Vassar College Digital Library
Guide to the Teresa Carreño Papers, 1862-1991 (bulk 1862-1920)

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Repository: Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries
Creator: Carreño, Teresa, 1853-1917
Title: Teresa Carreño Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1862-1991
Bulk Dates: 1862-1920
Quantity: 4.5 cubic feet (15 boxes)
Abstract: Includes musical manuscripts of Carreño and others, such as Edward Macdowell, Amy Beach and Teresita Carreño-Tagliapietra; literary manuscripts of Carreño; letters to and from Carreño and to and from Marta Milinowski, her biographer; and a variety of scrapbooks, diaries and other materials relating to Carreño's life and professional career; Among the correspondents are Frances Macdowell, Gioachino Rossini, Edward Grieg, and Ede Poldini. There are also many articles about Carreño and programs of her concerts.
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Biographical Note

Teresa Carreño was born in Caracas, Venezuela on December 22, 1853. She was the granddaughter of the Venezuelan composer Jose Cayetano Carreño. Her father, Manuel Antonio Carreño, was also a musician and composer. He was largely responsible for Teresa Carreño's early musical education and the documentation of the early years of her musical career.

When she was eight years old she was taken to New York where she studied with Gottschalk. Later, she also studied in Paris with Mathias and Anton Rubinstein. Her career was particularly successful in Germany where she lived and taught for over thirty years.

Throughout her life Carreño was recognized as a pianist, composer, conductor, and singer. She wrote many compositions for piano and one String Quartet in B minor. She also spent two years in Venezuela organizing and conducting an opera company in which she also sang.

Carreño died in New York on June 12, 1917.

The source for this brief biography is The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. 3. (London: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1980). See also Brian Mann's biographical sketch written for the 2003 Archives and Special Collections Library exhibit, Teresa Carreño: Walküre of the Piano

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Scope and Content Note

Includes musical manuscripts of Carreño and others, such as Edward Macdowell, Amy Beach and Teresita Carreño-Tagliapietra; literary manuscripts of Carreño; letters to and from Carreño and to and from Marta Milinowski, her biographer; and a variety of scrapbooks, diaries and other materials relating to Carreño's life and professional career; Among the correspondents are Frances Macdowell, Gioachino Rossini, Edward Grieg, and Ede Poldini. There are also many articles about Carreño and programs of her concerts.

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Access

This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Librarywithout any additional restrictions.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to quote (publish) from unpublished or previously published material must be obtained as described in the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library.

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  • In his article on the Carreño Collection, MLA Notes (v 47, no 4), Brian Mann notes that Music Librarian, George Sherman Dickinson "must have been delighted, particularly given the hundreds of volumes of practical music it brought to his library." These hundreds of volumes, which also included books and periodical issues on music, were added to the main collection of the Music Library and are now almost indistinguishable from it save for the identifying stamp "Purchased from the Estate of Theresa [sic] Carreño." Since 2002 the Dickinson Music Library Carreño Collection consists of early published editions of music by Teresa Carreño, published music by other composers and dedicated or inscribed to Carreño, and orchestral music with performance annotations in Carreño's hand. For a listing of the published materials in the Music Library see the register of the George Sherman Dickinson Music Library Carreño Collection.
  • Photocopies of selected original music manuscript materials and correspondence in the Teresa Carreño Collection of the Special Collections Department in the Main Library of Vassar College have been placed in the Dickinson Music Library Carreño Collection in the Treasure Room.
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Subject Headings

Names:

  • Beach, H. H. A., Mrs., 1867-1944
  • Carreño, Manuel Antonio, d. 1874
  • Carreño-Tagliapietra, Teresita
  • Grieg, Edvard, 1843-1907
  • Macdowell, Edward, 1860-1908
  • Macdowell, Frances
  • Milinowski, Marta, 1885-1970
  • Poldini, Ede, 1869-1957
  • Rossini, Gioacchino, 1792-1868

Subjects:

  • Concert programs
  • Music--Performance
  • Pianists
  • Women composers
  • Women musicians

Document Types:

  • Diaries
  • Drawings (visual works)
  • Photographs
  • Scrapbooks
  • Sheet music

VCL Categories

  • Music
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Encoding Information

Encoded by Elizabeth Clarke, February 2007.

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Preferred Citation

Teresa Carreño Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Max Benjamin Valerio, October 1990. Last updated August 2002 by Sarah Canino.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Dickinson Music Library, Vassar College.

