mo-14 Minnesota Orchestra Historical Materials Finding aid created by Leslie Czechowski University of Minnesota Libraries 17 October 2003
University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455
EAD encoding by Leslie Czechowski, 17 October 2003 English Minnesota Orchestra Staff Minnesota Orchestra Historical Materials 1892-2003 University of Minnesota Libraries. Performing Arts Archives, Manuscripts Division [paa] 6 boxes (2.3 linear feet) These materials include letters, newspapers, publications, etc. that were collected at various times by various people and constitute an historical archive of the Orchestra. They include items created by or about people associated with the Orchestra. PA 12, Series 14 English Mezzanine Restrictions on Access

Materials are open to research without restriction except for portions designated as restricted, confidential, or sealed. For the latter material, prior permission in writing from the President of the Minnesota Orchestral Association is required.

Permission to examine this collection will be granted to any qualified researcher upon completion of an application form. The original documents do not circulate and may only be used in the Reading Room of the Manuscripts Division.

 Restrictions on Use

Photoreproduction and audio reproduction of any materials in which the Minnesota Orchestral Association holds copyright, shall be performed only with the written permission of the MOA except for photoreproduction of any published materials of the Association in the public domain.

 Preferred Citation

Minnesota Orchestra Historical Materials (PA 12, Series 14), Minnesota Orchestra Archives, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.

 Acquisition

Donated to the Orchestra by various people and transferred to the archives from mid 1970s to 2003.

 Processing Information

The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Leslie Czechowski in 2001 and updated in 2003.

 Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into two series: John Sherman Research Materials, 1940s Historical Materials, 1892-2003

Scope and Content Note

These materials include letters, newspapers, publications, etc. that were collected at various times by various people and constitute an historical archive of the Orchestra. They include items created by or about people associated with the Orchestra.

John Sherman Research Materials (Box 1) includes correspondence, interview notes, and other research materials that he collected in the late 1940s as he was preparing for his book, <emph render="italic">Music & Maestros</emph>.

Historical Materials. Boxes 2, 3, 5, 6 contain assorted items arranged in chronological order. Box 4 contains sections of newspapers that relate to the Orchestra or people associated with the Orchestra.

 Related Material

Proclamations, historic correspondence, etc.is located in Series 13.2. The John Sherman collection (PA4) also contains material from the writing of Music & Maestros.

Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Sherman, John K.(John Kurtz), 1898-1969 Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra--History Minnesota Orchestra--History Music and Maestros Detailed Contents

The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection.

John Sherman Research Materials 1940s

Includes correspondence, interview notes, and other research materials that Sherman collected as he was preparing Music and Maestros. Interviews and reminiscences are listed below.

Avery, Stanley R. (regarding Oberhoffer & Verbrugghen) Blanchard, Eva; Ticket Office (regarding Oberhoffer) Carpenter, E.L. Orchestra President, 1905-45 Carpenter, E.L., Mrs. (re her husband, Elbert) Davies, Mrs. Grace Denecke, Henry, Musician (?) (re Mitropoulos) Ferguson, Donald, Program Annotator (re Oberhoffer) Fischer, Carlo, Musician (regarding Oberhoffer & Carpenter) Gaines, Arthur, Orchestra manager, 1923-20, 1938-53 Heighton, Wendell, Orchestra manager, 1909-12 (includes tour information) Hunt, Hamlin (re Oberhoffer and Verbrugghen) Kalman, C.O. (Oscar), with St. Paul Symphony in its early years Kelcey, Charles, President, Minneapolis Musicians Assn. (re Oberhoffer & Verbrugghen eras) Luxton, George MacPhail, William, Orchestra musician, 1903-11 (re early years) McKnight, Sumner T., Orchestra President, 1945-48 Peterson, J. Rudolph, Violinist (ca. 1911-19) Pillsbury, John S., Orchestra President, 1955-58 Scheurer, Karl, Orchestra Violinist Scott, Mrs. Carlyle, Orchestra manager, 1930-38 Verrall, John, Orchestra musican (?) (re Verbrugghen) Williams, Henry J., Orchestra musician (harp?), 1908-44 Historical Materials 1892-2003

Materials are arranged in boxes by size and then chronologically. Boxes 2 & 6 are letter size document cases; Box 3 is a legal size document case; Box 4 contains newspapers; Box 5 is for oversize items.

