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Jerome Kern collection, 1905-1951

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BOX 1-95, 102-116 Show Music, 1905-1945
The Jerome Kern Collection consists primarily of Show Music (Series I). The music in the collection includes a number of holograph sketches and scores, but the majority of the music is not in Kern's hand; however, much of this music does contain annotations by Kern. Many of the music manuscripts are by Kern's orchestrators and arrangers. The full scores of Frank Saddler and Robert Russell Bennett are particularly well represented. Over fifty of Kern's shows are represented in the collection, from the 1906 shows The Spring Chicken and Fluffy Ruffles, to Kern's last Broadway musical Very Warm for May from 1939. The Library is particularly fortunate in the quantities of full scores and parts we have for what are considered Kern's most significant scores: The Cat and the Fiddle, Music in the Air, Roberta, Sally, Show Boat, Sitting Pretty, Sunny, Sweet Adeline, Very Good Eddie and Very Warm For May.
Note: there are two full sets of parts for Roberta (1933), one regular size (without any piano parts) and one oversize (which contains parts for piano's I and II.) The oversize parts appear to be somewhat more recent; when two numbers appear on these parts the greater number is usually the original and is frequently crossed out and replaced with the lower number. In addition, there are some additional parts, at least some of these appear to have been for the film and are written on RKO paper; it is not clear what productions contained "Orientale" and "Pitkin".
The show music in the Kern collection has first been organized alphabetically by show title, and within each show, alphabetically by song title. The music has further been physically organized by type -- full scores, piano-vocal scores, and parts. When there is more than a box or two of music for an individual show, these various types of material have been boxed separately. In this way, researchers may request boxes of just full scores, or just piano-vocal scores, or just parts. In many cases, the full scores had to be housed separately because of their large size.
BOX 1-94, 103-116 Manuscripts
The Arrow (1905) poem by Longfellow
BOX-FOLDER 1/1 The arrow
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, no lyric ; [4] p.
On title page: Jerome D. Kern./Some where in England/Some time in 1905
BOX-FOLDER 1/1 The arrow
Manuscript lyric sheet in pencil ; [1] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/2 The arrow, F major
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; [4] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/2 The arrow, G major
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; [4] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/2 The arrow, F major
Manuscript piano-vocal score in pencil ; 5 p.
The Beauty Prize (1923) lyrics by P.G. Wodehouse
BOX-FOLDER 1/3 Non stop dancing #14
Stephen O. Jones manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, some pencil annotations in Kern's hand, no lyric ; 4 p.
Blue Eyes (1928) lyrics by Graham John
BOX-FOLDER 1/4 Girls of London
Holograph sketches in ink and pencil ; [2] p.
Note: also includes unidentified titles
BOX-FOLDER 1/5 His Majesty's dragoons
Holograph sketches in ink and pencil ; [4] p.
On title page: N.B. 'Show boat' on back.
BOX-FOLDER 1/6 Scena
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, no lyric ; 5 p.
The Bunch and Judy (1922) lyrics by Anne Caldwell
BOX-FOLDER 1/7 Clansmen - march past
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, annotations in Kern's hand ; 15 p.
On title page: 'Blue Eyes' go to p. 6
On verso: Manuscript sketch in pencil ; [1] p.
Note: used in Toot-Toot! and Stolen Dreams
BOX-FOLDER 1/8 Every day in every way
Manuscript orchestra sketch in pencil ; [2] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/8 Every day in every way
Holograph sketch in pencil ; [2] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/9 Have you forgotten me? blues
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 9 p.
Laid in: Typescript lyric sheet ; [1] p.
Earlier title: Why don't you write to me blues?
BOX-FOLDER 1/10 Home
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 6 p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/11 Hot dog
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 5 p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/11 Hot dog
Typescript lyric sheet ; [1] p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/11 Hot dog - dance duet
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 6 p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/12 The pale Venetian moon
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 5 p.
Call of the East
see Men of the Sky
Can't Help Singing (1944) lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
see I'll follow your smile ; Once in a million moons ; There'll come a day ; Trio
Earlier title: Caroline
Caroline
see Can't help singing
The Cat and the Fiddle (1931) lyrics by Otto Harbach
BOX-FOLDER 1/13 Act I scene 2
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink ; 48 p.
BOX-FOLDER 4/11 Act I scene 2 #2
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 1/14 Act I scene 4 - love parade
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink ; 50 p.
BOX-FOLDER 4/12 Act I scene 4 - love parade #3, #3b
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 4/9 Act I finale
Typescript lyric sheet with annotations by Kern in ink ; [1] p.
Includes: lyric for cut song "Misunderstood"
BOX-FOLDER 1/15 Act II scenes 1 and 2
Robert Russell Bennett full score in ink ; 26 p.
BOX-FOLDER 3/1 Act II scene 1 - scena and terzetto
Holograph sketch in pencil ; 6 p.
BOX-FOLDER 3/1 Act II scene 1
Holograph sketch in pencil ; 3 p.
BOX-FOLDER 3/1 Act II scene 1 and 2 - scene and terzetto
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, no lyric ; 7 p.
BOX-FOLDER 3/2 Ace II scene 1 - terzetto
Holograph sketch ; 5 p.
Includes: She didn't say yes
BOX-FOLDER 4/13 Act II scenes 1 and 2 #15
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 1/16 Act II scene 3
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink ; 40 p.
Includes: One moment alone
BOX-FOLDER 5/1 Act II scene 3 #17
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 3/3 Act II scenes 3, 4 and 5
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, annotations in Kern's hand ; p. 175-209
Includes: A new love is old; One moment alone
BOX-FOLDER 1/17 Act II scene 5 - street scene
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink ; 19 p.
BOX-FOLDER 5/2 Act II scene 5 - street scene #20
Parts
Includes: Victor incidental ; #20b Try to forget
BOX-FOLDER 3/4 Al fresco cafe, act I scene 2
Holograph piano score in pencil ; [1] p.
Note: incomplete
BOX-FOLDER 3/4 Al fresco cafe, act I scene 2
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript piano score in ink ; 6 p.
BOX-FOLDER 5/3 Chandelier #14
Parts
Note: based on "I watch the love parade"
BOX-FOLDER 3/5 Dance duo - finale act I scene 7
Holograph piano-vocal score, no lyric ; [4] p.
Includes: Don't ask me not to sing
BOX-FOLDER 1/18 Don't ask me not to sing
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink ; 25 p.
Note: dropped from show, used later in Roberta
BOX-FOLDER 3/6 Don't ask me not to sing
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink ; 5 p.
BOX-FOLDER 4/9 Don't ask me not to sing
Carbon of typescript lyric sheet ; [1] p. (incomplete)
BOX-FOLDER 3/6 Don't ask me not to sing
Holograph piano score/sketch in ink ; [1] p.
Caption title: Don't esk
BOX-FOLDER 3/7 Duettino, act I scene 4
Manuscript piano-vocal score/sketch in pencil, no lyric ; 6 p.
BOX-FOLDER 1/19 Entr'acte
Robert Russell Bennett manuscript full score in ink and pencil ; 30 p.
BOX-FOLDER 3/8 Entr'acte
Copyist manuscript piano-vocal score in ink, some lyric and stage directions in Kern's hand ; p. 147-174
Includes: An earlier version of "She didn't say yes" using a theme from "Act I scene I"; Act II scene I; I watch the love parade; The night was made for love; She didn't say yes
BOX-FOLDER 5/4 Entr'acte #12
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 2/1 Finale act I
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