Villa-Lobos, Hector. (1887–1959) [Carvalho, Eleazar de. (1912–1996)]
Typed letter signed
Typed letter signed from the important Brazilian composer to Gretl Urban, Vice President of Associated Music Publishers, New York, NY. Rio de Janeiro, July 1, 1946. In English. 1 p. Letterhead paper of the Brazilian Ministério de Educação e Saúde (Ministry of Education and Science). Villa-Lobos recommends Brazilian composer and conductor Eleazar de Carvalho, then still young and rather unknown, to his publisher. He wants to assist his compatriot with an upcoming conducting tour in the U.S. and asks his correspondent to lend him some scores at no fee "although I know you can rent that orchestra's material." Oblong format. Browned and brittle. 6.5 x 8 inches (16.5 x 20 cm).By the time of this letter, Villa-Lobos had established his international reputation, and his music was frequently performed. His correspondent, Gretl Urban (1898–1997), also known under her married name of Gretl Urban Thurlow, was born in Vienna as a daughter to the architect and stage designer Joseph Urban (1872–1933), now best known for Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. She emigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1911 and settled in New York. Trained as a stage and costume designer and, she worked as such at the Met, but the studio was closed after her father's death. She resorted to administrative positions. Her last affiliation (from 1950) was with Carl Fisher Music Publishers.
Eleazar de Carvalho visited the U.S. in 1946 at the invitation of Serge Koussevitzky. He later became music director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1968 and was affiliated with Hofstra University on Long Island until 1973, when he returned to Brazil. He was back in the U.S. in 1981 and 1983 to conduct at Juilliard and teach at Yale. (23129)
TLS Classical Music