Philip T. Bezanson Papers, 1946-1980
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Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Philip T. Bezanson Papers
Creation of Philip T. Bezanson Papers
Time of Creation of Philip T. Bezanson Papers
Bezanson, Philip T., 1916-1975
Biographical History for: Philip T. Bezanson Papers
Biographical Note A native of Athol, Massachusetts, Philip T. Bezanson (1916-1975) graduated from Yale University School of Music in 1940. Following war work and military service during World War II, he enrolled in the graduate program in musical composition at the State University of Iowa, Iowa City. He joined its faculty in 1948 and received his Ph.D. there in 1951. In 1954 he was appointed head of the program in musical composition, and in 1961 he was made full professor. In 1964, Dr. Bezanson was appointed to the faculty and named head of the Music Department of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He held the latter post until 1973 when he returned to full-time teaching at the University for the last two years of his life. Dr. Bezanson was active as a composer, particularly from 1946 through 1975, and he received several awards, including the prestigious Fromm Foundation award for his piano sonata in 1953. He also received a number of commissions, notably in 1953 from Dimitri Mitropoulos for a piano concerto, and in 1960 for the score to the opera "Golden Child", which was performed on national television on the Hallmark Theatre. In addition to his activities as a composer and teacher of music, Dr. Bezanson was active in the Music Teacher's National Association. Dr. Bezanson received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1971 and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Yale in 1974. The Bezanson Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Center of the University of Massachusetts Campus is named in his honor.
Acquired from Lillian Bezanson, 1975.
Scope and Contents of the Collection Materials relating to the development, performance, and publication of a number of Bezanson's compositions, including scores and parts for 46 of his 47 instrumental and vocal compositions, correspondence, programs and posters for performances of his works, papers relating to the development of the opera Golden Child, on which he collaborated with Paul Engle and which was performed on national television, score of the opera Stranger in Eden, with libretto by William A. Reardon, and other papers. Sound recordings for Bezanson's works can be found in the University Archives, Record Group 185. Others exist and are shelved among the holdings in the Music Library, W.E.B. Du Bois Library. (Use the Library Catalog to locate titles.) Voice and instrumental parts for at least one of Dr. Bezanson's works are in the Music Library of the University of Iowa.
The collection is open for research.
Related Material Sound recordings for Bezanson's works can be found in the University Archives, Record Group 185. Others exist and are shelved among the holdings in the Music Library, W.E.B. Du Bois Library. (Use the Library Catalog to locate titles.). Voice and instrumental parts for at least one of Dr. Bezanson's works are in the Music Library of the University of Iowa.
Processed by W. B. Cook, Jr., November 1981.
Composers--Massachusetts.
lcsh
Bezanson, Philip T., 1916-1975.
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University of Massachusetts Amherst. Department of Music.
University of Massachusetts Amherst--Faculty.
series
Series 1. Papers
Creation of Series 1. Papers
Time of Creation of Series 1. Papers
Includes clippings of newspaper articles about performances of Dr. Bezanson's works and some correspondence relating to performances, publication or copyrights of his works. In a few cases, he drafted replies on the versos of incoming letters. In addition, there are programs and posters for musical performances which included one or another of Dr. Bezanson's works, and material relating to several of his vocal works, most notably the opera Golden Child and its earlier version, Western Child in which he collaborated with the poet Paul Engle. These materials include several versions of the libretto and show some of the development of that text. Included also are an early synopsis of the opera's plot, sketches of its melody lines, and schedules for its rehearsal prior to its television performance. Two fragments of musical revisions, detached from unknown scores, and thirteen unlabeled music notebook sheets are in folder 20. Two oversized items are filed as the first two items' in box 2. Materials relating to the late Professor Howard M. Lebow, and the scholarship fund in his name, and to the second concert to benefit that fund, have been either removed to the Lebow and scholarship files of the Archives or destroyed.
Series 2. Scores
Creation of Series 2. Scores
Time of Creation of Series 2. Scores
The earliest of the 47 scores in this series dates from 1946, and most of the 37 scores for which there is an indication of the date were completed over the 25-year period from 1951 through 1975. The ten undated works appear to have been written between 1946 and 1956. One of the composer's works, Saint Judas, is known to have been retained by the donor. Two lists of the composer's works (see Series I, folder 7), one chronological and the other analytical and incomplete, vary somewhat in the titles given the works, and both often vary from the name given on the cover page of the score itself. The series contains eleven works with vocal parts, including two operas. The lyrics for four of the works, including one of the operas, were provided by Paul Engle. Lyricists and sources of lyrics for vocal works are: the Bible (11), William Blake (8, 37), Paul Engle (20, 26, 28, 36; See also Series 1), Keith Gunderson (8), Robert Herrick (8), Joseph Langland (22), Abraham Lincoln (21), Christopher Marlowe (44), and William Reardon (38). Although most of the scores are in the form of copies photoreproduced from holograph scores, there are nine holographs and three published scores in this series. Many scores include more or less extensive annotations, presumably those of the composer. Doubtless many of them were meant only to clarify or to emphasize musical points for the benefit of the performer or conductor, but there are a number of instances of changes in musical lines, and there are several instances of rather extensive revisions of music which were reproduced and pasted or attached by transparent tape over the text to be revised. Citations show the most complete and standard name of the work, its date and performance time where found, and, for vocal works, the name of the lyricist; under each title the kinds of scores and instrumental parts or reductions and the number of copies of each part in the Papers are listed. There are some 389 copies of scores and parts in the collection, and additional photocopies of parts. Where appropriate, indications of the composer's changes and annotations are noted. Unless otherwise indicated, all parts are reproduced from holograph scores.
