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Pringsheim, Klaus, 1883-1972

Klaus Pringsheim fonds. -- 1912-1972. -- 4.7 m of textual records and graphic material. -- 1 audio reel.

Klaus Pringsheim, conductor, teacher, music critic and composer, was born in Munich on 24 July 1883. His father was Alfred Israel Pringsheim (b. 1850). Klaus Pringsheim studied music under Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) in Vienna. In 1931 he left Germany for Japan where he became a professor at the Ueno Academy of Music. From 1941-1946 he directed the Tokyo Chamber Symphony Orchestra. After a brief period in the United States, he returned to Japan in 1951. He was appointed director of the Musashino Academy of Music. He composed an opera as well as music for the piano and chamber music. Pringsheim was the brother-in-law of Thomas Mann (1875-1955) and his fonds contains some letters written by Mann. He died in Tokyo on 7 December 1972. One of Klaus Pringsheim's sons, Klaus H. Pringsheim, has published a memoir, Man of the World: Memoirs of Europe, Asia & North America (1930s to 1980s) (1995).

The fonds is arranged into the following series: correspondence, manuscripts, news clippings and periodicals, compositions, transcriptions of Japanese, Thai, and Cambodian music, photographs, compositions by Alfred Israel Pringsheim. There is a small addendum to the fonds of materials that were not described in the initial finding aid. One of the photographs is of Thomas Mann.

Title based on content of fonds.
Fonds was purchased in 1973.
Finding aid available in hard copy and electronically.
There are no access restrictions.
Further accruals are not expected.

Contact: archives@mcmaster.ca
Last Reviewed: January 6, 2010
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