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Leonard B. Smith papers, 1859-2001

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BOX 1-569, 625, 629-631, 639-641, 643-701 Concert Band Library, 1880s-1980s
Leonard B. Smith's Concert Band Library of approximately 3,200 titles supported performances by the Detroit Concert Band and later formed the basis of his BOVACO band music publishing business, which was acquired by C. L. Barnhouse in 2012. Smith established his concert band library in 1945. Its origins include individual gifts to and purchases by Smith; his own compositions and arrangements; and the acquisitions of other band libraries, most notably that of George W. Stewart in 1946, which contains many holograph arrangements by Emil Mollenhauer and William C. Rietzel. Smith also acquired music from the libraries of Frank Scofield, Ernest S. Williams, Henry Everett Sachs, Michael Muro, John M. Flockton, William Smith, A. P. Ripley, William McEvitt, the Germania Band of Boston, the Boston Band, and the 510th Band. Several works in the library were prepared for The Goldman Band by Anton Weiss and Wilhelm Strasser under the personal supervision of Edwin Franko Goldman. Arrangers and composers Edgar L. Barrow, Mayhew Lake, Erik W. G. Leidzén, L. P. (Louis Philippe) Laurendeau, and Paul Van Loan are also notable in the collection.
Three catalogs helped Smith and his librarians access the concert band library music: index cards filed alphabetically by composer last name, a numeric listing, and a list divided into sixteen main categories (overture, watlzes, suites, etc.) for preparing concert programs. These catalogs and lists are available in the Subject Files series. The use of a letter classification preceding a number allowed Smith to add works to the library at various points, as opposed to just at the end. Initially this may have served to keep all of the overtures together in the A classification, the marches together in the N classification, etc. The letters I, O, U, and Y are not used. The R classification comprised photocopy enlargements of works in the N class which were not kept. The E classification is solely devoted to Smith's encore books. These compilations, bound for each musician, of approximately 175 titles were used to supplement the Detroit Concert Band's regular programs and contained works suitable for encores such as marches, cornet solos, fanfares, and novelty and patriotic tunes. On occasion the ensemble performed complete concerts from the encore books.
The music is housed in the original band library folders, which are acid-free and often include instrumentation as well as stamped dates of performances and inventory checks. Some entries also include performance location. Each title comprises score and parts for band unless otherwise noted. It is not uncommon for two or more titles to be published together, and in such cases, each title is listed individually. Works for concert band found in the collection but not cataloged as part of the concert band library are included at the end. This portion of the collection includes the black, cloth-bound cornet solo encore books of Bert Brown, who performed with John Philip Sousa, Arthur Pryor, and Harold Bachman, among others.
According to Smith, “I’ve not tried to acquire quantity for its sake; I’ve sought out the music I want to play. There are manuscripts in the hands of Herbert L. Clarke, Mayhew Lake, John Philip Sousa, and Edwin Franko Goldman, among others. I only hope whoever acquires my library will share my sentiments with respect to its musical significance and take decent care of it. It’s the quintessence of the heritage of the music of the American classic concert band."
The music is arranged by Leonard B. Smith's concert band library catalog number. Works without catalog numbers are organized at the end alphabetically by composer last name and title therein.
BOX-FOLDER 1/1 (A 1) Gralsritter-marsch
By Richard Wagner; arranged by M. Retford
Alternate title: March of the holy grail from Parsifal
BOX-FOLDER 1/1 (A 1) Overture to Prodaná nevěsta
By Bedřich Smetana; arranged by M. Retford
Alternate title: Overture to The bartered bride
BOX-FOLDER 1/2 (A 2) Overture to The beautiful Galatea
By Franz von Suppé; arranged by T. H. Rollinson
BOX-FOLDER 1/3 (A 3) Overture to Rienzi
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Dan Godfrey
BOX-FOLDER 2/1 (A 4) Jurisprudence march
By Leonard B. Smith
Parts only
BOX-FOLDER 2/2 (A 5) Carneval in Paris
By Johan S. Svendsen; arranged by Emil Mollenhauer; copyist W. A. Hochheim
Copyist's manuscript score, 1901; and parts
BOX-FOLDER 639/1 (A 6) Prelude to act 3 from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
By Richard Wagner; transcribed by Nicholas D. Falcone
