William Remsen Strickland Collection
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2009536077
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2009
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
William Remsen Strickland Collection 1926-1991 (bulk 1946-1970)
Strickland, William
Biographical History for: William Remsen Strickland Collection 1926-1991 (bulk 1946-1970)
Biographical Note William Remsen Strickland was born in Defiance, Ohio, in 1914. After beginning his musical career as an organist, he shifted his focus to conducting. He served in the U.S. Army from 1941-1946, attending the Army music school and subsequently founding the Army Music School Choir, whose performances featured compositions by musicians serving in the armed forces, including Cecil Effinger, Homer Keller, and Kent Kennan. Upon exiting the Army in 1946, Strickland co-founded the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, which he led until 1951. He also conducted several concerts and recordings of modern music at Dumbarton Oaks, including the first recording of his friend Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Eleanor Steber. In 1952 and 1953, Strickland traveled to Vienna on a Fulbright scholarship to begin his life-long campaign of championing the works of American composers abroad. For nearly three years, Strickland led the Vienna Symphony in performances of works by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Henry Cowell, Mary Howe, Edward MacDowell, Robert Ward, and others. From 1955 to 1959, Strickland was the musical director of the New York Oratorio Society, which he led in performances of Stravinsky, Honegger, Barber, and Cowell, in addition to the group's annual Christmas concerts of Handel's Messiah. Under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, he continued his efforts to promote American music, traveling to Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam in 1958 and 1959. In addition to working with local orchestras to perform concerts, Strickland made numerous recordings of contemporary compositions for the record label Composers Recordings, Inc. (CRI). Strickland returned to Europe in 1963, conducting performances and recordings in Finland, Poland, and Sweden, as well as directing the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 1962-63. In the late 1960s, he established a residence in Portugal and turned his attention to his study of the music of Charles Ives, whom he had long considered the quintessential American composer. A planned book on Ives never came to fruition, and Strickland instead focused on creating electronic realizations of several Ives compositions, which he felt were impossible to perform as the composer intended. After retiring to Connecticut, Strickland continued his experiments with electronic music, recording in 1979 An Electronic Visit to the Zoo and Sound Hypnosis. He died in 1991.
Scope and Content Note The William Remsen Strickland Collection spans the period 1926-1991; the bulk of the materials date from 1946-1970. The collection includes correspondence, concert programs, publicity materials, newspaper and magazine clippings, music manuscripts, printed scores, articles, speeches and notes, photographs, scrapbooks, datebooks, journals, graphs, and recordings.
series
Regional Files
The "Regional files" series documents Strickland’s travels throughout his career, beginning with his service in the U.S. Army. In many cases, Strickland remained in a given region for a period ranging from several months to several years. The series is arranged chronologically, with each major region divided into four distinct sub-series: correspondence (related directly to each region), concert programs, publicity materials (advertisements, newspaper and magazine clippings), and miscellaneous documents. Many of the foreign language clippings are supplemented with translations provided by the U.S. State Department.
subseries
U.S. Army, 1941-1946
Correspondence
file
Programs
Publicity materials
Clippings, 1942-1944
Miscellaneous
U.S. Army records
U.S. Army personnel documents
Nashville, 1946-1951
Marjorie Cooney (manager of NSO) to WRS
Walter and Huldah Sharp to WRS, 1945-1951
WRS to Walter Sharp, 1945-1950
Re: death of Walter Sharp, 1970
Letters and telegrams to WRS re: 1949 Jan. 15 broadcast of NSO on NBC
Miscellaneous to WRS, 1946-1950
Miscellaneous to WRS, 1951-1968
Miscellaneous to WRS, undated
NSO business documents
Pre-NSO orchestra plans
Notes by WRS
Letters of recommendation for WRS
Vienna, 1951-1955
Re: Fulbright scholarships
Re: recordings
Planning documents
New York Oratorio Society, 1955-1959
Chorus members to WRS
Letters to WRS
Letters to WRS, undated
Telegrams to WRS
Letters by WRS
Japan
U.S. State Department
Tokyo
Osaka
Tokyo clippings
Philippines
Clippings
Korea
Undated
Vietnam
Saigon
Iceland
Finland
1964, undated
Poland
Contracts
Miscellaneous U.S. performances and recordings
Music at Dumbarton Oaks: A record, 1940-1970; Dumbarton Oaks, 1940-1950
Miscellaneous non-U.S. performances and recordings
Sweden
U.S. State Department grant documents
U.S. State Department Regional voucher
Awards and honors
Publicity re: H.W. Gray Publishing
Publicity re: miscellaneous recordings
The "Correspondence" series is divided into three sub-series: letters and telegrams received by Strickland, those written by Strickland, and miscellaneous documents. The latter includes material related to Strickland’s recordings, interviews with researchers, potential employers throughout his career, letters between other parties that reference Strickland, and letters written to the H.W. Gray Publishing Co. Substantial correspondence is present from composers Samuel Barber, Henry Cowell, Cecil Effinger, Mary Howe, Homer Keller, Ned Rorem, Arnold Schoenberg, and Robert Ward. Other notable correspondents include Henry and Ginny Pleasants, as well as Strickland’s close friends Anne Hull, Margaret F. Castle, Louise Davis, and Sidney and Eleanor Clark.
