- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"13 lf.", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"22 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"JPB 00-42", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"20357", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1905-1998", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1905/1998"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1905
- date_inclusive_end
-
1998
- keydate
-
1905
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Leo Smit papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</span> <span class=\"subarea\">Music Division.</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Leo Smit collection contains scores, correspondence, and research materials from the prolific composer and performer, Leo Smit."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Leo Smit Papers, JPB 00-42, Music Divsion, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Smit, Leo, 1921-1999", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Leo Smit was born on January 12, 1921, in Philadelphia. He received his earliest musical training from his parents. His father, Kolman Smit was a violinist who performed in the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, and the NBC Symphony.</p> <p>Smit’s early piano teachers included Martha Lantner and Bert Shefter. When he was eight years old, Leo traveled to Moscow with his mother to study piano with Dmitri Kabalevsky at the Moscow Conservatory. Upon his return to Philadelphia in 1930, Smit received a scholarship to study piano at Curtis Institute of Music with Isabelle Vengerova.</p> <p>Smit began his professional career as a pianist while still in his teens. His first job was as rehearsal pianist for George Balanchine's American Ballet Company in 1936-37. Smit gave his first recital as a solo pianist at Carnegie Hall in February 1939. This was followed by a concert tour of the United States in 1940.</p> <p>Leo Smit's career as composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher spanned nearly seventy years. He established close working relationships and friendships with many of the most prominent musicians of the 20th century. This included Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Harold Shapero, William Schuman, and Lukas Foss. As a performer, Smit was an advocate and interpreter of the music of his time, especially the solo piano music of Aaron Copland, with whom he enjoyed an especially close relationship.</p> <p>Smit was also a talented photographer. In addition to the many photographs he took of musicians, performers, and friends, Smit also used his skill as a photographer to capture images from his travels.</p> <p>During his career Leo Smit earned several awards and honors, including Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships in 1950, a fellowship at the American Academy in Rome for 1950-51, the Boston Symphony Merit Award in 1953 for his <span class=\"title\">Symphony No. 1</span>, and the New York Critics Circle Award in 1957. Smit was also selected to give a State Department concert tour of Latin America in 1967-68. He also had an educational career, holding positions at Sarah Lawrence College (1947-49), UCLA (1957-63), and the State University of New York at Buffalo (1962-84).</p> <p>Leo Smit died December 12, 1999 in California.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Leo Smit Papers contain documents from 1905 to 1998 and cover the professional musical career of the decorated pianist and composer, Leo Smit. The collection is divided into nine series: Correspondence, Writings, Presentations and Lectures, Clippings and Programs, Dickinson Materials, Librettos, Scores, Photographs, and Oversized Materials. Correspondence includes letters between Smit and his friends and colleagues, including Aaron Copland, Harold Shapero and Leonard Bernstein. The Emily Dickinson materials are also noteworthy, and include research and notes on Dickinson, her life, and her poetry. Smit devoted a large portion of the late 1980s and early 1990s creating a song cycle around Dickinson’s poetry, and amassed quite a bit of research on the subject. This includes notes, slides, and photocopied research materials. The Librettos series includes much of Smit’s work, and is notable for the several drafts and rewrites, with notes from Smit. One can assess how he worked and made changes in his compositions. The collection is lacking in materials of a personal nature, though fortunately many of Smit’s working relationships were also close friendships, and this can be seen in the correspondence.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Leo Smit papers are arranged in nine series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c595974'>Series I: Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930-1995</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Correspondence between Smit and his friends and colleagues. Includes correspondence between Smit and Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596019'>Series II: Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes published and unpublished writings by Smit, both typed and handwritten pieces.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596048'>Series III: Presentations and Lectures</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Handwritten and typed lecture texts by Smit.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596057'>Series IV: Clippings and Programs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1936-1998</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Clippings and programs from Smit's many concerts.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596104'>Series V: Emily Dickinson Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1989-1998</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Writings and research materials gathered by Smit during his research on Emily Dickinson.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596115'>Series VI: Librettos</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Librettos from operas and other works Smit composed for/wrote. Includes final copies and handwritten drafts.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596124'>Series VII: Scores</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1940-1998</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596302'>Series VIII: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1905-1998</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes personal photographs of Smit, his friends and family. Also includes slides used in presentations, and oversized photographs - many of which were taken by Smit.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20357#c596318'>Series IX: Oversized Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1921-1990</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Larger portraits of Smit and family, most mounted. Also includes shots taken by Smit as a photographer.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Correspondence, 1930-1998</li> <li> Series II: Writings, 1932-1998</li> <li> Series III: Presentations and Lectures</li> <li> Series IV: Clippings and Programs 1936-1998</li> <li> Series V: Emily Dickinson Materials, 1989-1998</li> <li> Series VI: Librettos, undated</li> <li>Series VII: Scores, 1940-1998<ul> <li>Sub-series 1: Original Compositions 1940-1998</li> <li>Sub-series 2: Arrangements, undated</li></ul></li> <li> Series VIII: Photographs, 1905-1998</li> <li>Series IX: Oversized Materials, 1960-1990</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Leo Smit Papers were donated to the Music Division in 2000 by the Leo Smit estate.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Chief, Music Division.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Lea Jordan; Machine-readable finding aid created by Lea Jordan.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
13 linear feet. (22 boxes)
- date_start
-
1905
- date_end
-
1998