Score
BOX-FOLDER 3/1 (A 6) Prelude to act 3 from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
By Richard Wagner; transcribed by Nicholas D. Falcone
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 3/2 (A 7) Finale from Symphony in D minor
By César Franck; transcribed by James R. Gillette
BOX-FOLDER 629/1 (A 8) Red sails in the sunset
Arranged by Paul Van Loan
Manuscript score
BOX-FOLDER 3/3 (A 8) Red sails in the sunset
Arranged by Paul Van Loan
Manuscript parts
BOX-FOLDER 4/1 (A 9) 1812 overture
By Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky; arranged by L. P. Laurendeau
BOX-FOLDER 5/1 (A 10) Faust overture
By Richard Wagner; arranged by O. Hackenberger
BOX-FOLDER 5/2 (A 11) Holiday for strings
By David Rose; arranged by David Bennett
Includes manuscript score and parts for saxphone quartet arrangement
BOX-FOLDER 6/1 (A 12) Overture für harmoniemusik, op. 24
By Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Alternate title: Overture in C
Parts only
BOX-FOLDER 6/2 (A 13) Overture to Gwendoline
By Emmanuel Chabrier; arranger unknown
Parts only (for band). Orchestral score and parts included
BOX-FOLDER 7/1 (A 14) Water music suite
By George Frideric Handel; arranged by Hershy Kay
BOX-FOLDER 7/2 (A 15) Orb and sceptre
By William Walton; arranged by Norm Richardson
BOX-FOLDER 629/2, 641/1 (A 16) Romeo and Juliet
By Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky; transcribed by Paul Van Loan
Transcriber's holograph scores
BOX-FOLDER 8/1 (A 16) Romeo and Juliet
By Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky; transcribed by Paul Van Loan
Transcriber's holograph parts
BOX-FOLDER 738/5-6 Romeo and Juliet
By Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky; transcribed by Paul Van Loan
BOX-FOLDER 8/2 (A 17) Fugue with chorale
By Erik W. G. Leidzén
BOX-FOLDER 8/3 (A 18) Toccata
By Girolamo Frescobaldi; arranged by Earl Slocum
BOX-FOLDER 9/1 (A 19) Leonore overture
By Ludwig van Beethoven; arranged by J. Waterson
Parts only
BOX-FOLDER 9/2 (A 20) The blue-tail fly
By Clare Grundman
BOX-FOLDER 9/3 (A 21) Le roi d'Ys
By Édouard Lalo; arranger unknown
BOX-FOLDER 10/1 (A 22) Overture to Lohengrin
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Fr. W. Voigt
BOX-FOLDER 10/2 (A 23) Overture to The magic flute
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; arranged by Frank Winterbottom
BOX-FOLDER 10/3 (A 24) Overture to La muette de Portici
By Daniel Auber; arranged by F. Burald
Alternate title: Overture to Masaniello
Band parts, and score for string orchestra only
BOX-FOLDER 11/1 (A 25) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg vorspiel
By Richard Wagner; arranged by A. Abbass
BOX-FOLDER 11/1 (A 25) Prelude from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
By Richard Wagner; arranged by H. R. Kent
BOX-FOLDER 11/2 (A 26) Melpomene overture
By George Whitefield Chadwick; arranged by Frank J. Fiala
BOX-FOLDER 11/3 (A 27) Queen of hearts
By Louis Palange
BOX-FOLDER 11/4 (A 28) Jazz rhumba
By Louis Palange
BOX-FOLDER 12/1 (A 29) Overture to Mirella
By Charles Gounod; arranger unknown
Parts only. Parts to Kéler Béla's "Grand galop infernale" included
BOX-FOLDER 12/2 (A 30) Overture to Parsifal
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Louis Oertel
BOX-FOLDER 12/3 (A 31) Alaska overture
By Stephen Jones
BOX-FOLDER 13/1 (A 32) Overture to Phèdre
By Jules Massenet; arranged by William C. Rietzel
Arranger's holograph score, 1892; and parts
BOX-FOLDER 13/2 (A 33) Overture to Rienzi
By Richard Wagner; arranger unknown
BOX-FOLDER 13/3 (A 34) Overture to Maximilian Robespierre
By Henry Litolff; arranged by M. Retford
BOX-FOLDER 14/1 (A 35) Carnaval romain
By Hector Berlioz; arranged by William C. Rietzel
Alternate title: Roman carnival overture
Arranger's holograph score, 1893; and parts
BOX-FOLDER 14/2 (A 36) Overutre to Siege of Rochelle
By Michael William Balfe; arranged by T. H. Rollinson
BOX-FOLDER 14/3 (A 37) Overture to Alessandro Stradella
By Friedrich von Flotow; arranged by Charles Godfrey Jr.
BOX-FOLDER 15/1 (A 38) Overture to Tannhäuser
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Emil Mollenhauer
Parts are manuscript
BOX-FOLDER 630/2 (A 39) Overture to Tannhäuser
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Frank Winterbottom
Score
BOX-FOLDER 15/2 (A 39) Overture to Tannhäuser
By Richard Wagner; arranged by Frank Winterbottom
Parts
BOX-FOLDER 16/1 (A 40) Overture to The wanderer's hope
By Franz von Suppé; arranged by T. H. Rollinson
Alternate title: Overture to Des wanders ziel
BOX-FOLDER 16/2 (A 41) William Tell overture
By Gioachino Rossin; arranged by J. Sommer
BOX-FOLDER 17/1 (A 42) Egmont overture
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