Custodial History

Vassar Professor of Music, Marta Milinowski, studied with Carreño and wrote the first biography of the musician, Teresa Carreño, "By the Grace of God,"1940. Her connection brought about the purchase of a large number of materials from the Estate of Teresa Carreño through the Peabody Fund. A letter from the assistant Music Librarian, Natalie Mestechin, of 9/17/43 notes: "On August 21, 1941 the Music Department made a purchase from the Estate of Theresa [sic] Carreño which included manuscripts, papers, photographs, music, costumes, etc., etc. and various books." In the mid-1950's selected materials were sent to the National Library in Caracas, Venezuela. At an unknown date other items were removed to the Special Collections Department of the Vassar College Libraries. In 1990, the materials that made up the Dickinson Music Library Carreño Collection at that time were researched and organized by Vassar Professor Brian Mann, assisted by Geoffrey Hills '91. His article, "The Carreño Collection at Vassar College," MLA Notes, 47 (1991), discusses the collection in detail as it existed at that point. Until 2002 the largest portion of the Teresa Carreño materials resided in the Dickinson Music Library. In 2002 all of the manuscript material and selected other materials were moved to the Special Collections Department of the Vassar College Libraries and integrated with the Carreño materials already housed there. In this process, separated parts were rejoined and additional materials came to light.

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Series List

Series I. MUSIC MANUSCRIPTS, (Boxes 1-6)

Series II. LITERARY MANUSCRIPTS, (Box 7)

Series III. CORRESPONDENCE, (Boxes 8-9)

Series IV. SCRAPBOOKS AND MEMORABILIA, (Boxes 10-12)

Series V. DIARY, DATE AND ADDRESS BOOK, (Box 13)

Series VI. LEGAL DOCUMENTS, (Box 14)

Series VII. PRINTED MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS, (Box 14)

Series VIII. PHOTOGRAPHS, (Box 15)

Series IX. ARTWORK, (Box 15)

Container List

SERIES I: MUSIC MANUSCRIPTS

By Teresa Carreño
Compositions with opus numbers
Folder 1.1 Reverie Impromptu Op. 3
Folder 1.2 Caprice Etude Op. 4
Folder 1.3 "Une Larme" Op. 5
Folder 1.4 Caprice-Etude Op. 6
Folder 1.5 Caprice-Etude Op. 7
Folder 1.6 "Souvenirs de mon pays" Op. 10
Folder 1.7 Marche Funèbre Op. 11
Folder 1.8 Prière Op. 12
Folder 1.9 "Sovenirs de L'Angleterre" Op. 16
Folder 1.10 (4éme Elégie) No. 4 Op. 20
Folder 1.11 (5éme Elégie) No. 5 Op. 21
Folder 1.12 (6éme Elégie) No. 6 Op. 22
Folder 1.13 Mazurka Op. 23
Folder 1.14 Vals Gayo Op. 38
Compositions without opus numbers
Folder 2.1 Serenade für Streich Orchester von Teresa Carreño
Folder 2.2 Hymnos al Bolivar
Folder 2.3 Etude-Mazurka
Folder 2.4 La Petite Boiteuse
Folder 2.5 Petite Berceuse
Folder 2.6 Feuillet D'Album. Lamartine (song)
Folder 2.7 [No Title]. "Voga…" (song)
Folder 2.8 Preludio and related sketches/copies
Folder 2.9 Composiciones de Maria Teresa Carreño. 1860-1861
Folder 2.10 "Mi Teresita" (Kleiner Walzer)
Incomplete compositions, with titles and without opus numbers
Folder 2.11 4éme Valse
Folder 2.12 Intermezzo-Scherzoso
Folder 2.13 Valse
Folder 2.14 [Valse Mélancholique]
Folder 2.15 Romance
Folder 2.16 Romance
Sketch material (all presumably the work of Teresa Carreño)
Folder 2.17 1-5. Sketches for String Quartet in B Minor
Folder 2.18 6-17. Unidentified Sketches
Folder 2.19 Harmony and Counterpoint Exercises. [May also be by her students], (7)
By and about Manuel Antonio Carreño
Folder 3.1 Cours Complet
Folder 3.2 Exercises. Première partie.
Folder 3.3 Deuxième Partie. Rapports proportionnels.
Folder 3.4 Deuxième Partie. Tierces brisés.
Folder 3.5 Troisième Partie
Folder 3.6 Quatrième Partie
Folder 3.7 Cinquième Partie
Folder 3.8 Cours Complet
Folder 3.9 Partie Supplementaire. Exercises.
Folder 3.10 Observations Générales written by M. Marmontel
Folder 3.11 Gymnastique vocale.
Folder 3.12 An untitled set of theoretical writings, with music examples, paginated 1-23.
Folder 3.13 Various studies in piano technique
Folder 3.14 L'absence Valse pour piano
Folder 3.15 Etude Mazurka pour piano (2 copies)
Teresita Carreño-Tagliapietra
Folder 4.1 [No Title] "Allegro energico"
Folder 4.2 Berceuse per Teresita Tagliapietra (Incomplete)
Folder 4.3 Elegie
Folder 4.4 Minuetto in Stilo Antico
Folder 4.5 Notturno, (fragment)
Folder 4.6 Tristesse
Edward MacDowell
Folder 4.7 Autograph for Op. 18. [sic] Op. 17.
Folder 4.8 Autograph for Op. 19. [sic] Op. 18.
Folder 4.9 Autograph for Op. 23.
Folder 4.10 Autograph for Op. 23.
Folder 4.11 Autograph for Op. 24.
Folder 4.12 Autograph for Op. 36.
Amy Beach
Folder 5.1 Concerto for piano and orchestra, op. 45. Score.
Folder 5.2 Concerto for piano and orchestra, op. 45. Parts.
Various composers
Folder 6.1 d'Albert, Eugene. Annotated proofs: Der Mensch und das Leben, op 14. (parts) [Orch. B. 949], Zweites Quartet [Bote & Bock 13749], Der Rubin [20305; Breitkopf & Härtel]
Folder 6.2 Chopin, Frederic. Concerto in E minor for piano and orchestra, op 11, dedicated to Carreño and arranged by A. Munckheimer
Folder 6.3 Fielten? Fielsen? Firlten? Rigadoon (Rigandon) for Pianoforte T. P. "Oxford 1908"
Folder 6.4 Jordan, Pierre. Klavierstukker op. 3 no. II Grokeske
Folder 6.5 Schindler, Kurt. Letztes Wiegenlied Eine Romanze von Emmy Destinn, 1899
Folder 6.6 Stow, G.G. " A few lines of welcome to Mme Teresa Carreño," 17 April 1914
Folder 6.7 Tagliapietra, Giovanni. Los lindos ojos de Y. Ferrer
Folder 6.8 Watson, Regina. Bourée l'antique
Folder 6.9 Watson, Regina. Cradle Song
Folder 6.10 Watson, Regina. Sérénade orientale

SERIES II: LITERARY MANUSCRIPTS

Folder 7.1 Extracts from Caracas -- Childhood and Visit, 1885-1886 (6 items)
Folder 7.2 Extracts from Caracas -- Childhood and Visit, 1885-1886 (7 items)
Folder 7.3 Carreño's manuscript, Possibilities of Tone Color and 2 clean, unbound proofs, n.d.
Folder 7.4 Typescript of Carreño's wartime experien ces, n.d.
Folder 7.5 Unpublished writings about Carreño, n.d. (8)
Folder 7.6 Literary materials Honoring Teresa Carreño
Folder 7.7 Geneology of Carreño by Rafael Mirabal Ponce

