Scope and Content Note
Music materials from the Morton Gould Papers span the period 1920 to 1995, with the majority dating from 1937 to 1995. The materials principally consist of holograph or copyist manuscripts, printed scores, orchestral parts, lyric sheets, and sketches of Gould's compositions and arrangements. Many of the scores, especially the photo-reproduced manuscripts, contain pencil annotations, chiefly in the hand of the composer, that indicate corrections, or, for those works conducted by Gould, performance adjustments. Works are arranged categorically by instrumentation and alphabetically by title therein. Entries indicate specific instrumentation, date of composition (if known), and commissioning organization (if applicable).
Gould's works for orchestra and band represent his most prolific output and include standouts such as American Salute and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize winner, Stringmusic. He also composed extensively for stage, film, and television, with scores for Billion Dollar Baby (1945), Fall River Legend (1948), and documentaries Holocaust and World War I garnering national acclaim. Scores for Gould's stage and screen works are often accompanied by lyric sheets, scripts, cue sheets, and correspondence. The remaining music subseries comprise works for smaller forces (chamber and vocal), extensive titled and untitled sketches, arrangements (composed principally for and recorded by the Morton Gould Orchestra), and an assortment of works by various other composers.
Correspondence to and from Gould is arranged either chronologically by year or alphabetically by last name. The general file contains letters from friends, associates, and admirers concerning a variety of topics, such as performance logistics, publicity requests, and letters of appreciation. Gould also maintained an impressive file of personal correspondence from notable public figures, performers, and composers. Political dignitaries include presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, as well as senators Al Gore, Orrin Hatch, and Edward Kennedy. Renowned composers and performers include Leonard Bernstein, Ernest Bloch, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Percy Grainger, Agnes DeMille, Jascha Heifetz, Charles Ives, Eugene Ormandy, Stephen Sondheim, and many other influential figures in the history of twentieth century American performing arts.
Business papers assembled by Morton Gould and his office staff are arranged either by subject or title of composition. The majority of these work files are from the latter years of his career and cover such topics as birthday celebrations, awards, conferences, and various guest conducting appearances. Perhaps the most significant files, however, are the comprehensive G. Schirmer works lists that identify Gould's published and unpublished arrangements. The remaining subseries of business papers is dedicated exclusively to titled musical works and contains correspondence, programs, publicity materials, and notes pertaining to these pieces, including Apple Waltzes, Billion Dollar Baby, Hosedown, and The Jogger and the Dinosaur, among others.
Gould's prolific career and public appeal generated extraordinary media coverage. His appearances as composer, performer, or conductor throughout the United States and Europe for nearly seventy years are well documented in articles, interviews, programs, photographs, fliers, posters, and speeches. The Writings and Scrapbooks series principally consist of newspaper and magazine clippings arranged chronologically by year or decade. Additional materials include articles written by Gould for ASCAP, radio stations, or record companies; drafts of program notes; and interviews conducted by various organizations and universities. Related to these materials is the Promotional Materials series which contains fliers, publisher newsletters, posters, and radio broadcast schedules that further emphasize the popular reception of the composer's music at home and abroad.
Nearly five hundred photographs and slides document Gould's professional endeavors between 1938 and 1995. These mostly consist of candid shots taken at receptions, performances, and conferences, including the Van Cliburn Piano Competition (1993), Festival di George Gershwin (1968), and the premiere of The Jogger and the Dinosaur (1993). The Financial and Legal Documents series includes a variety of contracts and other materials that differ in subject matter from Gould's other business files. The last series, Artwork, contains a single 1982 drawing of Gould by artist Peter Brock.