Voice and instrumental parts for "Song of the Cedar" are in the Music library of the University of Iowa.
Inventory
Biographical: Vita, clips 1959-1964
Biographical: Clips 1965-1975
News Releases 1954-1973
Copyrights, contracts 1956-1962
Correspondence: General musical 1956-1964
Correspondence: American Composers' Alliance 1960-1964
Lists of works 1946-1975
Programs and posters 1956-1964
Programs and posters 1964-1980
Works: Requiem for the State University of Iowa Dead 1956
Works: Golden Child - rehearsal schedule 1960
Works: Golden Child - libretto no. 1 1960
Works: Golden Child - libretto no. 2 1960
Works: Golden Child - libretto revisions 1960
Works: Golden Child - libretto, mimeo 1960
Works: Western Child - vita [1856], correspondence, libretto and music 1960
Works: Western Child - libretto no. 1 1959, 1960
Works: Western Child - libretto no. 2 1959, 1960
Works: Dies Domini Magnus (Great Day of the Lord) 1971
Works: fragments, unlabeled n.d.
Miscellaneous n.d.
Poster for concert of "Friday, April 25 n.d.
Certificate of appointment to Massachusetts Council on Arts and Humanities 1966-1967
Anniversary overture for concert band (for the 75th anniversary of the State University of Iowa Concert Band). 7 minutes 30 seconds. Full score, annotated. 1956
Brass sextet. Three movements. 6.8 minutes, or 8-9 minutes. Full score and parts for 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones. Full score gives one time, and one of the parts, another. c. 1974
Capriccio concertante. Three movements. 16 minutes. Full score (annotated) and parts for 1st flute and piccolo, 2nd flute, 1st oboe, 2nd oboe, 1st bassoon; 2nd bassoon, 1st clarinet, 2nd clarinet, bass clarinet, 1st horn, 2nd horn, 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, bass trombone, timpani, snare drum, and triangle, xylophone, 4 bass- 6 cello- 5 viola, 8 1st violin, and 8 2nd violin. For first movement only, 2 full scores and parts for 3 bass, 5 cello 3 viola-, 8 1st violin and 8 2nd violin (annotated). 80 parts in all. 1967
Children's suite for piano, [for?] James Stratton. Five movements. Score. ca 1946
Church sonatina for organ. Three movements. 12 minutes. Holograph score, annotated. 1946
Concertino for oboe and string orchestra. 7 minutes. Full score and part for piano. 1969
Concerto for piano and orchestra, to Dimitri Mitropoulos. Three movements. 22 minutes. Full score and parts for piano, 1st flute, 2nd flute, piccolo, 1st oboe, 2nd oboe, 1st clarinet, 2nd clarinet, bass clarinet, 1st bassoon, 2nd bassoon, contra bassoon, 1st horn, 2nd horn, 3rd horn, 4th horn, 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, 3rd trumpet, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, 3rd trombone, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum/cymbal, 9 1st violin, 9 2nd violin, 6 viola, 6 cello and 4 bass. All parts annotated. 60 parts in all. 1952 (revised, 1960)
Contrasts for voice and piano. Lyrics by Robert Herrick, Keith Gunderson and William Blake. 5 minutes. Full score, 2 copies. Both copies annotated. 1966
Cyrano de Bergerac overture. 6.5 minutes. Full score and parts for 2 1st flute, 2nd flute, piccolo, 1st oboe, 2nd oboe, 1st clarinet, 2nd clarinet, 1st bassoon, 2nd bassoon, 1st horn, 2nd horn, 3rd horn, 4th horn, 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, 3rd trumpet, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, 3rd trombone, tuba, timpani, 8 1st violin, 8 2nd violin, 6 viola, 5 cello, 5 double bass. Nearly all parts are annotated. 55 parts in all. n.d.
Dance Scherzo for small orchestra. Full score. n.d.
Dies Domini Magnus. Text from the Bible. 7 minutes 20 seconds. Full score and part for piano. 1971
See also Series I, folder 19.
Diversion for brass trio. Three movements. 9 minutes. Full 1967 score and parts for trumpet, horn, trombone. 1967, 1968
Divertimento for eight wind instruments. Three movements. Full Holograph score and parts for flute, oboe, 1st clarinet, 2nd clarinet, 1st horn, 2nd horn, 1st bassoon, 2nd bassoon. n.d.
