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Creator
Smith, Carleton Sprague, 1905-1994
Call number
JPB 25-7
Physical description
0.10 linear feet (1 box)
Language
Multiple languages; English and Portuguese. Translation for some Portuguese letters are provided.
Preferred Citation
Carleton Sprague Smith correspondence with Heitor Villa-Lobos, JPB 25-7. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The Carleton Sprague Smith correspondence with Heitor Villa-Lobos from 1940 to 1958 includes discussions of professional and personal relationship, copyright, publication of Villa-Lobos's works, invitations to events, and news of Villa-Lobos's activities and health.

Biographical/historical information

Carleton Sprague Smith (1905-1994) was the chief of the Music Division of the New York Public Library (NYPL) from 1931 to 1959. Smith had a broad education that included music, French, Spanish, and Portuguese literature and history, and earned a doctorate in history from the University of Vienna. Smith was also a flutist. In 1940 and again in 1943 Smith undertook tours of South America as a representative of the United States Department of State and the American Council of Learned Societies. He was able to facilitate cultural exchanges with Latin American countries and expanded the Music Division's collection of music from those nations. Smith was involved in the creation of the Americana Section and Dance Collection within the Music Division. He also served as a consultant for the International Music Council of UNESCO and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) was a Brazilian composer. He traveled throughout Brazil to enrich his musical knowledge, incorporating Brazilian folklore into his compositions. Villa-Lobos's musical style was significantly influenced by Afro-Brazilian music, which became a defining element in his compositions. Villa-Lobos was a music educator in Brazil under President Getúlio Vargas. He received an honorary recognition in 1943 where he became an honorary member of the Institute of Arts and Letters of the United States. In 1958 he was granted a doctorate degree by the New York University (NYU).

Scope and arrangement

The collection consists of the correspondence between Heitor Villa-Lobos and Carleton Sprague Smith from 1940 to 1958, revealing their professional and personal relationship. The letters discuss copyright matters, potential publications, performances, and Villa-Lobos's career and health. Smith's efforts to promote Villa-Lobos's music in the United States are evident, including attempts to secure performances, publications, and even an honorary degree. The collection also contains lists of Villa-Lobos's list of compositions, indicating Smith's dedication to documenting and acquiring his works for the New York Public Library. Lastly, there is miscellaneous material such as potential film collaborations and lyrics from the collection.

The Carleton Sprague Smith Correspondence with Heitor Villa-Lobos includes notable names of individuals such as Harold Oliver Voorhis (first Secretary of New York University (NYU),Charles Seeger (Chief of Music Division - Union Panamericana), Arthur Beri de Lemos (2nd Secretary of the Brazilian Academy of Music), Lisa Bauer, Marshall Bartholomew (Director of Yale Glee Club), Eleazar de Carvalho (Berkshire Music Center - Lenox, Mass), Serge Koussevitsky, Elisabeth Cowles Sperry, Arminda Neves d'Almeida, Abe Katz (Manager of the Trade - Associated Music Publisher INC), Inga Christensen, Vladimir Lakond, Robert E. Kingery, Melvin Kaplan, David Glazer, David P. Appleby (Associated Professor of Music - Wayland College) and Carroll V. Newsom (President New York University).

The Carleton Sprague Smith correspondence with Heitor Villa-Lobos are arranged in two series:

Administrative information

Processing information

Processed by Bob Kosovsky in 2025.

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor