ContentsOrganization of the William Remsen Strickland Collection Container List |
William Remsen Strickland CollectionProcessed by the Music Division of the Library of Congress2009
Biographical NoteWilliam Remsen Strickland was born in Defiance, Ohio, in 1914. After beginning his musical career as an organist, he shifted his focus to conducting. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941-1946, attending the Army music school and subsequently founding the Army Music School Choir, whose performances featured compositions by musicians serving in the armed forces, including Cecil Effinger, Homer Keller, and Kent Kennan. Upon exiting the Army in 1946, Strickland co-founded the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, which he led until 1951. He also conducted several concerts and recordings of modern music at Dumbarton Oaks, including the first recording of his friend Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Eleanor Steber. In 1952 and 1953, Strickland traveled to Vienna on a Fulbright scholarship to begin his life-long campaign of championing the works of American composers abroad. For nearly three years, Strickland led the Vienna Symphony in performances of works by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Henry Cowell, Mary Howe, Edward MacDowell, Robert Ward, and others. From 1955 to 1959, Strickland was the musical director of the New York Oratorio Society, which he led in performances of Stravinsky, Honegger, Barber, and Cowell, in addition to the group's annual Christmas concerts of Handel's Messiah. Under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, he continued his efforts to promote American music, traveling to Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam in 1958 and 1959. In addition to working with local orchestras to perform concerts, Strickland made numerous recordings of contemporary compositions for the record label Composers Recordings, Inc. (CRI). Strickland returned to Europe in 1963, conducting performances and recordings in Finland, Poland, and Sweden, as well as directing the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1962-63. In the late 1960s, he established a residence in Portugal and turned his attention to his study of the music of Charles Ives, whom he had long considered the quintessential American composer. A planned book on Ives never came to fruition, and Strickland instead focused on creating electronic realizations of several Ives compositions, which he felt were impossible to perform as the composer intended. After retiring to Connecticut, Strickland continued his experiments with electronic music, recording in 1979 An Electronic Visit to the Zoo and Sound Hypnosis. He died in 1991. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThe William Remsen Strickland Collection spans the period 1926-1991; the bulk of the materials date from 1946-1970. The collection includes correspondence, concert programs, publicity materials, newspaper and magazine clippings, music manuscripts, printed scores, articles, speeches and notes, photographs, scrapbooks, datebooks, journals, graphs, and recordings. Return to the Table of Contents Selected Search TermsPeople
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Return to the Table of Contents Organization of the William Remsen Strickland CollectionThe William Remsen Strickland Collection is organized into ten series:
Return to the Table of Contents Container ListRegional FilesThe "Regional files" series documents Strickland’s travels throughout his career, beginning with his service in the U.S. Army. In many cases, Strickland remained in a given region for a period ranging from several months to several years. The series is arranged chronologically, with each major region divided into four distinct sub-series: correspondence (related directly to each region), concert programs, publicity materials (advertisements, newspaper and magazine clippings), and miscellaneous documents. Many of the foreign language clippings are supplemented with translations provided by the