Divertimento for organ, brass and timpani. Two movements. 9 minutes. Full score and parts for 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, timpani. 1966
Duo for cello and piano. Three movements. 12 minutes 30 seconds. Full score and part for cello. 1965
Fantasy, fugue and finale for string orchestra. Three movements. 12 minutes. Full score and parts for 4 1st violin, 4 2nd violin, 3 viola, 3 cello, 2 bass. All parts annotated. 1951
Five miniatures for clarinet and cello. 6 minutes. Full score. 1969
Four bagatelles for violin and piano. 8 minutes 30 seconds. Full score and part for violin. 1969
Four pieces for Carol for piano. Full score. n.d.
Golden child (opera in 3 acts). Text by Paul Engle. Act I: full scores for scenes 1 and 2, parts for voices for scene 1, and for scene 2. Act II: full score and part for voices. Act III: full score and part for voices. 8 parts in all. Also loose photocopies of voice parts. Some parts annotated. Western child (earlier version of Golden child). Full score showing some of the revisions. 1960
See also Series I, folders 11-18.
Great day of the Lord:
See Dies Domini Magnus
Homage to great Americans:
See Woodwind quintet
Memory. Text by Abraham, Lincoln. (For UMass Chamber Singers). 7 minutes. Full score, full holograph score and parts for 1st horn, 2nd horn, 3rd horn, 4th horn, 1st violin, 2nd violin, cello. 1975
Morning, noon, evening. Text by Joseph Langland. (For UMass Chorale). Full score for choir a cappella. 1966
Petite suite for woodwind septet. 7 minutes. Full score, holograph score. 1973
Piano trio. 14 minutes. Full score and parts for violin, cello. 1964
Prelude and dance for brass sextet. (Score and parts published by Interlocken Press). 7.5 minutes. Full score and parts for 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, horn, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, tuba. 1961
Requiem for the University of Iowa dead. Text by Paul Engle. 6 minutes. Score. 1955
See also Series 1, folder 15.
Rondo-prelude for orchestra. 8 minutes. Full score, annotated. 1954
Seven songs from the word of love. Text by Paul Engle. (Robber, Cornered, Night scene, Grass, Fight, City and Felon). 15 minutes. Full score. 1956
Sextette for woodwinds and piano. 15 minutes. Full score and parts for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn. 1956
Sinfonia concertante. (Commissioned by the School of Music, University of Iowa, for the dedication of the Philip Greely Clapp Recital Hall). 14 minutes. Full score. 1971
Sonata for piano. 15 minutes. 2 copies of full score and holograph score, both annotated. 1951
Sonata for violin. Full score and part for violin. n.d.
Sonata for violin and piano, No. 2. 15 minutes. Full score and part for violin. Annotated. 1953
Sonatina for clarinet and piano. 12 minutes. Full score, holograph score and part for clarinet (2 versions). Clarinet parts are annotated. 1955
Song of the Cedar. Text by Paul Engle. 30 minutes. Holograph full score and camera-ready piano and vocal score. 1958
Songs of innocence, six texts by William Blake. 15 minutes. Full score and parts for voice and piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1st horn, 2nd horn, double bass, 4 violins, 2 violas, cello. 1959
Stranger in Eden. Text by William Reardon, in 3 acts. 3 hours, 15 minutes. Act I: voice. Act II: full score and part for voice. Act III: full score and part for voice. Instrumental parts for 1st flute, 2nd flute and piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 1st horn, 2nd horn, 1st trumpet, 2nd trumpet, 1st trombone, 2nd trombone, percussion, timpani. Also camera-ready copies of voices for Act I, Act II and Act III. 27 parts in all. 1963
String quartet No. 1. Published by Theodore Presser. Published full score and parts for 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello. Also processed copies of parts for 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello. 1962
String quartet in C. Full score and parts for 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello. n.d.
String trio. 12 minutes. Full score and parts for 2 violin, 2 viola, 2 cello. One copy of each part is annotated. Holdings include both original and copy of score. 1953
Symphony in B. Holograph score. n.d.
Symphony No. 2. Full score. n.d.
That time may cease and midnight never come. Text by Christopher Marlowe. Full score and parts for voice and piano. 1968
Three pieces for piano, for John Simms (prelude, rondo, sonatina in one movement). Score and holograph score for prelude and rondo; score for sonatina. n.d.
Trio for clarinet, horn and piano. 10 minutes 30 seconds. Full score and parts for clarinet, horn. Annotated. 1966
Woodwind quintet: homage to great Americans. In four movements: Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Paine, George Washington. 20 minutes. Full score and parts for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn. Annotated. 1958
Woodwind quintet: In three movements. Parts for flute, oboe, clarinet in Bb, basson, and horn in F. n.d.