F. Ludwig Diehn Collection
Biography
Collection Scope and Contents
Scores and Parts: Alphabetical List / Scores and Parts: Chronological List / Scores and Parts- Works by other Artists / Authored by the Composer / Awards, Certificates, Degrees, etc. / Biographical and Bibliographical Material / Correspondence / DCR Exhibit Material / Photographs / Programs, Program Notes, etc / Reviews, Publicity and Newspaper Articles / Sketches and Sketchbooks / Sound Recordings, Films and Videos / Legal Papers / Financial Papers / Community Service / Memorabilia and Artifacts / Pamphlets / Ephemera / Family Papers / Clippings / Miscellaneous / Introduction
BIOGRAPHY
Friedrich Ludwig ("F. Ludwig") Diehn was born in Singapore, of German parents, on September 27, 1910. His father was the general manager of Behn, Meyer, and Company, a potash firm, and his mother was a concert pianist of international reputation. As a boy, Diehn lived in Dutch-governed Java and was privately tutored. In 1920, he went to Holland, and then to Germany, where he attended a Gymnasium (the equivalent of the American high school and junior college) in Mecklenburg. Later, he attended the Universities of Frankfurt, Munich, and Rostock, from which he received the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence. As early as age 13, Ludwig was composing marches. Later, intrigued by Wagner, he wrote an "opera fragment" based on a Nordic saga. (The "opera fragment" is no longer extant.) He studied music in Germany with private teachers such as Arthur Meissner, Otto Ruedinger, and Arno Rentsch. At age twenty-two he heard his first symphony, which was played by the Dresden Philharmonic and featured his mother playing the piano part.
In 1937 Diehn left Germany, because of the political climate, and came to America where he worked in the international potash industry. He became an American citizen in 1947, worked in San Francisco, moved to Washington, D.C., and finally settled in Norfolk, Virginia. During the first years of his adult life his composing was secondary to his career in the potash industry. However, the collapse of the industry after World War II changed his primary focus to what he loved best— the composition of music.
The music of F. Ludwig Diehn has been heard around the world — Vienna; Munich; Jamaica; Washington, D.C.; Jacksonville, Florida; Middleton, Ohio; and, of course, Norfolk, Virginia. He saw himself as a modern composer influenced by traditional classicism. He said of himself, "I use modern trends but stick basically to the principals of traditional classic technique. I am not an arch-conservative. I don't believe you must write only major and minor chords. I use many 12-tone chords."
Friedrich Ludwig Diehn died, at the age of eighty-four, on April 16, 1995.
The F. Ludwig Diehn Collection totals more than 4000 items from about 1932 to 1995. It contains his significant works in manuscript, facsimile, print, and recorded formats. There are thirty-three works with opus numbers assigned by Diehn, and several works without opus. In some cases, there are multiple copies of works in different formats.
Sound recordings in the collection consist of works written by Diehn, and other composers, in long-play records, 78rpm records, reel-to-reel tapes, and cassette tapes. Most of his compositions that were particularly well-received and widely performed are available on sound recording. In addition, the collection includes newspaper clippings, programs, correspondence, photographs, memorabilia, and personal effects that contain biographical, autobiographical, and professional information.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I: Scores and Parts
This series includes compositions by Diehn and other composers. The series is broken down into 3 sub-series: a) Scores and Parts: Alphabetical List; b) Scores and Parts: Chronological List; and c) Socres and Parts: Works By Other Artists.
Series II: Authored by Composer
This series includes F. Ludwig Diehn's dissertation which is written in German.
Series III: Awards, Certificates, Degrees, etc.
Awards, certificates, degrees, etc. that have been granted to the composer.
Series IV: Biographical and Bibliographical Material
This series includes biographical material written by Diehn himself. It also includes documents from his schooling and an interview regarding Russell Stanger's reminiscences of Diehn.
Series V: Correspondence
This series includes Diehn's correspondence from the years 1934 through 1991, along with undated materials. This correspondence has been separated according to year and language, either English or German.
Series VI: Photographs
Publicity photos, photographs from the composer's personal collection.
Series VII: Programs, Program Notes, Etc.
Programs and program notes from performances of the composer's work
Series VIII: Reviews, Publicity and Newspaper Articles
Series IX: Sketches and Sketchbooks
A sketch is the composer's quick jotting of ideas, themes, notes etc.
A sketchbook is a notebook, binder, loose pages, etc. of sketches.
Series X: Sound Recording, Films and Videos
This series includes works written by Dieh and other composers, in long-play records, 78rpm records, reel-to-reel tapes, and cassette tapes.
Series XI: Legal Papers
This series includes legal papers from 1927 through 1990. These papers include copyright materials, the estate of August Diehn(Ludwig's father) and other legal documents. This series has been broken up by language into either English or German.
Series XII: Financial Papers
This series includes financial papers from 1958 through 1992. Financial papers in this sense include receipts and other documentation such as checkbooks, along with Diehn's stock portfolio.
Series XIII: Community Service
Within this series there are document showing Diehn's involvement within his community. These documents include, church documents and programs that show Diehn as a patron.
Series XIV: Memorabilia and Artifacts
The majority of this series is made up by artifacts donated along with the collection. These artifacts include needlepoint done by Diehn's wife, ceramics, crystal, etc. Along with an art collectio that Diehn complied over the years.
Series XV: Pamphlets
Within this series are pamphlets that had been collected by Diehn. They mostly include shows that went to, but where the programs show no sign of him being a patron.
Series XVI: Ephemera
This series contains items such as Diehn's postcard collection, game notes, diary, items from trips, etc.>/p>
Series XVII: Family Papers
This series includes documents regarding Diehn's family. This includes documentation of Diehn's mother, Therese Slottko-Diehn, Diehn's wife, Virginia Diehn, and a scrapbook regarding Diehn's father, August Diehn.
Series XVIII: Clippings
This series includes the collection of clippings that Diehn aquired from 1933 to 1984. Organized chronologically and by language (English or German).
Series XIX: Miscellaneous
This series contains documents and items that did not fit into another series. These items include original writings by someone other than Diehn and undated envelopes without letters, etc.