Restrictions on Access
Materials are open to research without restriction.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright to materials in this collection has not been transferred to
the Manuscripts Division. Daniel, Trotter and the interviewees retain copyright
to their materials.
Preferred Citation
William R. Trotter Collection (PA 71), Performing Arts Archives,
University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.
Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Minnesota Orchestra Archives by
Trotter in 1996.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Leslie
Czechowski, January 2003.
Biographical/Historical Note
Oliver Daniel, producer of New York Philharmonic
and Boston Symphony broadcasts and author of a noted biography of Leopold
Stokowski, began research on a biography of
Dimitri Mitropoulos in the 1980s. He conducted
extensive interviews of noted conductors, musicians, singers, and other people
in the music world. He corresponded with old friends and colleagues of
Mitropoulos in order to prepare for the biography. He died in 1990 after
writing only one chapter of the book.
Bill Trotter was asked to complete the Mitropoulos biography. He notes
in his introduction that “most of the research is Oliver’s; the writing is
mine.”
Scope and Content Note
The collection includes research materials for Trotter’s book,
Priest of Music: The Life of Dimitri Mitropoulos.
Daniel and his assistant
Donald J. Ott meticulously transcribed the
hundreds of interviews done by Daniel. Included in the interview files
[Boxes 1-3]are the typescripts, correspondence between Daniel or
Ott and the interviewees, and additional material such as programs. A few files
include copies of correspondence between the interviewee and Mitropoulos.
Interviewees include noted composers, conductors, and staff and musicians from
the
New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. A list of
interviewees can be found in the bibliography of Trotter’s book.
Boxes 3-4 include photocopies of newspaper clippings
relating to Mitropoulos from newspapers in both Minneapolis and New York plus
foreign papers when Mitropoulos was on tour. Nearly half of the clippings are
organized chronologically.
Box 5 contains Trotter’s working files as he wrote the
book. Notable items include:
-
Cooper, William S.—Mitropoulos correspondence
(photocopies)
-
Diamond, David—Mitropoulos correspondence
(photocopies)
-
Kaysoyanis, Katy—Mitropoulos correspondence
(photocopies) – Note by Trotter: omitted from the published edition of her book
on Mitropoulos
-
Kostios, Apostolos G. Copy of dissertation on
Mitropoulos (in German)
-
Krenek, Ernest—Mitropoulos correspondence
(photocopies) Mitropoulos’ FBI file
-
Paulu, Burton.
“Conversations in History”