Musicologist Curt Lange honors a fellow researcher.
- Unpublished handwritten letter from Francisco Curt Lange to Alden Dittmann, and his business card.
- One page.
- In German.
- Berlin, September 4, 1979.
- Excellent condition of conservation.
- Unique piece.
Translation from German to Portuguese
My sincere regards to Mr. Alden Dittmann in recognition of his significant development work, which has impressed me greatly. After this visit to the new building of the Ibero-American Institute, I hope to be able to resume my long-standing collaboration. It all began in 1933 and went very well with my friend Dr. Hans-Joachim Bock.
Berlin, September 4, 1979
Francisco Curt Lange
Does music know borders? Traditional training teaches us that it does, since different nationalities have created multiple ways of expressing themselves musically all over the world. The cultural influences of each part of the world are responsible for the creation of these different styles, but even so, does melody know borders or is it something universal, capable of touching us far beyond the country engraved on our passport? A German-Uruguayan, responsible for the compilation of valuable Brazilian musical works, seems to have transcended the concept of nationality to leave his name in the history of music.
Franz Kurt Lange (1903 - 1997) was born in Germany, but it was in Latin America that he made his greatest contributions to 20th century music. Lange arrived on the continent after the First World War and soon became a Uruguayan citizen, changing his name to “Francisco Curt Lange”, the name by which he would become widely known. In the Americas, he became an expert in the musicology of Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and was responsible for starting the Musical Americanism movement. He also worked to establish a solid musical education in Uruguay, and in Argentina he was responsible for creating the musicology department at the University of Cuyo, and he also taught at several North American universities.
Lange was also an essential collaborator at the Ibero-American Institute, a research center for Latin American culture located in Berlin, a role that greatly satisfied him. As we can see in the letter he dedicated to Alden Dittmann in 1979, declaring his impression of his work. A Chilean of German father, Dittmann devoted himself to organizing exhibitions and conferences at the institute, in addition to having founded its music library, compiling works from all over the continent. It is therefore not surprising that Lange admired his contribution to the development of the Ibero-American Institute, and wanted to resume his work with the center.
But the German-Uruguayan musicologist also landed on Brazilian soil, and it was here in the welcoming state of Minas Gerais that he left his greatest mark, carrying out unprecedented work in locating musical scores and manuscripts produced by generations of musicians since the 18th century. It is important to remember that the gold rush that occurred at that time in Minas Gerais fostered the artistic development of the region, but until then, much had been lost over time due to the lack of records and compilations, hence the importance of Lange's contribution. Today, his work is under the care of the Museu da Inconfidência, in Ouro Preto, and continues to be a reference in national music.
A man who was passionate about his craft, as we can see in his letter that shows his years of following the work of the Ibero-American Institute, Lange's passion for music governed his life and contributed to the construction of the history of an entire continent. Music, although it has a nationality and comes from a culture, knows no borders, but expresses feelings that are not universal, perhaps that is why it incited this German to marry America, and through his work, music recovered and tells part of our History.
