

Box 2, Folder 3

Photographs

Box 1, Folder 12

Oversized Photograph

 

Series IV, Ephemera

Box 2, Folder 4-5

General

 

Series V, Puzzles, Poetry, etc.

Box 2, Folder 5

General