Scope and Content Note
The Ferde Grofé Collection provides a vast archive of materials from Grofé's life as a performer, conductor, composer, and arranger. It primarily consists of music manuscripts, including holograph and copyist scores and parts of Grofé's original compositions; holograph scores and parts for arrangements by Grofé and others that were performed by Grofé's band; juvenilia; arrangements for Novachord (electric organ) ensemble; and miscellaneous Grofé arrangements.
The first series, Music by Grofé, consists of music by Grofé and his collaborators. It is arranged alphabetically by title of work. This series also includes Grofé's sketchbooks and composition teaching materials. The second series, Music by Others, is arranged alphabetically by composer and alphabetically by title of work therein. Each entry provides the arranger name, the medium for which it was arranged, when known or available, and Grofé's own identifying catalog number.
Materials related to Grofé's work on The King of Jazz may be found in several places. Specific selection titles are filed under their respective composer, while other incidental works unrelated to one specific composer are filed under "Various" or "Unidentified."
The collection also contains a Non-Music Materials series which includes correspondence, clippings, photographs, programs, scrapbooks and scripts.