MSS 66 - The Deems Taylor Papers; ca.15'
Deems Taylor (1885-1966), the composer, critic, and writer on music, and President of ASCAP, was among America's most prominent musicians from the 1920s until his death. As intermission commentator for the popular Sunday radio broadcasts of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1936 to 1943, his name became a household word. Research notes relating to the broadcasts, as well as his reviews for the New York World (1921-25) and the New York American (1931-32), are included in the Papers. They also contain the autograph manuscripts of most of his works (not his two operas The King's Henchman and Peter Ibbetson), extensive correspondence, a large number of photographs, and some recordings. With this acquisition Yale also received the papers of Taylor's second wife, the poet and playwright Mary Kennedy. They are in Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. (Partially processed)
MSS 119 - The Alexander Tkaczenko Library of Russian and Ukrainian Choral Music; 4'
This collection consists of more than 100 volumes of Slavic choral music, most of it published before 1916. The majority of it is sacred, but some secular music is also included. It was acquired from the Russian-American collector Alexander Tkaczenko. (Not yet processed.)
MSS 41 - The Alec Templeton Papers; ca.24'
The blind Welsh-born pianist and composer Alec Templeton (1909-1963) was a well-known radio performer and a frequent guest of symphony orchestras, especially for fund raisers. He was remarkably successful with improvisation and humorous parodies, "Bach Goes to Town" being his best-known work. His Papers include his compositions (chiefly instrumental), his correspondence, photographs, awards, secretarial diaries, and financial records. (Not yet processed)
MSS 29-MSS 29A - The Virgil Thomson Papers; 183'
The Thomson Papers are in two sections: music manuscripts, correspondence, and financial records given by Thomson (1896-1989) from 1978 to 1984 (cataloged as MSS 29), and further materials bequeathed to Yale upon his death (cataloged as MSS 29A). Essentially all of Thomson's music (sketches, holographs, and publications) is included, as is his extensive correspondence (over a hundred archival boxes) with American and French artists in a variety of media, financial records beginning with his student days at Harvard, prose writings about Thomson, hundreds of photographs, and numerous works (published and copies of manuscripts) of other composers. The online finding aid is in two sections, reflecting the division between MSS 29 and 29A. Thomson collaborated with Gertrude Stein on two of his operas, Four Saints in Three Acts and The Mother of Us All, so researchers may also be interested in the Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas Papers at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. See also the Virgil Thomson Foundation's website.
Misc. Ms. 355 - The Frank Tirro Collection; 0.5'
Frank Tirro (1935-2021) was noted for his versatility; he was a scholar of the Italian Renaissance and of jazz, he was a composer and clarinetist, and he wrote specialized studies as well as popular textbooks. He was born on September 20, 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska, and educated at the University of Nebraska, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1974). He held teaching positions at the University of Chicago, the University of Kansas, and Duke University before coming to the Yale School of Music, where he served as Dean and taught music history. Tirro's writings include Jazz: A History (1977, 2nd edition, 1993), Renaissance Music Manuscripts in the Archive of San Petronio in Bologna (1986), and Living With Jazz: An Appreciation (1996). The collection consists of nine compositions by Tirro.
Misc. Ms. 306 - The Troostwyk Family Papers; 2'
Isidore Troostwyk (1862-1923) was a Dutch-American violinist. He studied with Joseph Joachim, and served as concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. In 1888 he moved to the United States. In 1893 he and Max Dessauer founded the the Dessauer-Troostwyk School of Music in New Haven. In 1895 he joined the faculty of the newly established Yale School of Music. He was the concertmaster of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and the Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra. His wife and children were also prominent local musicians. This collection documents the family's musical activities in New Haven with correspondence, programs, scrapbooks and clippings, photographs, and miscellaneous materials.
Misc. Ms. 339 - Music Records of United Church; 0.25'
The United Church of New Haven, Connecticut traces its origins back to 1742, when the "New Lights" (supporters of the Great Awakening) separated from the existing Congregational church in New Haven. The current building was constructed in 1816. Formerly called North Church, it is now known as the United Church on the Green; it is the northernmost of the three churches built in a row on the New Haven Green. This collection documents musical matters in the church from 1794 to 1910. Included are correspondence, receipts, and miscellaneous items concerning the purchase and upkeep of organs, the hiring and payment of singers, and other matters concerning the musical life of the church.
Misc. Ms. 291 - Mary Van Nes: Correspondence from Germany; 0.5'
Mary Van Nes (1906-2002) was an American pianist who studied with Arthur Schnabel from 1931 to 1934. In later years, she was active in Westchester County, New York as a performer and as the organizer of the concert series of the Hudson River Museum. Her correspondence from Germany detailed her experiences in Berlin as a student of Schnabel. Upon receiving the letters, her mother edited and transcribed them into 11 notebooks. This collection includes notebooks 1-5 and 8-11; the collection lacks notebooks 6-7 (April-August 1932).
Misc. Ms. 345- Wagner-Jenkins Correspondence; 0.5'
The collection consists chiefly of correspondence between the families of the composer Richard Wagner and his dentist, Dr. Newell Sill Jenkins (1840-1919). The Wagner family is represented by letters from Richard Wagner, his wife Cosima, and their children Siegfried and Eva, as well as Daniela von Bülow (Cosima's daughter by her previous marriage to Hans von Bülow). Only two of the letters are by Richard Wagner, but they are of particular interest; both dated 1880, they discuss his interest in visiting the United States or even moving there permanently, explaining that he would require a million dollars to do so. Jenkins tried to support Wagner's schemes, but they never came to fruition. The original letters are accompanied by typed transcriptions, as well as English translations of the German-language letters. The collection also includes two Bayreuth performance schedules and two 20th-century articles.