U.S. State Department. U.S. Army, 1941-1946Correspondence1942-1945Programs1942-1944Publicity materialsClippings, 1942-1944MiscellaneousU.S. Army recordsU.S. Army personnel documentsNashville, 1946-1951CorrespondenceMarjorie Cooney (manager of NSO) to WRSWalter and Huldah Sharp to WRS, 1945-1951WRS to Walter Sharp, 1945-1950Re: death of Walter Sharp, 1970Letters and telegrams to WRS re: broadcast of NSO on NBC 1949 Jan. 15Miscellaneous to WRS, 1946-1950Miscellaneous to WRS, 1951-1968Miscellaneous to WRS, undatedPrograms1946-19471947-19481948-19511986-1988Publicity materials1949-1987MiscellaneousNSO business documentsPre-NSO orchestra plansNotes by WRSLetters of recommendation for WRSVienna, 1951-1955CorrespondenceRe: Fulbright scholarshipsRe: recordingsMiscellaneousPrograms1952-1955Publicity materials1952-1955MiscellaneousPlanning documentsNew York Oratorio Society, 1955-1959CorrespondenceChorus members to WRSLetters to WRSLetters to WRS, undatedTelegrams to WRSLetters by WRSPrograms1955-1958Publicity materials1955-1957Clippings, 1955-1957JapanCorrespondenceU.S. State DepartmentTokyoOsakaMiscellaneousProgramsTokyoOsakaPublicity materialsTokyoTokyo clippingsOsakaMiscellaneousMiscellaneous1958PhilippinesCorrespondence1957-1966Programs1958-1959Publicity materialsClippingsMiscellaneous1958KoreaCorrespondence1958-1961ProgramsUndatedPublicity materialsClippingsMiscellaneousUndatedVietnamCorrespondence1959-1967ProgramsSaigonPublicity materialsSaigonMiscellaneousSaigonIcelandCorrespondence1961-1963Programs1962-1964Publicity materials1962-1963Miscellaneous1962-1963FinlandCorrespondence1962-1964Programs1965Publicity materialsClippingsMiscellaneous1964, undatedPolandCorrespondence1964-1970Programs1965Publicity materialsUndatedMiscellaneousContracts1966Miscellaneous U.S. performances and recordingsCorrespondenceMiscellaneousPrograms1942-1963Music at Dumbarton Oaks: A record, ; Dumbarton Oaks, 1940-19701940-1950Publicity materials1956-1967Miscellaneous non-U.S. performances and recordingsCorrespondenceSwedenMiscellaneousProgramsMiscellaneousPublicity materials1962-1968MiscellaneousMiscellaneousU.S. State Department grant documentsU.S. State Department Regional voucherAwards and honorsPublicity re: H.W. Gray PublishingPublicity re: miscellaneous recordingsCorrespondenceThe "Correspondence" series is divided into three sub-series: letters and telegrams received by Strickland, those written by Strickland, and miscellaneous documents. The latter includes material related to Strickland’s recordings, interviews with researchers, potential employers throughout his career, letters between other parties that reference Strickland, and letters written to the H.W. Gray Publishing Co. Substantial correspondence is present from composers Samuel Barber, Henry Cowell, Cecil Effinger, Mary Howe, Homer Keller, Ned Rorem, Arnold Schoenberg, and Robert Ward. Other notable correspondents include Henry and Ginny Pleasants, as well as Strickland’s close friends Anne Hull, Margaret F. Castle, Louise Davis, and Sidney and Eleanor Clark. Letters to WRSAntheil, GeorgeAvshalomov, JacobA- [miscellaneous]Bacon, ErnstBarber, SamuelBeach, Amy Marcy CheneyBeeson, JackBerg, HeleneBerger, KarenBerger, TheodoreBergsma, WilliamBerkeley, LenoxBiggs, E. PowerBingham, SethBliss, ArthurBritten, BenjaminBritton, DorothyBrunold, HellaBuell, WilliamB- [miscellaneous]Carlson, LarryCarpenter, John AldenCary, TristamCastelnuovo-Tedesco, MarioCastle, Margaret F.Chanler, TheodoreChávez, CarlosCitkowitz, IsraelClaflin, AveryCopland, AaaronCowell, HenryCowell, OliveCowell, SidneyCreston, PaulCrofts, Margaret LeeCurzon, CliffordC- [miscellaneous]Daniel, OliverDavis, LouiseDiamond, DavidDownes, Agnes and RalphDox, ThurstonD- [miscellaneous]Effinger, Cecil, 1942-1945Effinger, Cecil, , undated 1946-1964Engel, CarlE- [miscellaneous]Farrar, GeraldineFassett, JamesFine, Irving GiffordFlanagan, WilliamF- [miscellaneous]Gaul, HarveyGlazer, DavidGoeb, RogerGray, H. WillardGreissle, FelixGutter, RobertG- [miscellaneous]Haines, EdmundHall, DavidHamilton, MargaretHanson, HowardHarmon, CarterHarris, Roy