A small exhibit of medieval music is currently on display in the Special Collections reference area. It showcases leaves from four different choir book manuscripts, from medieval Malta, Flanders, Italy and Germany. The miniature painting reproduced here comes from the Italian leaf on display, which has been dated to the 14th century. The image depicts …
The Chansonnier Cordiforme, also known as the Chansonnier de Jean de Montchenu (M 2 .C42 M66 1460a) is a heart-shaped book of love songs, produced between 1460 and 1477. It contains “fourteen pieces with Italian texts and thirty with French texts,” representing “some of the most popular and widespread chansons of the day, as well …
World-renowned ragtime pianist Johnny Maddox died at the age of 91 on November 27, 2018. In 1970, Mr. Maddox deposited much of his vintage performing arts collection to BYU. Centering on ephemera from the first half of the 20th century, this included collections on American theatre, motion pictures, circus life, vaudeville and magic. All …
Special Collections recently acquired a fine art facsimile of the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a 13th century Galician manuscript which contains a large collection of songs and hymns to the Virgin Mary. The original (known to scholars as the T manuscript) is held by the Biblioteca de El Escorial. The surviving Cantigas manuscripts are highly …
Continuing the collaborative project of scanning opera and ballet materials begun in 2012, three BYU students recently completed a second summer of work in Belgium. This year’s effort was highly productive, resulting in more than one thousand new additions to the digital collection in just ten weeks. The BYU students (left to right: Karli West, …
John Marson (1932-2007) was a prominent British harpist and composer who also co-founded the UK Harp Association. He composed music for the harp, many combinations of chamber music, string quartets, and several musicals. His music manuscripts and personal papers were donated to the International Harp Archives at BYU at his passing in 2007. Marson was …
One of the most extensive archives housed in Music Special Collections is the Crawford Gates papers, an depository that includes manuscript scores, sound recordings, correspondence and other memorabilia. Crawford Gates is recognized nationally both as a conductor and composer. His music is well known and loved in the LDS community. He is perhaps best known …
This collection holds more than 420 separately published song sheets with songs dating from 1700 through 1820 which spans from the end of the reign of William III through the reigns of Queen Anne and Kings George I, George II, and George III. Many of the songs correspond to performances in theatres and opera houses. …
Music Special Collections recently acquired a selection of 29 scores illustrating the history and characteristics of the lithography printing process as applied to music. Lithography was popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries because it provided a greater accuracy in printing musical texts along with larger, quicker print runs. This new acquisition spans …
Music Special Collections include rare editions, manuscript scores, and music archives. Strengths are focused in harp music, viola music, popular American music of the twentieth century, opera, ballet and other dance music, early sheet music, hymnals, French chansons, and historical methods and treatises. Some of the most important larger manuscript collections and archives include: the …