Learn about new collection finding aids that have been published by the Library's Music Division. These finding aids provide bibliographic access to the Milton Ager Music Manuscripts, Marvin Hamlisch Papers, Arthur Mendel Correspondence with Igor Stravinsky and Others, Trude Rittmann Papers, William Schuman Music Manuscripts, Robert Wright and George Forrest Papers and more.
Senior Music Specialist Loras John Schissel shares the backstory of how composer Carl Engel, then-Chief of the Library of Congress Music Division, participated in the Library of Congress' acquisition of its Gutenberg Bible, one of the Library's most renowned treasures.
The Library of Congress Music Division recently acquired the Rudolf Barshai Papers, consisting of scores and orchestral parts enriched with the composer-ochestrator's personal annotations. Though the collection is not yet processed, interested researchers are encouraged to contact the Music Division to inquire about accessing its material.
In commemoration of Veterans Day, Senior Music Specialist Loras John Schissel presents a sketch of an important American arranger, composer, and conductor who broke the color barrier in the U.S. armed forces in 1918. This man was Bandmaster William “Will” Henry Bennet Vodery. Vodery's service in the military and his work as a musician is documented in collections available for researchers in the Performing Arts Reading Room.
Film music and musical theater buffs can now explore the scores and papers of composer-arranger Marvin Hamlisch in the Library of Congress Performing Arts Reading Room. Archivist Janet McKinney describes the range of materials, which include photographs, programs, scrapbooks, staging lists, and even Hamlisch's entertainment trophies.
In this guest blog, Senior Music Specialist Ray White discusses the Music Division's recent acquisition of "Last Rites and Matins of the Dead" (ca. 1375-1425), which represents liturgical text, traditions and music of the "Triduum," a three-day period (that includes Halloween and Día de los Muertos) focused on honoring the departed in Western Christian faiths.
Learn about six new collection finding aids that have been published by the Library's Music Division. These finding aids provide bibliographic access to the Irwin Bazelon Papers, Harry Chapin Collection, Ann Murphy Collection on the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall, Alfred Newman Film Music Manuscripts, Park Avenue Synagogue Commissioning Project Correspondence and Hans Spialek Papers.
In a guest blog, Andrew Northrop of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London discusses a recent effort to restore the Library's Buchla 100 synthesizer. This early electronic music instrument belonged to composer Morton Subotnick (b.1933), who purchased it in 1966 for his studio on Bleecker Street in New York City. Hear a demo of the synthesizer, learn about its history, and experience the process of bringing a unique instrument back to life.
The following is a guest post by 2024 Junior Fellow Jacob LaBarge. I am Jacob’s project mentor for the project Mind the Gap: Taking Stock of Contemporary Composer Voices with the assistance of Music Specialist David Plylar. Jacob’s objective this summer is to inventory the Music Division’s holdings of select published contemporary music scores through …