and JoannaHeinsheimer, Hans W.Hindemith, Paul Letter from Ernest R. Voigt, P. Hindemith Personal Management, 1941 Sept. 26.Ho, Anita MagsaysayHoiby, LeeHowe, Mary and CalderonHull, AnneH- [miscellaneous]Ísólfsson, PállJacobi, Frederick and IreneJames, PhilipJohnson, ThorJones, CharlesJosten, Werner Correspondence from various members of the Josten family.J- [miscellaneous]Kay, UlyssesKeller, HomerKennan, KentKerr, HarrisonKindler, HansKochs, EllisKorte, KarlKramer, A. WalterKrenek, ErnstKubik, GailK- [miscellaneous]Lewin-Richter Ossiander, AndresLipkin, Arthur BennettList, EugeneLuening, OttoL- [miscellaneous]MacLeish, ArchibaldMahler, AlmaMalco, NicolaiMayer, WilliamMcKay, George FrederickMenotti, Gian CarloMeyers, EmersonMilhaud, DariusMitchell, MarjorieMoeran, Ernest JohnMontgomery, John D.Moore, DouglasM- [miscellaneous]Ormandy, EugeneO- [miscellaneous]Palmer, Robert M.Parker, Horatio Letters from Grace Semler.Parris, RobertPerry, JuliaPisk, Paul AmadeusPiston, WalterPleasants, Henry and VirginiaPorter, QuincyP-Q- [miscellaneous]Rorem, NedRose, HazelR- [miscellaneous]Salmenhaara, ErkkiSchein, AnnSchmedes, DagmarSchoenberg, ArnoldSchuman, WilliamSessions, RogerSmith, RussellSowerby, LeoSpivacke, HaroldStahlman, SylviaStravinsky, IgorS- [miscellaneous]Taylor, DeemsTaylor, PrentissThatcher, John S.Thompson, RandallThomson, VirgilThorne, FrancisTircuit, HeuwellTournemire, CharlesTurner, CharlesT- [miscellanous]Wagenaar, BernardWalton, WilliamWarbure, Gerald F.Ward, Robert, 1942-1959Ward, Robert, 1960-1971Ward, Robert, undatedWatanabe, AkeoWatson, FrancesWaxman, DonaldWhithorne, EmersonWilder, AlecWillan, HealeyWilliams, David McKWoodworth, G. WallaceWork, John W.Zallinger-Thurn, Maria vonV-Z- [miscellaneous] and unidentifiedLetters by WRSCastle, Margaret F., 1952-1953Castle, Margaret F., 1954-1955Castle, Margaret F., 1964-1969Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1953-1963Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1964-1966Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1966-1968Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, , undated 1969-1973Davis, Louise, 1949Davis, Louise, 1950Davis, Louise, 1951Davis, Louise, 1952Davis, Louise, 1953-1954Davis, Louise, 1955Davis, Louise, 1956Davis, Louise, 1957-1958Davis, Louise, 1959-1960Davis, Louise, 1961-1962Davis, Louise, 1963-1964Davis, Louise, 1965-1966Davis, Louise, 1967Davis, Louise, 1968Davis, Louise, 1969Davis, Louise, 1970Davis, Louise, undatedHowe, MaryHull, Anne, 1958Hull, Anne, 1959Hull, Anne, 1960-1961Hull, Anne, 1962Hull, Anne, 1963Hull, Anne, 1964Hull, Anne, 1965-1970Moog, RobertSpivacke, HaroldStrickland, HelenWaters, EdMiscellaneousMiscellaneousGruenberg, Louis to H.W. Gray Publishing Co., IncLetters about WRS by othersRe: disposal of library, 1967-1968Re: interviews regarding Barber, Cowell, HoweRe: miscellaneous employment, 1934-1966Re: miscellaneous recordingsRe: research related to Schoenberg’s Variations for Organ, op. 40Re: WRS recording, An Electronic Trip to the ZooStokowski, Leopold to H.W. Gray Publishing Co., Inc.MusicThe "Music" series is divided into five sub-series: manuscripts by Strickland (including theory exercises, sketches, and compositions), music annotated by Strickland chiefly for the purpose of conducting, music inscribed to Strickland by composers (including Barber and Cowell), music edited by Strickland for the H.W. Gray Publishing Co., and miscellaneous manuscripts owned by Strickland. Notable among these are a holograph sketch page by Alban Berg, a leaf from an unidentified seventeenth-century manuscript, and a copy of an orchestral transcription of Schoenberg's Variations on a Recitative, op. 40 by Felix Greissle. Manuscripts by WRSAir for contralto Holograph vocal part; [1] p.Aubade for viola and harpsichord Holograph viola part; [1] p.Two canticles of praise: Jubilate; Benedictus es domine Holograph full score; 12 p.Two canticles of praise: Jubilate; Benedictus es domine Photocopied full score of Jubilate; 9 p.Two canticles of praise: Jubilate; Benedictus es domine Printed full