Curt Sachs

Musicologist, born in Berlin, Germany. After studies in art and music, he held posts in Berlin including curator of the Museum of Musical Instruments. Driven from Germany by the Nazis in 1933, he settled in the USA four years later and held posts as a consultant to the New York Public Library (1937–52) and a teacher at Columbia University (from 1953). He also served as president of the American Musicological Society (1948–50). His books include The History of Musical Instruments (1940) and The Commonwealth of Art (1946).

He was one of the founders of modern organology (the study of musical instruments), and is probably best remembered today for co-authoring the Sachs-Hornbostel scheme of musical instrument classification with Erich von Hornbostel.

Sach was born in Berlin. He began a career as an art historian, but gradually became more and more devoted to music, eventually being appointed director of the Staatliche Instrumentensammlung, a large collection of musical instruments.

In 1913, Sachs saw the publication of his book Real-Lexicon der Musikinstrumente, probably the most comprehensive survey of musical instruments in 200 years. In 1914 he and Erich Moritz von Hornbostel published the work for which they are probably now best known in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, a new system of musical instrument classification.

In 1933, Sachs was dismissed from his posts in Germany by the Nazi Party because he was a Jew. Sachs consequently moved to Paris, and later to the United States, where he settled in New York City.

He wrote books on rhythm, dance and musical instruments, with his The History of Musical Instruments (1940), a comprehensive survey of musical instruments worldwide throughout history, seen as one of the most important.

Sachs died in 1959 in New York City. The American Musical Instrument Society has a "Curt Sachs Award", which it gives each year to individuals for their contributions to organology.