Antheil, George
Avshalomov, Jacob
A- [miscellaneous]
Bacon, Ernst
Barber, Samuel
Beach, Amy Marcy Cheney
Beeson, Jack
Berg, Helene
Berger, Karen
Berger, Theodore
Bergsma, William
Berkeley, Lenox
Biggs, E. Power
Bingham, Seth
Bliss, Arthur
Britten, Benjamin
Britton, Dorothy
Brunold, Hella
Buell, William
B- [miscellaneous]
Carlson, Larry
Carpenter, John Alden
Cary, Tristam
Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Mario
Castle, Margaret F.
Chanler, Theodore
Chávez, Carlos
Citkowitz, Israel
Claflin, Avery
Copland, Aaaron
Cowell, Henry
Cowell, Olive
Cowell, Sidney
Creston, Paul
Crofts, Margaret Lee
Curzon, Clifford
C- [miscellaneous]
Daniel, Oliver
Davis, Louise
Diamond, David
Downes, Agnes and Ralph
Dox, Thurston
D- [miscellaneous]
Effinger, Cecil, 1942-1945
Effinger, Cecil, 1946-1964, undated
Engel, Carl
E- [miscellaneous]
Farrar, Geraldine
Fassett, James
Fine, Irving Gifford
Flanagan, William
F- [miscellaneous]
Gaul, Harvey
Glazer, David
Goeb, Roger
Gray, H. Willard
Greissle, Felix
Gutter, Robert
G- [miscellaneous]
Haines, Edmund
Hall, David
Hamilton, Margaret
Hanson, Howard
Harmon, Carter
Harris, Roy and Joanna
Heinsheimer, Hans W.
Hindemith, Paul
Ho, Anita Magsaysay
Hoiby, Lee
Howe, Mary and Calderon
Hull, Anne
H- [miscellaneous]
Ísólfsson, Páll
Jacobi, Frederick and Irene
James, Philip
Johnson, Thor
Jones, Charles
Josten, Werner
J- [miscellaneous]
Kay, Ulysses
Keller, Homer
Kennan, Kent
Kerr, Harrison
Kindler, Hans
Kochs, Ellis
Korte, Karl
Kramer, A. Walter
Krenek, Ernst
Kubik, Gail
K- [miscellaneous]
Lewin-Richter Ossiander, Andres
Lipkin, Arthur Bennett
List, Eugene
Luening, Otto
L- [miscellaneous]
MacLeish, Archibald
Mahler, Alma
Malco, Nicolai
Mayer, William
McKay, George Frederick
Menotti, Gian Carlo
Meyers, Emerson
Milhaud, Darius
Mitchell, Marjorie
Moeran, Ernest John
Montgomery, John D.
Moore, Douglas
M- [miscellaneous]
Ormandy, Eugene
O- [miscellaneous]
Palmer, Robert M.
Parker, Horatio
Parris, Robert
Perry, Julia
Pisk, Paul Amadeus
Piston, Walter
Pleasants, Henry and Virginia
Porter, Quincy
P-Q- [miscellaneous]
Rorem, Ned
Rose, Hazel
R- [miscellaneous]
Salmenhaara, Erkki
Schein, Ann
Schmedes, Dagmar
Schoenberg, Arnold
Schuman, William
Sessions, Roger
Smith, Russell
Sowerby, Leo
Spivacke, Harold
Stahlman, Sylvia
Stravinsky, Igor
S- [miscellaneous]
Taylor, Deems
Taylor, Prentiss
Thatcher, John S.
Thompson, Randall
Thomson, Virgil
Thorne, Francis
Tircuit, Heuwell
Tournemire, Charles
Turner, Charles
T- [miscellanous]
Wagenaar, Bernard
Walton, William
Warbure, Gerald F.
