A small archive of material relating to Carrillo’s “Sonido 13”. New York and Mexico: c.1926-1953.

MEXICO, Sonido 13 - Julián CARRILLO (1875-1965), Leopold STOKOWSKI (1882-1977), Nicoline ZEDELER-MIX. (1889-1961) and Emil MIX (1881-1954).

A small archive of material relating to Carrillo’s “Sonido 13”. New York and Mexico: c.1926-1953. Provenance: Emil Mix and Nicoline Zedeler-Mix (by descent); bought from the estate.

1.Leopold STOKOWSKI. 1p. typed letter signed to Emil Mix “Manager, The 13th Sound Ensemble”, 21 November 1926, on ‘Philadelphia Orchestra’ headed paper “… As soon as The Ensemble is ready please let me know. I shall be delighted and most interested to hearit. I am glad that you will give me the opportunity of bringing the Ensemble before the public with the Orchestra, and that you are not making other engagements with the Orchestra until we can do it in the way we outlined in our conversation…” Condition: laid down with small voids to blank margins.

2.portrait photograph of Julián Carrillo, probably a machine print [undated but probably 1920s]

3.[Julián CARRILLO, and others] 2pp. of typed notes on Carrillo’s ‘Sonido 13’ system together with a group of ‘Comments on the “New System of Musical Writing”’ by Stokowski, Ollin Downs, ‘Mischnegradsky’ [i.e. Ivan Wyschnegradsky] and others. [Undated].

4.Julián CARRILLO. A collection of four typed letters signed to Emil Mix, on ‘Cruzada … “Sonida 13”’ headed paper, dated Mexico, 18 August 1948 – 8 April 1953, concerning musical matters (see images) and the propagation of Carrillo’s ‘Sonido 13’; with two related envelopes addressed to Mix.

5.Emil MIX. Two typed retained copies of letters to Carrillo, 6th August 1948 & 19th January 1952, the first reporting on a lecture given by Edgard Varèse at Columbia University in New York (a success), the second concerning proposed alterations to an upcoming concert, with suggestions from both Mix and Stokowski (“Mr. Stokowski phoned me today”).

6.Emil MIX. Two typed retained copies of letters, 15 January 1952 & 4th May 1953, the first to the president of the Pittsburgh Press asking for copies of  the Pittsburgh Press, the second to Charles Munch, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra ‘Our group of three Carrillo Solo Artists would very much like to audition Julian Carrillo’s “Horizontales” composition for you.’

7.Julián CARRILLO & Nicoline ZEDELER-MIX. An 8pp. programme ‘Repeticion del Concierto organizado por el club de leonis de la ciudad de Mexico en Honor del creador del Sonido 13 Julian Carrillo que se efectuara el 20 de mayo de 1953 … en la Palacio de Bellas Artes.’ This concert marked the Mexican premiere of Carrillo’s “Horizontes”. The violin soloist here and at the world premiere in Pittsburgh on 30 November 1951 was Nicoline Zedeler-Mix, wife of Emil.

"The thirteenth sound will be the beginning of the end and the point of departure of a new musical generation which will transform everything." (Carrillo).

An interesting selection including 4 letters from Carrillo himself to his US representative. The whole chronicling something of the part that Emil and Nicoline Mix played in trying to spread the word about Julián Carrillo’s pioneering theories about microtonal music. “Sonido 13 is a theory of microtonal music created by the Mexican composer Julián Carrillo around 1900 and described by Nicolas Slonimsky as "the field of sounds smaller than the twelve semitones of the tempered scale." Carrillo developed this theory in 1895 while he was experimenting with his violin. Though he became internationally recognized for his system of notation, it was never widely applied. His first composition in demonstration of his theories was Preludio a Colón (1922).

The Western musical convention up to this day divides an octave into twelve different pitches that can be arranged or tempered in different intervals. Carrillo termed his new system Sonido 13, which is Spanish for "Thirteenth Sound" or Sound 13, because it enabled musicians to go beyond the twelve notes that comprise an octave in conventional Western music.” (wikipedia)