Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts
Scope and Content Note
The Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts contains nine manuscript scores dated from 1948 to 1965. All nine pieces are scored for two pianos, and were written for or dedicated to Gold and Fizdale by the composers. Three of the six composers appearing in this collection (Georges Auric, Francis Poulenc, and Germaine Tailleferre) were members of the twentieth-century group of French composers known as "Les Six." Francis Poulenc's Sonata for Two Pianos is considered a standard in the two-piano repertory.
Dates
- Creation: 1948-1965
Language of Materials
Collection material in English and French.
Access and Restrictions
The Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts is open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Copyright Status
Materials from the Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.
Biographical Note
Arthur Gold (1917-1990) and Robert Fizdale (1920-1995) met while studying at the Juilliard Graduate School in the late 1930s. They formed a piano duo together in 1943 and made their professional debut in 1944 with a program of works by John Cage, followed by their New York Town Hall debut in 1946. In 1948, they traveled to Paris, where they were introduced to Germain Tailleferre and subsequently to other members of the notable French composers, "Les Six." Throughout their careers, Gold and Fizdale commissioned numerous works from American and European composers, and the friendships they established resulted in a number of dedications and two-piano works written for them to perform. In the late 1970s, the duo embarked on a secondary career as authors, and in 1980 penned a biography of Misia Sert, a Parisian pianist and patron of the arts in the early twentieth century. In 1982, Fizdale officially retired from performing due to arthritis, and the duo turned to culinary pursuits alongside their writing. They wrote food articles for Vogue magazine, briefly hosted a television cooking show, and published The Gold and Fizdale Cookbook in 1984. This was followed in 1990 by a biography of French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, titled The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt .
Extent
9 items
1 container
1 linear foot
Abstract
Arthur Gold (1917-1990) and Robert Fizdale (1920-1995) were an American piano duo who performed together throughout the second half of the twentieth century. During their careers, a number of prominent composers in the United States and Europe wrote works for the duo, including Georges Auric, Luciano Berio, Paul Frederic Bowles, John Cage, and Francis Poulenc. This collection contains nine music manuscripts of works for two pianos either commissioned by or dedicated to Gold and Fizdale from notable composers of the twentieth century, including three members of the French group "Les Six."
Arrangement
The Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts is organized in one series:
Catalog Record
Provenance
Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale placed the manuscripts on deposit and converted them to a gift in 1967.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Other Repositories
Other materials related to Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale can be found at the Juilliard School Archives in the Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection and at Yale University in the Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Papers.
Processing History
Melissa Capozio Jones processed and coded the finding aid for the Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts in 2020.
Source
- Gold, Arthur (Creator, Person)
- Fizdale, Robert (Creator, Person)
Subject
- Auric, Georges, 1899-1983. Waltz, pianos (2) (Person)
- Berio, Luciano, 1925-2003. (Person)
- Bowles, Paul, 1910-1999. Night waltz. (Person)
- Fizdale, Robert. (Person)
- Gold, Arthur. (Person)
- Poulenc, Francis, 1899-1963. Sonatas, pianos (2) (1953) (Person)
- Sauguet, Henri, 1901-1989. Valse brève. (Person)
- Tailleferre, Germaine, 1892-1983. Il était un petit navire. (Person)
- Tailleferre, Germaine, 1892-1983. Paris-Magie. (Person)
- Tailleferre, Germaine, 1892-1983. Waltzes, pianos (2). Valse brillante. (Person)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Ballets--2-piano scores.
- Operas--2-piano scores.
- Piano music (Pianos (2)), Arranged.
- Piano music (Pianos (2))
Uniform Title
- Title
- Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Collection of Music Manuscripts
- Author
- Prepared by the Music Division of the Library of Congress
- Date
- 2020
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the Music Division Repository
Performing Arts Reading Room
101 Independence Ave, SE
James Madison Building, LM 113
Washington, DC 20540-4810
(202) 707-5507