Ward, Robert, 1942-1959
Ward, Robert, 1960-1971
Ward, Robert, undated
Watanabe, Akeo
Watson, Frances
Waxman, Donald
Whithorne, Emerson
Wilder, Alec
Willan, Healey
Williams, David McK
Woodworth, G. Wallace
Work, John W.
Zallinger-Thurn, Maria von
V-Z- [miscellaneous] and unidentified
Castle, Margaret F., 1952-1953
Castle, Margaret F., 1954-1955
Castle, Margaret F., 1964-1969
Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1953-1963
Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1964-1966
Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1966-1968
Clark, Sidney and Eleanor, 1969-1973, undated
Davis, Louise, 1949
Davis, Louise, 1950
Davis, Louise, 1951
Davis, Louise, 1952
Davis, Louise, 1953-1954
Davis, Louise, 1955
Davis, Louise, 1956
Davis, Louise, 1957-1958
Davis, Louise, 1959-1960
Davis, Louise, 1961-1962
Davis, Louise, 1963-1964
Davis, Louise, 1965-1966
Davis, Louise, 1967
Davis, Louise, 1968
Davis, Louise, 1969
Davis, Louise, 1970
Davis, Louise, undated
Howe, Mary
Hull, Anne, 1958
Hull, Anne, 1959
Hull, Anne, 1960-1961
Hull, Anne, 1962
Hull, Anne, 1963
Hull, Anne, 1964
Hull, Anne, 1965-1970
Moog, Robert
Strickland, Helen
Waters, Ed
Gruenberg, Louis to H.W. Gray Publishing Co., Inc
Letters about WRS by others
Re: disposal of library, 1967-1968
Re: interviews regarding Barber, Cowell, Howe
Re: miscellaneous employment, 1934-1966
Re: miscellaneous recordings
Re: research related to Schoenberg’s Variations for Organ, op. 40
Re: WRS recording, An Electronic Trip to the Zoo
Stokowski, Leopold to H.W. Gray Publishing Co., Inc.
Music
The "Music" series is divided into five sub-series: manuscripts by Strickland (including theory exercises, sketches, and compositions), music annotated by Strickland chiefly for the purpose of conducting, music inscribed to Strickland by composers (including Barber and Cowell), music edited by Strickland for the H.W. Gray Publishing Co., and miscellaneous manuscripts owned by Strickland. Notable among these are a holograph sketch page by Alban Berg, a leaf from an unidentified seventeenth-century manuscript, and a copy of an orchestral transcription of Schoenberg's Variations on a Recitative, op. 40 by Felix Greissle.
Manuscripts by WRS
Air for contralto
Aubade for viola and harpsichord
Two canticles of praise: Jubilate; Benedictus es domine
A flower given to my daughter
Ione, dead the long year
Two medieval carols : Lully lully ; Jesus sweet
Praise to the Lord the Almighty
She weeps over Rahoon
St. Anne
[Sketches, vocal texts, and notes]
[Student assisgnments and exams]
[Theory exercises]
Music annotated by WRS
item
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Blake, William
Prophecy 1972
Bowles, Richard W.
Prayer and affirmation
...if He please
Music for orchestra
Symphony no. 16
Effinger, Cecil
American men
Fanfare
Hear my cry, O God
O praise the lord
O sing we merrily unto God
Tennessee variations
Handel, George Frideric
Messiah
Spring pastoral
Ives, Charles
Central Park in the dark
Robert Browning overture
The unanswered question
Chamber symphony
Overture 1792
The raider
Serenade for clarinet and strings
I saw the white daisies
I shall not care
The unknown warrior speaks
Kochs, Ellis B.
The automatic pistol
Life with Uncle (Sam)
Passacaglia for organ and strings
Psalm CXXX
Ward, Robert
Symphony no. 2
Music inscribed to WRS
From these states
Bales, Richard Horner
Lines
The coolin
Two essays for orchestra
Pax nobiscum
Hymn and fuguing tune: no. 14
Supplication
Elegy
Chaccone for organ
Introduktion og passacaglia for orgel
Kuhnau, Johann
Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder
The black maskers
Sousa, John Philip
Circumnavigator's Club waltz
Suite for organ
Symphonie-choral d’orgue
Lamentation
Third symphony
Music edited by WRS for H. W. Gray Co.