scores; 9, 8 p.A flower given to my daughter Holograph vocal part; [1] p.A flower given to my daughter Photocopied holograph piano-vocal score; [2] p.A flower given to my daughter Printed piano-vocal scoreIone, dead the long year 3 holograph piano-vocal scores; [3] p. ea.Ione, dead the long year Printed piano-vocal scoreTwo medieval carols : Lully lully ; Jesus sweet 2 holograph piano-vocal scores; [5, 6] p.Praise to the Lord the Almighty Holograph vocal score; [1] p.She weeps over Rahoon 2 holograph piano-vocal sketches; [4] p. ea.She weeps over Rahoon Photocopied holograph piano-vocal score; [3] p.She weeps over Rahoon Printed piano-vocal scoreSt. Anne 2 holograph short scores; [4, 3] p.St. Anne Holograph score of brass parts; [3] p.[Sketches, vocal texts, and notes] 130 p. of musical material and 41 p. of vocal texts and notes[Student assisgnments and exams][Theory exercises]Music annotated by WRSBarber, SamuelKnoxville: Summer of 1915Knoxville: Summer of 1915Blake, WilliamProphecy 1972Bowles, Richard W.Prayer and affirmationCowell, Henry...if He pleaseMusic for orchestraSymphony no. 16Effinger, CecilAmerican menFanfareHear my cry, O GodO praise the lordO sing we merrily unto GodTennessee variationsHandel, George FridericMessiahHowe, MarySpring pastoralIves, CharlesCentral Park in the darkRobert Browning overtureThe unanswered questionKeller, HomerChamber symphonyOverture 1792The raiderSerenade for clarinet and stringsKennan, KentI saw the white daisiesI shall not careThe unknown warrior speaksKochs, Ellis B.The automatic pistolLife with Uncle (Sam)Passacaglia for organ and stringsSowerby, LeoPsalm CXXXWard, RobertSymphony no. 2Music inscribed to WRSBacon, ErnstFrom these statesBales, Richard HornerLinesBarber, SamuelThe coolinTwo essays for orchestraBeach, Amy Marcy CheneyPax nobiscumCowell, HenryHymn and fuguing tune: no. 14SupplicationHowe, MaryElegyÍsólfsson, PállChaccone for organIntroduktion og passacaglia for orgelKuhnau, JohannAch Herr, mich armen SünderSessions, RogerThe black maskersSousa, John PhilipCircumnavigator's Club waltzSowerby, LeoSuite for organTournemire, CharlesSymphonie-choral d’orgueWard, RobertLamentationThird symphonyMusic edited by WRS for H. W. Gray Co.Jacobi, FrederickPreludeMilhaud, DariusPastoralePorter, QuincyCanon and fugue for organSowerby, LeoFanfare for organThomson, VirgilPastorale on a Christmas plainsongMusic owned by WRSAnonymousAve verum corpus Manuscript fragment; [2] p.Barrows, JohnChorale fantasy : Jesu meine Freund Holograph manuscript score; 6 p.Berg, AlbanWozzeck Holograph manuscript sketch; [2] p.Boulanger, LiliPsaume 24 Arranger's holograph manuscript score for brass and chorus; 18 p.Keller, HomerFive pieces for clarinet and bassoon Holograph manuscript score; 7 p.Five pieces for clarinet and bassoon Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 6 p.Six preludes for piano Photocopied holograph manuscript score; [8] p.Symphony no. 4 Photocopied holograph manuscript short score of 3rd movement; [5] p.[Sketches] 2 holograph manuscripts; [1] p. ea.Kennan, KentSonatina for piano Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 11 p.Kochs, Ellis B.Legend : for oboe and strings Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 5 p.Night watch : a dialog for flute, horn, and kettledrums Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 3 p.Kubik, GailToccata for organ and strings Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 25 p.Lewis, MorganHow high the moon Manuscript score; 6 p.Rorem, NedA sermon on miracles Photocopied holograph manuscript score; 13 p.Schoenberg, ArnoldVariations on a recitative : op. 40 Photocopied arranger's holograph manuscript full score; 65 p.WritingsThe "Writings" series includes articles by Strickland that appeared in Modern Music, The Musical Courier, and other publications. Also present are written-out lectures and speeches, notes for extemporaneous public speaking, notes, outlines, and drafts for Strickland's unfinished book on Charles Ives, and notes on conducting techniques based on his private studies with Nikolai Malko. Strickland’s professional activities and thoughts on a variety of subjects are further captured by two additional series of manuscript materials described separately. Autobiographical materials and resumesPublished articlesMiscellaneous speeches and notesNotes and correspondence re: proposed book on Charles IvesNotes re: conducting technique, based on lessons with Nikolai MalkoJournalsThe "Journals" series consists of eleven bound volumes written between 1952 and 1976. 