Top of page
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
November 5th is National Love Your Red Hair Day! The Music Division salutes some of music’s great redheads in our own collections: Vivaldi, Berlioz, Lucille Ball, Beverly Sills, and Ariel the Little Mermaid.
Posted in: Composers, Exhibitions, Musical Theater, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
In 1979, the corps de ballet of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) went on strike in a wage dispute. The newest members of the corps, the lowest-ranking dancers in the company, only made $235 a week—$869 in 2018 dollars. Many principal and solo dancers in the ABT supported the corps. In an article for People …
Posted in: Food, Special Collections
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
Dance Archivist Libby Smigel and I are excited to present a Saturday Research Orientation for dance on October 20! Whether you’re a seasoned dance researcher, a first-time Library visitor, local dance educator, or student currently studying dance, we can’t wait to meet you and share our resources with you. Please register for this free event …
Posted by: David Plylar
This is a guest post by Anne McLean of the Music Division Costas I. Karageorghis, PhD Tuesday, October 23 7:00 pm Mumford Room, James Madison Building, 6th floor Like to run / cycle / hit the gym? Love music? Taking along our earphones and favorite playlists definitely seems to help us step it up. On …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Gershwin Archivist Janet McKinney. It seems there is something utterly compelling about the core story of A Star is Born, as it is now being told in theaters for the fourth time. Originally a 1937 drama starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, it told the story of a …
Posted in: Composers, Film Music, Guest bloggers, Special Collections
Posted by: Pat Padua
The following is a guest post by retired cataloger Sharon McKinley. The great city of New Orleans turns 300 this year, and they’re celebrating in a big way. To help commemorate this exciting milestone, we proudly present a few of our musical gems published in one of my favorite cities. New Orleans is best known …
Posted in: Guest bloggers, Sheet Music
Posted by: Cait Miller
The following is a guest post from Senior Music Specialist Ray White. Composer George Gershwin was born 120 years ago, on September 26, 1898. For most of his adult life, he was a youthful celebrity, indeed a rock star of his time, and his mystique is only enhanced by his tragic death from a brain …
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Guest bloggers, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
Over the past several months, I’ve been sifting through the thousands of pieces that are part of the silent film music accompaniment anthologies in the Music Division’s collection. These volumes, with titles such as the Capitol Photoplay Series, The Synchronizer Suite, or Sam Fox Photoplay Edition: A Looseleaf Collection of High Class Dramatic and Descriptive …
Posted in: Film Music, Sheet Music
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
Happy 100th birthday to Henryk Szeryng (22 September 1918 - 3 March 1988), a man of international renown as a violinist, pedagogue, cultural ambassador, and humanitarian. The Music Division holds the Henryk Szeryng collection.
Posted in: Birthdays, Jewish American History, Special Collections