Jacobi, Frederick
Prelude
Pastorale
Canon and fugue for organ
Fanfare for organ
Pastorale on a Christmas plainsong
Music owned by WRS
Anonymous
Ave verum corpus
Barrows, John
Chorale fantasy : Jesu meine Freund
Berg, Alban
Wozzeck
Boulanger, Lili
Psaume 24
Five pieces for clarinet and bassoon
Six preludes for piano
Symphony no. 4
[Sketches]
Sonatina for piano
Legend : for oboe and strings
Night watch : a dialog for flute, horn, and kettledrums
Toccata for organ and strings
Lewis, Morgan
How high the moon
A sermon on miracles
Variations on a recitative : op. 40
Writings
The "Writings" series includes articles by Strickland that appeared in Modern Music, The Musical Courier, and other publications. Also present are written-out lectures and speeches, notes for extemporaneous public speaking, notes, outlines, and drafts for Strickland's unfinished book on Charles Ives, and notes on conducting techniques based on his private studies with Nikolai Malko. Strickland’s professional activities and thoughts on a variety of subjects are further captured by two additional series of manuscript materials described separately.
Autobiographical materials and resumes
Published articles
Miscellaneous speeches and notes
Notes and correspondence re: proposed book on Charles Ives
Notes re: conducting technique, based on lessons with Nikolai Malko
Journals
The "Journals" series consists of eleven bound volumes written between 1952 and 1976.
Datebooks
There are nearly thirty "Datebooks" that provide accounts of Strickland's appointments and itineraries from 1962-1991. These supplement the journals.
Photographs
The "Photographs" series is comprised of several hundred black and white images of Strickland taken throughout his travels in the U.S. and abroad. These, together with the "Posters" series, visually compliment the extensive materials from the regional files. Photographic highlights include several 1963 photos of Strickland and Henry Cowell taken by Cowell’s wife, Sidney, in Iceland.
Wellesley College Conference, 1946 July
Vienna, 1952-1955
New York, 1955-1959
Japan, 1958-1961
Korea, 1958
Vietnam, 1959
American Composers Alliance Award presentation, 1961
Iceland, 1963
Alice Ditson Award presentation, 1966
Posters
The "Posters" series contains items from Strickland's travels both home and abroad. Like the photographs they visually compliment the extensive materials from the regional files.
Philippines, 1958-1959
Finland, 1964
Poland, [196-]
Scrapbooks
A great majority of the bound volumes that form the basis of the "Scrapbooks" series were compiled by Strickland's close friend and supporter, Margaret F. Castle. The Castle scrapbooks include concert programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, and correspondence, most of which have been annotated by Castle herself. A considerable amount of these materials are duplicated in other series, but some original correspondence is found only in these scrapbooks. Other scrapbooks include a publicity book prepared for Strickland in Vienna, a volume of assorted materials from Manila, 1958-1959, and a scrapbook kept by Strickland during his teenage years.
Vol. 1, 1942 Aug. 2-1944 Mar.
Vol. 2, 1944 Mar. 14-1945 Apr. 4
Vol. 3, 1945 Apr. 5-1946 Feb. 19
Vol. 4, 1946 Feb. 19-1946 Dec. 10
Vol. 5, 1946 Dec. 10-1947 Sept. 25
Vol. 6, 1947 Sept. 25-1948 May
Vol. 7, 1948 May-1949 Feb.
Vol. 8, 1949 Jan.-1949 Sept.
Vol. 9, 1949 Sept.-1950 Feb. 11
Vol. 10, 1950 Feb. 12-1950 Nov. 10
Vol. 11, 1950 Nov. 12-1951 Sept. 21
Vol. 12, 1951 Sept. 21-1954 June
Vol. 13, 1954 Mar.-1955 July
Oddments [i.e. Odds and ends], vol. 1, 1927-1946
Odds and ends, vol. 2, 1926-1950
First concert of the NSO, 1946 Dec. 10
Clippings related to Grace Cathedral, Jamaica, New York
Photographs and clippings compiled for publicity in Europe
Clippings from Manila, Philippines, 1958 Sept. 5-1959 Jan. 18
Clippings and photographs related to American organs and New York performances of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Schoenberg’s Die glückliche Hand, ca. 1930
Clippings from Manila, Philippines, 1958 Feb.-Mar.
The final series, "Miscellaneous" comprises two items, a framed 1958 portrait of Strickland by Clark Bailey and an inscribed copy of Joseph Szigeti’s autobiography.
Portrait of WRS by Clark Bailey, 1958
Szigeti, Joseph. Strings Attached