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> Special Collections and Rare Books > Cello Music Collection > Elizabeth Cowling Collection Overview
Elizabeth Cowling Collection, 1937—1987
CONTENTS: 2 ˝ letter size archival boxes, 1.5 linear ft. Bibliographical and pedagogical writings of Elizabeth Cowling (1910-1997); correspondence, photographs, programs, and periodicals forming part of the Elizabeth Cowling Collection.
ACQUISITION: Gift of Dr. Elizabeth Cowling, 1977. Some materials added 1996 when Dr. Cowling moved.
DESCRIPTION: Elizabeth Cowling was born in Northfield, Minnesota in 1910. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota where her father was President. She received her B.A. degree in Philosophy and went on to Columbia University in New York, where she received her M.A. degree in Economics. Her Master's and Ph.D. in Music were earned from Northwestern University.
Dr. Cowling traveled and studied in Europe, starting in Paris in 1929 where she worked with Paul Bazelaire. She also studied with Mischa Schneider (Budapest String Quartet) and in 1950 she was a student of Pablo Casals for a brief period. Dr. Cowling came to the Woman's College (now UNCG) in 1945. In 1946 she began what was to become a long association with Luigi Silva at the Eastman School of Music. Their association grew from that of student-teacher to a collaborative working relationship which lasted until Silva's death in 1961. Like Silva, Dr. Cowling dedicated herself to students and teaching. Performance and research were also significant aspects of her career.
It was due to Dr. Cowling's efforts that UNCG acquired the Silva Cello Music Library and Silva's papers in 1963. Dr. Cowling's researches into the literature and history of the cello led to the publication of her well-received work, The Cello, in 1975 (London, Batsford and New York, Scribner's). This work was translated into Japanese and a revised English language edition was also published.
Dr. Cowling retired from teaching at UNCG in 1976, after a career dedicated to teaching, research and performance. After her retirement, she donated her music collection to Jackson Library in 1977 and her collection of books in 1988. It is a collection that reflects both her practical and scholarly interest in the cello. The standard cello repertoire is represented by more than 1000 publications and copies of manuscript music, including significant holdings of "teaching composers" such as Bazelaire, Breval, Dotzauer, Goltermann, Klengel, Marcello, Piatti, Popper, Squire and Stutschewsky. The collection also features a large number of copies of manuscripts of 17th to 19th century Italian composers, collected in preparation for Dr. Cowling's 1967 dissertation, "The Italian Sonata Literature for the Violoncello in the Baroque Era" (Northwestern University). Dr. Cowling's collection of books was added to the Cello Books and Scores collection in Special Collections, and her collection of almost 1000 music scores has received preliminary processing and an internal finding aid is available within the Division. In 1996, some personal papers, photographs and correspondence were also added to the collection. Dr. Cowling died February 18, 1997.
ARRANGEMENT
Box 1
- Correspondence A-Z
Correspondence with János Scholz, 1966—1987
Correspondence with Alexander Broude, 1976—1980
Correspondence with Batsford re: publication of The Cello, 1969—1983
Correspondence with Roy Silva, 1980-1981
Letters from Dimitry Markevitch (with attachments), 1984
Photographs
Concert Programs
- Bibliographies
Teaching Notes and Other Writings
The Development of the Symphony
Cello Pedagogy
János Scholz - File on Honorary Doctorate
Photographs of Other Musicians
Programs and Information re: Other Musicians
The Strad, v. 64, no. 760, August 1953 and Supplements Sept. 1937—Aug. 1938)
Miscellaneous
- Letters from Luigi Silva, 1947—1961
(NOTE: The materials in Box 3 were restricted until 5 years after Dr. Cowling's death. Dr. Cowling died February 18, 1997. Restriction lifted February 18, 2002.)
- Dr. William K. Finley, Special Collections & Rare Books Division
Head (336) 334-5246. Email: wkfinley@uncg.edu
Maintained by Carolyn Shankle.
Updated November 15, 2002.