SERIES III: CORRESPONDENCE

Outgoing Correspondence
Folder 8.1 From Teresa Carreño, 1909, 1916 (2 letters)
Folder 8.2 From Teresa Carreño (15 letters)
Folder 8.3 From Teresa Carreño (28 letters)
Incoming Correspondence
Folder 8.4 Gottschalk, Maurice, 1862 (1 letter)
Folder 8.5 Grieg, Edward, 1902, n.d. (2 letters)
Folder 8.6 Lehmann, Lilli, 1899, 1916, n.d. (3 letters)
Folder 8.7 MacDowell, Edward (to TC and others), 1897, 1899, 1901, 1902 (4 letters)
Folder 8.8 MacDowell. Fannie, 1907-1916 (17 letters)
Folder 8.9 MacDowell, Fannie, 1895-1909 (14 letters)
Folder 8.10 MacDowell, Frances, 1908 (1 letter)
Folder 8.11 MacDowell, Frances, 1892-1908 (11 letters)
Folder 8.12 MacDowell, Frances (10 letters)
Folder 8.13 MacDowell, Marian, 1907-1908, n.d. (4 letters)
Folder 8.14 MacDowell, Marian (4 letters)
Folder 9.1 Paur , Emir, 1895-1897 (3 letters)
Folder 9.2 Poldini, Ede, 1908-1910 (3 letters)
Folder 9.3 Saint-Saens, Camille, 1894-1914 (3 letters)
Folder 9.4 Miscellaneous, 1869-1898 (5 letters)
Folder 9.5 Miscellaneous, 1901-1909 (19 letters)
Folder 9.6 Miscellaneous, 1910-1912 (6 letters)
Folder 9.7 Miscellaneous, 1912-1915 (6 letters)
Folder 9.8 Miscellaneous, 1916 (5 letters)
Folder 9.9 Miscellaneous, n.d. (2 letters)
Folder 9.10 Miscellaneous, n.d. (6 cards)
Folder 9.11 Various authors, Recipients include A. Tagliapietra and G. Novaes, 1918-1920, 1931 (13 letters)
Folder 9.12 Various authors. "Letters quoted." (43 letters)
Letters about Teresa Carreño
Folder 9.13 Rossini, Giaocchini, 1862-1866 (3 letters)
Folder 9.14 de Sola ,Vincent, 1938, 1939 (7 letters)
To and from Marta Milinowski
Folder 9.15 Calcaño y Calcaño, José Antonio
Folder 9.16 Corson, James
Folder 9.17 Dodge, Rudolf
Folder 9.18 Guerra, Alirio Diez
Folder 9.19 Harris, Teresita
Folder 9.20 Weber, Hertha
Folder 9.21 Miscellaneous

SERIES IV: SCRAPBOOKS AND MEMORABILIA

Folder 10.1 Autograph album including Carreño's signature, n.d.
Folder 10.2 Guest book: 11 entries from include G. Sonneck, Marion Bauer, 1911-1915
Folder 10.3 "Important Papers" (Passenger list, Marriage announcement, Written account, Last words)
Folder 10.4 Commendation, 1893
Folder 11.1 Scrapbook I (red, leather bound), May 1862-July 1868
Folder 12.1 Scrapbook II (card board and leather), 1872-1885
Folder 12.2 Scrapbook " To Mme Teresa Carreño from Sadie Gottlieb"

SERIES V: DIARY, DATE, AND ADDRESS BOOKS

Folder 13.1 Address book (in black leather clutch), includes calling cards with brief notes
Folder 13.2 Appointment book (removed from black leather clutch) concerts, lessons, and other appointments, 1917?
Folder 13.3 "Prontuario," 1897/1898-1911/1912

SERIES VI: LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Folder 14.1 Birth records, 1894
Folder 14.1 Concert contract, 1899
Folder 14.1 Deposition for her daughter, [1913?]
Folder 14.1 Official document, 1915

SERIES VII: PRINTED MATERIALS AND PROGRAMS

Folder 14.2 Articles about Carreño, [1867?]-1991 (12)
Folder 14.3 Articles about Carreño, n.d. (15)
Folder 14.4 Articles about Carreño in German, n.d. (8)
Folder 14.5 Articles about Carreño's death, 1917 (15)
Folder 14.6 Articles and anecdotes
Folder 14.7 "Articles of exceptional interest; sources"
Folder 14.8 Concert programs various years, 1863-1918
Folder 14.9 Concert programs: printed and handwritten, n.d.
Folder 14.10 News clippings: Milinowski's groupings.
Folder 14.11 Programs for Carreño's concerts, n.d. (6)
Folder 14.12 Teresita Blois and Eugen D'Albert: concert programs and articles

SERIES VIII: PHOTOGRAPHS

Folder 15.1 Photos
Folder 15.2 Photos of Teresita Blois
Folder 15.3 Marta Milinowski's photo layouts
Folder 15.4 Marta Milinowski's photo layouts

SERIES IX: ARTWORK

Folder 15.5 Drawings, (3 items)

Return to the Table of Contents

Details
Abstract

Includes musical manuscripts of Carreño and others, such as Edward Macdowell, Amy Beach and Teresita Carreño-Tagliapietra; literary manuscripts of Carreño; letters to and from Carreño and to and from Marta Milinowski, her biographer; and a variety of scrapbooks, diaries and other materials relating to Carreño's life and professional career; Among the correspondents are Frances Macdowell, Gioachino Rossini, Edward Grieg, and Ede Poldini. There are also many articles about Carreño and programs of her concerts.

Finding Aid Date
Inclusive Dates: 1862-1991
Collection Title
Teresa Carreño Papers