1952-1976 11 bound volumesDatebooksThere are nearly thirty "Datebooks" that provide accounts of Strickland's appointments and itineraries from 1962-1991. These supplement the journals. 1962-1972 11 bound volumes1973-1981 10 bound volumes1982-1991 9 bound volumesPhotographsThe "Photographs" series is comprised of several hundred black and white images of Strickland taken throughout his travels in the U.S. and abroad. These, together with the "Posters" series, visually compliment the extensive materials from the regional files. Photographic highlights include several 1963 photos of Strickland and Henry Cowell taken by Cowell’s wife, Sidney, in Iceland. U.S. Army, 1941-1946 99 black and white photographsWellesley College Conference, 1946 July 9 black and white photographsNashville, 1946-1951 67 black and white photographsVienna, 1952-1955 64 black and white photographsVienna, 1952-1955 155 black and white photographsNew York, 1955-1959 2 black and white photographsJapan, 1958-1961 159 black and white photographsKorea, 1958 24 black and white photographsPhilippines 180 black and white photographsVietnam, 1959 86 black and white photographsAmerican Composers Alliance Award presentation, 1961 7 black and white photographsIceland, 1963 11 black and white photographsAlice Ditson Award presentation, 1966 6 black and white photographsPostersThe "Posters" series contains items from Strickland's travels both home and abroad. Like the photographs they visually compliment the extensive materials from the regional files. Nashville, 1946-1951Vienna, 1952-1955Japan, 1958-1961Philippines, 1958-1959Korea, 1958Finland, 1964Poland, [196-]ScrapbooksA great majority of the bound volumes that form the basis of the "Scrapbooks" series were compiled by Strickland's close friend and supporter, Margaret F. Castle. The Castle scrapbooks include concert programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, and correspondence, most of which have been annotated by Castle herself. A considerable amount of these materials are duplicated in other series, but some original correspondence is found only in these scrapbooks. Other scrapbooks include a publicity book prepared for Strickland in Vienna, a volume of assorted materials from Manila, 1958-1959, and a scrapbook kept by Strickland during his teenage years. Vol. 1, 1942 Aug. 2-1944 Mar.Vol. 2, 1944 Mar. 14-1945 Apr. 4Vol. 3, 1945 Apr. 5-1946 Feb. 19Vol. 4, 1946 Feb. 19-1946 Dec. 10Vol. 5, 1946 Dec. 10-1947 Sept. 25Vol. 6, 1947 Sept. 25-1948 MayVol. 7, 1948 May-1949 Feb.Vol. 8, 1949 Jan.-1949 Sept.Vol. 9, 1949 Sept.-1950 Feb. 11Vol. 10, 1950 Feb. 12-1950 Nov. 10Vol. 11, 1950 Nov. 12-1951 Sept. 21Vol. 12, 1951 Sept. 21-1954 JuneVol. 13, 1954 Mar.-1955 JulyOddments [i.e. Odds and ends], vol. 1, 1927-1946Odds and ends, vol. 2, 1926-1950First concert of the NSO, 1946 Dec. 10Clippings related to Grace Cathedral, Jamaica, New York [2] p. onlyPhotographs and clippings compiled for publicity in EuropeClippings from Manila, Philippines, 1958 Sept. 5-1959 Jan. 18Clippings and photographs related to American organs and New York performances of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Schoenberg’s Die glückliche Hand, ca. 1930Clippings from Manila, Philippines, 1958 Feb.-Mar.MiscellaneousThe final series, "Miscellaneous" comprises two items, a framed 1958 portrait of Strickland by Clark Bailey and an inscribed copy of Joseph Szigeti’s autobiography. Portrait of WRS by Clark Bailey, 1958 Pencil drawing.Szigeti, Joseph. Strings AttachedReturn to the Table of Contents |
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