 1892 ---- Program cover for Danz Orchestra (Box 2) 1901-03 - Philharmonic announcements (Box 3)

From Series 9.2 Clippings (Box 1)

 1903 ---- Photocopied program of first concert (Box 2)

Contains reviews

 191? ---- Season ticket ad (Box 2)

Page from a book?

 1910 ---- Early postcards & announcements (Box 2) 1912 ---- Postcard of M.S.O. debut at Carnegie Hall (Box 2)

Donated by Mari Carlson

 1912 ---- Postcard from M.S.O. tour to Cleveland (Box 2) 1912 ---- Postcard for M.S.O. appearance in Neenah, Wisconsin (Box 2)

Gift of Adele Tiffany

1912-13 - Twin Cities' Musicians Directory (Box 2)

Photocopy; seems to be incomplete

 1915 ---- Music News (periodical) (Box 5)

1 January 1915 article about St. Paul

 1916 ---- Letter and newspaper clippings regarding M.S.O. Boston appearance (Box 2) 1918 ---- Ad for the M.S.O. (Box 2)

photocopy; appeared in The Bellman, 31 August 1918

 192? ---- Oberhoffer, Emil. "Master-Master" (poem) (Box 2)

192? ---- Karl Scheurer biographical materials (Box 2) 192? ---- Three cartoons from St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer (Box 5)

"Hoff at Symphony Rehearsal;" includes sketches of Verbrugghen, Ayres, Faetkenheuer, Lemay, Cullen, Schugens

 1920 ---- Emil Oberhoffer letter to E.J. Phelps (Box 2)

Photocopy

 1922 ---- Letter from J.W. Chester to Henri Verbrugghen (Box 2) 1922? --- Verbrugghen Quartet program (Box 2) 1925-29 - Opera programs. Guarantors' list (Box 3)

From Mrs. Carlyle Scott's Downtown concert Series (?); transferred from Scrapbook #91 in Series 9.1

 1926-27 -"In the Halls of Kings" (Box 2)

Season brochure

 1927 ---- Guarantors' lists (Box 3)

Transferred from Scrapbook #77 in Series 9.1

 1935 ---- "In the Symphony Orchestra with the Candid Camera" (Box 4)

From the Minneapolis Journal, 8 December 1935; transferred from PA 12 N

 1936-37 - Irving Winslow's musicians' contract (Box 3)

1937 ---- Mitropoulos' testimonial banquet program (Box 2)

Found in clippings folder

 1947 --- "Complete Record: Conductors, Repertoire...1903-04--1946-47" (Box 2)

Compiled by Carolo Fischer

 1949 ---- Houk, Norman. "How Music Grew in Minnesota" (Box 5)

Minneapolis Tribune, 28 August 1949

 1949-57 - Correspondence between Florence Carpenter, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and others (Box 2)

Photocopies

 1950, 1952-Mitropoulos letters to Louis Zelle (Box 2)

Donated by the Zelle family

 1950-51? -"Suggestions for Putting Our Symphony Orchestra on a Solid Footing" (Box 2)

Donated by the family of Leonard Carpenter

 1950? --- Notebook of notes taken during interviews about conductors Oberhoffer through Mitropoulos (photocopy) (Box 6)

By Mrs. Marie Euler Carlson. Note: some interviewees were wives of the conductors

 1950s --- Musical Message pamphlets (Box 2)

Published by Northwestern National Life Insurance Company

 1952 ---- Program from Firenze, Italy, Mitropoulos conducting (Box 6)

In Italian

 1953 ---- Gloria Burkhart (Box 4)

Minneapolis Sunday Tribune Picture Magazine, 29 November 1953

 1953-62 - "Nutcracker" scripts (Box 6)

By Antal Dorati, Arnold Walker, Bob De Haven

 1953-69 - Young People's Symphony Concerts materials (Box 6)

Includes programs donated by Elfrieda Hintz, Minneapolis (classroom teacher and WAMSO member)

 1955 ---- Letter from Jean Sibelius (Box 6)

In frame

 1958 ---- "The World is Their Concert Hall" (Box 4)

