The Influence of German Musicology in the Work of Francisco Curt Lange

Francisco Curt Lange has been called “the German who discovered America” and “pioneer, mediator and Nestor of musicology in Latin America”. He is known for his research on colonial music in Latin America and his role as mediator between Latin America and Europe in the realm of Western art music. This article contributes to the understanding of Lange’s complex life trajectory set in Europe, the United States and various countries in Latin America. It also builds on former studies of Lange’s biography by focusing on his exchange with musicologists in the German-speaking world. It examines the role of German musicology in Lange’s work on one hand, and the role of Lange’s work in German-language musicology on the other. In addition to secondary sources, the findings are based mainly on Lange’s correspondence with the German-speaking world which is archived at the Curt Lange Archive at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil