Music

Music

Brown, Allen A. (1835-1916) Music Collection

(Arts Department, currently unavailable) An amateur musician and avid collector,  Allen A. Brown donated his collection to the Boston Public Library in 1894. Clearly delineated in the terms of his gift was the fact that it was to be a non-circulating, research collection. At the time of the gift, there were approximately 6,900 volumes. By the time of his death, the collection had grown to around 16,000 volumes. The collection is particularly strong in music of the turn of the century. One of its particular strengths is in 19th-century opera, both published and manuscript scores: several of these are performance manuscripts. Part songs, chamber music, orchestral music and oratorios only represent part of the collection. It also contains pamphlets, musical polemics, biographies, monographs, and serials dating from all periods of music. A regular concert-goer, Brown amassed collections of concert programs from the Boston area and from the places he visited while on business. For certain performing groups such as the Handel & Haydn Society, he approached friends and acquaintances for their files to make his more complete. His collection also includes autographed scores dedicated to him by Boston composers. Today the collection continues to grow and now contains over 40,000 volumes. Online access: The digitized four-volume catalog of the Allen A. Brown collection (published 1910-1916) is available online. Selections from the Allen A. Brown Music collection are accessible through Digital Commonwealth and through the Internet Archive. 

Fantin-Latour, Henri (1836-1904)

(Print Department) Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) was a French painter and printmaker.  Fantin-Latour’s lithographs are often associated with the growing Symbolist movement of the second half of the 19th century. In particular, he used that medium to explore his interest in the relationship between the visual arts and music. Many of his prints were inspired by the compositions of the contemporary composers Richard Wagner, Robert Schuman, Johannes Brahms, Hector Berlioz, and Gioachino Antonio Rossini. With a few exceptions, Boston Public Library’s collection of nearly 500 prints by Fantin-Latour came in 1949 as a gift of Albert H. Wiggin, who continued to provide new acquisitions to the library’s Print Department after his initial gift of his private collection of prints and drawings in 1941. Digitized images from this collection are available through Digital Commonwealth. 

Medieval Manuscripts

(Rare Books & Manuscripts) The BPL's Medieval and Early Renaissance Manuscripts Collection documents the development of Western script and illumination across six centuries. The collection represents a major resource for the study of history and art during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe, and is among the finest held by any public institution in America. Holdings are rich in liturgical and devotional works, along with classical Latin and Greek texts, works of philosophy, science, law, geography, and a variety of other subjects and genres. Despite its name, the collection is not strictly limited by standard periodization. Certain later manuscripts, which continue earlier traditions of scribal practice or illumination, are also included, as are a select number of later manuscripts with close associations to materials at the core of the collections. Information and online access For detailed information about this distinguished collection, including information about its contents, history, and organization, please consult the BPL research guide, opens a new window. (Rare Books & Manuscripts)

Wyman, Lilla Viles Collection

(Rare Books & Manuscripts) The Lilla Viles Wyman Collection is comprised of 183 dance books covering such topics as Swedish folk dances, Buddhist ceremonial dances, ballroom dancing, classical ballet, and the history of the polka, among others (Rare Books & Manuscripts)

Young, Victor (1900-1956) Collection

The collection contains 1400 items, primarily conductor’s scores, vocal/piano scores, lead sheets, and instrumental parts, once used by film composer, arranger, and conductor Victor Young. Best known for his Academy Award winning score for Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Young also composed the music for more than 300 films, two Broadway shows, and numerous hit songs and commercials. (The Arts)

A-Z Collections Index