Special Collections Finding Aids

Krehbiel Pamphlet Collection - Books

Accession: SC1998.63

Location: M2B 4,4

Size: .5 feet

Biography: Henry Edward Krehbiel (1854-1923) was a prominent American music critic, lecturer, and author. During his lifetime Krehbiel was probably most important as a forceful advocate of new music and was highly influential in promoting the music of Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Dvorak. His books reflect this primary interest. Today he is perhaps most remembered for his ethnomusicological work and especially his book "Afro-American Folksongs," though the work is now out of date, it remains a classic and was successful in raising study of the field to a higher level.

Provenance: The collection is apparently a random residue of items remaining from the Krehbiel library, which Sibley Library purchased in the 1920's. The bulk of the collection was dispersed throughout the Library's regular collection while these remained fortuitously gathered together but unprocessed until the present.

Scope and Content: The majority of the items are ethnological and particularly relate to music of Native Americans or traditional music of other cultures. Since Krehbiel's main work effect in his own time was in the area of classical music, this collection stands as a very interesting resource for understanding his secondary, but perhaps more historically lasting, interest in ethnological studies.

Associations: The Library purchased the H.E. Krehbiel library in the early 1920's, but its contents were dispersed throughout the regular collections. Unfortunately, no means is available for reconstructing the library owing to the accessioning procedure of that time.

Restrictions: none

Series: 1

Series Name: Books

Series Description: The series consists of pamphlets and offprints along with a few items of a more ephemeral nature. The material is arranged alphabetically by author or title.