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]> wi2006-45 Guide to the Beatrice Witkin Papers, 1949 - 1988 Processed by: Jason Villani; machine-readable finding aid created by: Valerie Gillispie &hdrsca;

Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: February 2007 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS Guide to the Beatrice Witkin Papers, 1949 - 1988 Special Collections & ArchivesWesleyan University Middletown, CT, USA

Descriptive Summary Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University Witkin, Beatrice. Beatrice Witkin Papers, 1949 - 1988 2006-45 Material in English 5 8 For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Special Collections & Archives staff. Beatrice Witkin (1917-1990) was an accomplished composer and one of the first women to produce electronic music compositions. The materials in the Beatrice Witkin Papers range from her earliest musical compositions to her major works. Notes and secondary literature accompany many of the compositions, and all major works have complete scores. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Beatrice Witkin Papers, Collection #2006-45, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Given by Steve Witkin of Belgrade, Maine, in July 2006.

Processing Information

Processed by Jason Villani, December 2006

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, February 2007

Biographical Note

Composer Beatrice Witkin (1917-1990) was born in New York City. She attended Hunter College in New York and did her graduate work at New York University. She studied composition with Mark Brunswick, Roger Sessions, and Stefan Wolpe, and piano with Edward Steuerman. She was also the recipient of the ASCAP Standard Award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Witkin was one of the first women to work in the electronic music idiom. In 1968, she was invited to work at the Electronic Music Studio at the New York University School of the Arts. Two years later, her electronic composition Glissines was a winner in High Fidelity Magazine's Electronic Music Contest.

In 1963, she helped establish the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a performing group that commissioned new works. She was a guest composer of the McDowell Colony as well as a longtime member of the Women's Composers Forum and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Chronology of Major Works Works with an asterisk (*) have corresponding recordings in Scores and Recordings, Wesleyan University. 1960 Duo for Violin and Piano* 1960 Interludes for Solo Flute and Piccolo* 1963 Prose Poem 1964 Contour for Piano* 1964 Parameter for Eight Instruments 1965 Combinations for Thirteen Instruments 1967 Twelve-tone Variations on Quotes by the Beatles for Young People's Orchestra 1968 Fanfare in B and E Flat 1968 Chiaroscuro for Cello and Piano 1968-1969 Triads and Things for Brass Quintet* 1970 Breath and Sounds for Tuba and Stereophonic Tape* 1972-1973 Echologie for Flute and Tape 1977-1978 Report from the Planet Mars 1981 Stephen Foster Revisited Variations for Concert Band 1985 Cantillations of the Bible for String Quartet Collection Overview

The materials in the Beatrice Witkin Papers range from her earliest musical compositions to her major works. Notes and secondary literature accompany many of the compositions, and all major works have complete scores.

Collection Arrangement

The works follow a chronological order in each box.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Witkin, Beatrice. Electronic music--Scores. Electronic music. Music--United States--20th century. Composers--United States. Music--scores. Detailed Description of the Collection 11 Notebook, undated 2 Biographical clippings and concert notes for Jakie Veron Memorial, undated 3 Notebook with musical composition, undated 4 Composition, undated 5-7 Compositional notes, undated 8 Assorted compositional notes and charts, undated 9 Nocturne for Solo Cello, Serenade, and Sonata Op. 2, undated 10 Outline for musical play for children, The Scrolls of David 11 Composition notebook with college compositions, undated 12 Music notebook, undated

Note: Featuring Poppy Mitrls and Oh let me sleep and so forget the spring, sonnet by Robert Nathan.

13-16 Music notebooks, undated 17 Music notebook, Wind Band Chart, undated 18 Jig Jog and Swingaroo, a tone poem in swing, 1938 21 Kitchen Music Songs, 1949-1950: photocopies and handwritten I Broke the Plate, 1949 If Laughter Were a Broom, 1949 Song Discordant, 1949 A Needle, a Potato, and a Willow Tree, 1950 Does Poppy Live Here?, 1958, 1978 2 Loose scripts, 1958 3 Loose scripts and complete script, 1958 4 Scripts with cast head shot photos, 1958 5 Script with notes on dialogue, 1958 6 Clippings about production, 1958 7 Scripts, notes, ephemera, and clippings about 1978 production 8 Unfair to the Bear and Fig for Mother Goose, circa 1957-1958 31 Duo for Violin and Piano, 1960-1961

Note: Complete scores.

2 Interludes for Solo Flute and Piccolo, 1960

Note: Complete scores.

3 The Crisis: a Play, by Gloria Goldsmith with music by Bea Witkin, 1961

Note: Notes, music scores, scripts.

4 Treble Trio, 1962

Note: Music scores.

5-6 Prose Poem, 1963

Note: Music scores.

7 Prose Poem, 1963

Note: Text, music notes, concert program.

8 Contour for Piano, 1964

Note: Complete scores.

9 Parameter for Eight Instruments, 1964

Note: Complete scores and notes.

4 Combinations for Thirteen, 1965 1 Complete scores 2-4 Individual parts 5 Fanfare in B and E flat, 1968

Note: Complete score.

6 Fanfare in B and E flat, 1968

Note: Parts.

7 Triads and Things for Brass Quintet, 1968-1969 8 Chiaroscuro for Cello and Piano, 1968

Note: Complete scores.

81 For Solo Cello, 13 May 1969 Twelve-tone Variations on Quotes by the Beatles, for Young People's Orchestra, 1967, 1976 51 2 complete scores.

Note: One score from 1967 version, one from 1976 revision.

2 Musical notebook and article 3 Score 4-7 Individual parts 8 Electronic music compositions

Note: Time Machine (1971), Electronic (1971), Pendulum (no date), Beethoven Piano Sonata (no date), Oboe Trio (no date), and notes.

9 Breath and Sounds for Tuba and Stereophonic Tape, 1970-1972

Note: Complete scores and concert program.

10 Echologie for Flute and Tape, 1972-1973

Note: Complete score, miniature score, and concert program.

11 Report from the Planet Mars, 1977-1978

Note: Four copies.

12 Article clippings used for research for Report from the Planet Mars 82-8 Report from the Planet Mars, 1977-1978

Note: Individual parts.

61 The Iliad of Indian Creek: an Opera Buffa in One Act, music by Beatrice Witkin, 1979

Note: Text, musical notes, and Buffalo Bill Ballad.

Stephen Foster Revisited: Variations for Concert Band, 1981 2 Complete score 3 Condensed score 4 Instrument parts 5-6 Draft scores 7 2 complete scores and 1 condensed 8-10 Draft instrument parts 11 Individual parts 71 Cantillations for Two Clarinets and Piano, 1983

Note: Program notes.

2 Cantillations: Tropes for Zechariah, 1984

Note: Charts.

3 Cantillations of the Bible for String Quartet, 1985

Note: Lamentations I; Sephardic and Babylonian Lamentations III; V Ashkenazic-Portugese-Bach notes and working charts.

4 Cantillations of the bible for String Quartet, 1985

Note: Individual parts for Lamentations I: I Sephardic and Babylonian.

5 Cantillations Psalm 93, 1986

Note: Notes, program guide, charts.

89-14 Emerson songs, 1987-1988