Minneapolis Sunday Tribune Picture Magazine, 19 October 1958

 1959 ---- Sokoloff, Boris. Correspondence regarding conductors (Box 6) 1959 ---- Background information about the M.S.O. (Box 6)

By Charles S. Bellows

 1959? --- Announcement of appointment of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (Box 6) 1960-61 - Dinner invitation, typed on sheet music (Box 6)

Dinner given by Mr. & Mrs. Boris Sokoloff; donated by Louis Zelle

 1962-66 - Minneapolis Symphony String Quartet (Box 6)

Programs and reviews; Quartet included Norman Carol, Henry Kramer, Robert Jamieson, Gaetano Molieri

 1965 ---- History of the Orchestra (Box 6)

Boris Sokoloff's file

 1966? --- Bemis, Judson. "New Dimensions Fund Drive--Endowed Chairs" (Box 6) 1970 ---- Personnel lists: staff & musicians (Box 6) 1972 --- "A Danz Band That Became An Orchestra" (Box 4)

Minneapolis Star, 21 September 1972

 1972 --- "Moving the Met" (Box 4)

St. Paul Pioneer Press & Dispatch Sunday Magazine, 21 May 1972

 1974 --- "A New Home for the Orchestra" (Box 4)

Minneapolis Star, 18 October 1974

 1974 --- "Minnesota's Magnificant Orchestra Hall" (Box 4)

In Minnesota Motorist, November 1974

 1977 ---- Greater Minneapolis (Magazine) (Box 6)

Special issue: "The Minnesota Orchestra's 75th Anniversary"

 1979 --- "New Top Man on the Podium..." (Slatkin) (Box 4)

Sunday Magazine, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 5 August 1979

 1979 ---- "The Private Slatkin" (Box 4)

Sunday Pictures, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 November 1979

 1979 ---- Neville Marriner (Box 4)

Minneapolis Star, 9 June 1979

 1980s --- Orchestra "snakes" (program listings) (Box 6)

1981 --- "We're Just First Among Equals" (Box 6)

Article about Minnesota Orchestra's first chair principals, Twin City Magazine, May 1981

 1983 --- "A Truly Fabulous Fourth" (Box 6)

IDS Magazine, June-July 1983

 1985 ---- British Festival invitation (Box 5)

1989 ---- Edo de Waart (Box 4)

Star Tribune Sunday Magazine, 5 November 1989

 199? ---- Clifford Johnson Memoirs (Box 6)

Johnson was a double bass player until 1995

 199? ---- Herman Straka's family photographs (photocopies) (Box 6)

Straka was a violinist with the Orchestra

 1991 --- "Orchestral Maneuvers" (Box 4)

Skyway News, 10 January 1991

 1992 ---- Symphony magazine, July/August 1992 (Box 6)

Photograph of the Minnesota Orchestra is on the cover

 1993 ---- Raymond Fitch memoirs (Box 6)

Fitch was a bass player until 1970

 1995 ---- Mitropoulos Exhibit Catalogue (Box 6)

The exhibition, "In Memoriam Dimitri Mitropoulos," was sponsored by the Foundation for Hellenic Culture. The catalogue includes a short biographical essay, list of works composed by DM, and a list of world premieres conducted by DM.

 1998 ---- Four newspaper articles on first European tour (Box 4) 1999 ---- Robert Hurt's retirement speech (Box 6)

Donated by Henry Kramer who requested that it be added as an addendum to his book, Following the Beat which is not yet in the archives

 1999 ---- Roger Frisch's speech at the M.O.A. annual meeting, December 1999 (Box 6) 2000-01 -"The Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra" (Box 6)

2002 --- "One Hundred Years--Minnesota Orchestra" (Box 4)

Minneapolis Star Tribune, 8 September 2002

 2003 --- "In Appreciation of Kenneth N. Dayton" (Box 4)

New York Times, Sunday 27 July 2003

 2003 --- "A Collection of Musician & Board Member Memories" (Box 6)

29 July 2003, Minnesota Orchestra Centennial Reunion

 2004 --- Sam Bergman. European Tour blog [copy printed on paper] (Box 7)

Includes article from Washington Post about Bergman and his blog.