Curt Sachs

Curt Sachs

Curt Sachs (June 29, 1881 – February 5, 1959) was a German-born but American-domiciled musicologist. He was one of the founders of modern organology (the study of musical instruments), and is probably best remembered today for co-authoring the Sachs-Hornbostel scheme of musical instrument classification with his fellow scholar Erich von Hornbostel.

Born in Berlin, Sachs studied piano, music theory and composition as a youth in that city. However, his doctorate from Berlin University (where he was later professor of musicology) in 1904 was on the history of art, with his thesis on the sculpture of Verrocchio. He began a career as an art historian, but promptly became more and more devoted to music, eventually being appointed director of the Staatliche Instrumentensammlung, a large collection of musical instruments. He reorganised and restored much of the collection, and his career as an organologist began.

In 1913, Sachs saw the publication of his book Real-Lexicon der Musikinstrumente, probably the most comprehensive survey of musical instruments in 200 years. The following year, he and Erich Moritz von Hornbostel published the work for which they are probably now best known in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, a new system of musical instrument classification. It is today known as the Sachs-Hornbostel system. It has been much revised over the years, and has been the subject of some criticism, but it remains the most widely used system of classification by ethnomusicologists and organologists.

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Sachs was dismissed from his posts in Germany by the Nazi Party because he was a Jew. As a result, he moved to Paris, and later to the United States, where he settled in New York City. From 1937 to 1953 he taught at New York University, and also worked at the New York Public Library.

His numerous books include works on rhythm, dance and musical instruments, with his The History of Musical Instruments (1940), a comprehensive survey of musical instruments worldwide throughout history, seen as one of the most important. The long relationship he had with W. W. Norton & Company began with The Rise of Music in the Ancient World (1943).[1] Although these works have been superseded by more recent research in some respects, they are still seen as essential texts in the field.

Sachs died in 1959 in New York City. The American Musical Instrument Society has a "Curt Sachs Award", which it gives each year to individuals for their contributions to organology.

References

  1. ^ Allen, Warren Dwight (1962), "Philosophies of Music History - A Study of General Histories of Music - 1600-1960", pg vi, Dover 0-486-20282-8

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  • Curt Sachs — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Curt Sachs (* 29 de Junio 1881 en Berlín; † 5 Febrero 1959 en New York) fue musicólogo y profesor. Fue el fundador de la organología moderna. En su juventud recibió clases de piano, aprendío teoría de la música y… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Curt Sachs — (* 29. Juni 1881 in Berlin; † 5. Februar 1959 in New York) war Musikethnologe und Begründer der wissenschaftlichen Instrumentenkunde. In seiner Jugend nahm er Klavierunterricht, lernte Musiktheorie und Komposition. Später, an der Universität… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Curt Sachs — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Sachs. Curt Sachs est un musicologue allemand né à Berlin le 29 juin 1881 et mort à New York le 5 février 1959. Il est l un des principaux fondateurs de l organologie (étude des instruments de musique) et le co… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SACHS, CURT — (1881–1959), German musicologist. Born in Berlin, Sachs became director of the Berlin state collection of instruments in 1919. The same year he began to lecture at the University of Berlin, and from 1933 to 1937 was adviser to the museum of… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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  • Sachs — Sachs, Hans Sachs, Nelly * * * (as used in expressions) Sachs, Curt Sachs, Nelly (Leonie) Tay Sachs, enfermedad de …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sachs — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Cet article possède un paronyme, voir : Sacks. Pour consulter un article plus général, voir : Nom de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sachs-Hornbostel System — Diese Systematik von Erich M. von Hornbostel und Curt Sachs ist ein Versuch, die weltweit existierenden Musikinstrumente in ein System zu bringen. Veröffentlicht wurde sie 1914 in der Zeitschrift für Ethnologie.[1] Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Idiophone… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sachs — /zahks/, n. 1. Hans /hahns/, 1494 1576, German Meistersinger: author of stories, songs, poems and dramatic works. 2. Nelly (Leonie), 1891 1970, German poet and playwright, in Sweden after 1940: Nobel prize 1966. * * * (as used in expressions)… …   Universalium

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