MSS 72 - The Clarence Watters Papers; ca.6'
The Papers contain the organist Watters's (1902-1986) compositions, tapes of his recitals, programs, photographs, and correspondence. The last named includes 89 letters from Marcel and Jeanette Dupré, dating from 1926 to 1978. Watters was a pupil of Dupré's and a frequent performer of his works. (Not yet processed)
MSS 73 - The Karl Weigl Papers; 15'
The Austrian composer Karl Weigl (1881-1949) immigrated to the United States in 1938. His Papers contain copies of his manuscripts, reviews, programs, scrapbooks, photographs, and an extensive correspondence, including letters of Pablo Casals, Aaron Copland, Wilhelm Furtwangler, Myra Hess, Heinrich Schenker, Arnold Schoenberg, Bruno Walter, Felix Weingartner, and Alexander von Zemlinsky. The Karl Weigl Foundation maintains information on the life and works of Karl Weigl, holds holograph manuscripts and other documents, and maintains information on performance licensing and copyright.
MSS 30 - The Papers of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya; 47'
The Papers of Kurt Weill (1900-1950) and Lotte Lenya (1898-1981) were the gift of the latter in 1980 and by bequest in 1981. The inclusive dates of the Papers are 1890-1984, from their years in Germany through their careers in the United States. Few holograph scores from Weill's European years are included, though his publisher at that time, Universal Edition, gave Yale copies of the original manuscripts held by Universal, which are now on deposit at the Sibley Library of the Eastman School of Music. The American works are essentially complete and are supplemented by correspondence, programs, clippings, photographs, and personal documents representing the careers of Weill and Lenya. The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., maintains a Weill/Lenya Research Center in New York City, which is an information center for conductors, performers, and producers. The Foundation has materials not included in the Yale collection.
See Florence Wilshire: Muzio Clementi and His Era
MSS 129 - World War I Sheet Music; 0.5'
Sheet music (chiefly songs for voice and piano) from World War I, mainly from the perspective of the United States. Most of the music was published in 1917 or 1918. A few pieces pre-date American involvement in the War, or even the War itself, but are patriotic in nature, and were apparently popular during the War. (Partially processed)
MSS 2 - The Helen Wright Papers; .25'
Approximately 25 letters and 10 photographs of Myra Hess and Teresa Carreño addressed to Helen Madeline Wright, a former pupil of theirs. The material spans the years 1907-1954. A gift of Mrs. Arnold Hall in 1961.
MSS 85 - The Samue Yaffe Papers; 1.75'
Samuel Yaffe (1907-1980) was a New Haven-based pianist, composer, and teacher. He studied at the Yale School of Music and the Juilliard School. The collection includes manuscripts and photocopied music composed by Yaffe and others, correspondence, programs, clippings, reviews, photographs, and other biographical material. (Partially processed)
MSS 3 - The Yale School of Music Papers; 8'
The collection contains 550 letters spanning the years 1897-1950 and involving chiefly Horatio Parker, the New Haven Symphony, and prominent musical personalities of the day. It also includes many concert programs, as well as some student papers and compositions. Manuscripts and Archives also holds archival collections from the Yale School of Music.
MSS 13 - The Yale School of Music D.M.A. Papers; 89'
The Yale School of Music D.M.A. Papers contain dossiers documenting the professional activities of successful candidates for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. They cover a degree candidate's activities between receipt of the Master of Musical Arts degree and return for the D.M.A. degree. New dossiers are added each year.
Misc. Ms. 51 - Yale School of Music Graduate Degree Projects; 2.5'
This collection contains the final written projects of 63 students who were candidates for the Master of Music or Master of Musical Arts degree in the Yale School of Music from 1961 to 1971. These projects were not collected systematically, so some students who received such degrees during that period may not be represented. Degree projects are made available for research in the Music Library upon application to a Music Library staff member. In some instances, permission to access an individual project may also require permission from the author.
Misc. Ms. 59 - Papers of the Yale Music Curriculum Project; 1'
This collection consists of a music curriculum project developed by Claude V. Palisca and Kenneth Wendrich under the auspices of the Yale School of Music and with funding from the Cooperative Research Program of the Office of Education, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Teacher and student manuals by 6 authors are present for 7 of the projected 9 units. The final report of the project, " An approach to musical understanding for secondary school students" (New Haven, 1970), is housed in the Music Library with the call number MT3 U58 Y1+.
MSS 122 - Records of the Yale Seminar on Music Education, [1963]; 0.5'
A seminar on music education was held at Yale University June 17 through June 28, 1963. It was co-sponsored by Yale and the Cooperative Research Program of the U.S. Office of Education. Claude V. Palisca served as chairman and wrote the final report. Participants included prominent scholars from a variety of American universities. (Not yet processed)
MSS 43 - The Karl Young Papers; 7.5'
The Collection consists chiefly of notes and photocopies of sources collected for Young's (1879-1943) lifelong study of medieval drama. A Professor of English at Yale from 1923 until his death, he is the author of the well-known two-volume study The Drama of the Medieval Church (Oxford University Press, 1933). (Not yet processed)
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