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
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.
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
Series V, Puzzles, Poetry, etc.