As of July 2023, the platform that supports the finding aids for the Music Library's Special Collections is not readily available off campus, so we invite you to browse our special collections using this list or by searching them on the Wayback Machine. To learn more about or access a Music Special Collection, get in touch with Music Special Collections Librarian Maristella Feustle at Maristella.Feustle@unt.edu.
Maynard Ferguson, circa 1948-2006
circa 1948-2006
The collection consists of 149 boxes, most of which contain sets of parts used by the various bands led by Maynard Ferguson from around 1950 through his death in 2006. Scores are also present, along with published arrangements, Thai and Indian music, miscellaneous and/or unidentified materials, and scores reconstructed by Ferguson expert Edward Etkins.
Abbreviations: MF = Maynard Ferguson; S = Score; NS = No Score; R = Rhythm section; Mosaic = Released on The Complete Roulette Maynard Ferguson.
Numbers refer, in order, to the number of saxophones, trumpets, and trombones in an arrangement. For example, MF/4/3/2/R denotes an arrangement with a part for Maynard Ferguson, 4 saxophones, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, and a rhythm section.
149.00 boxes/containers
Allen and Madeleine Forte Memorial Collection, 1910-2014
1910-2014
The collection consists of 27 boxes of writings, sketches, analyses, and other personal and unpublished papers, along with some photos and videocassettes from the career of music theorist and educator Allen Forte. An additional donation in the summer of 2015 added two boxes of sound and video recordings from Madeleine Forte, as well as Allen Forte's doctoral cap, gown, and hood for the honorary doctorate he received from Eastman School of Music in 1978.
27.00 boxes/containers
Carl Friedberg Collection, 1887-1954
1887-1954
The collection consists of music sketches and manuscripts by Carl Friedberg, and other materials related to his career as a concert pianist.
1.00 boxes/containers
John Gilliland Collection, 1955-1991
1955-1991
The collection consists 24 boxes of materials related to John Gilliland's Pop Chronicles programs, including research notes, interview transcripts, open-reel tapes, CD transfers, cassettes, and other media formats, along with a large collection of classic radio program recordings.
24.00 boxes/containers
Don and Barbara Gillis Collection, 1932-1977
1932-1977
The collection consists of Don Gillis' compositions and papers, reel-to-reel recordings of many of his compositions and Gillis' discussing his works, and materials related to the series Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend, which Gillis produced. Gillis' wife Barbara oversaw the donation of this collection, and was a lifelong advocate of Mr.Gillis' work.
Gillis' compositions represent his career from the early 1930s through the 1970s, and include sacred, secular, symphonic, and chamber works. His papers include correspondence, papers related to various projects, schedules, reviews, radio scripts, and the Men of Music radio project, teaching materials, writings, additional papers concerning his work, biographical materials, and newspaper clippings.
The reel-to-reel recordings, 50 in all, contain recordings of Gillis' works and Gillis' own description of them. Transcripts are included in Series 3 of the finding aid.
The recordings of Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend and The Centennial Series span the years 1963 through 1967, and with few exceptions, each broadcast is linked individually and available for listening through the UNT Digital Library.
255.00 boxes/containers
Vince Giordano Collection, 1843-1965
1843-1965
The collection consists of 50 boxes of band arrangements used by Vince Giordano with his band, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.
50.00 boxes/containers
Glass Radio Transcription Discs, 1941-1950
1941-1950
The collection consists of over 250 glass-base, 16-inch broadcast transcriptions dated from July of 1941 through February of 1950, divided more or less evenly between news material (principally from the NBC "Blue" network) and "classical" music: largely orchestral music, with some opera selections. The musical selections are primarily from the New York Philharmonic and NBC Symphony Orchestra, with later selections from the "Oklahoma Symphony" (possibly the present-day Oklahoma City Philharmonic). Also present are the occasional recordings of what appear to be Rotary Club programs or proceedings.
10.00 boxes/containers
Stanton Golding Collection, Date unknown
Date unknown
The collection consists of four boxes of ephemera and other materials found during the cataloging of Golding's substantial donation of books to the Music Library's circulating collection.
4.00 boxes/containers
Nancy Bogen and Arnold Greissle-Schönberg Collection, 1916-2012
1916-2012
The collection includes a broad array of documents related to the Schönberg, Greissle, and Bogen families, including scores, photographs, letters, and passports among other items.
The collection also holds documents pertaining to Nancy Bogen's cultural organization The Lark Ascending, with audio and video recordings, receipts, contracts with composers and performers, and grant applications. Also contained in the collection are many of author Nancy Bogen's professional and personal documents: manuscripts, published novels, essays, poems, letters, and professional research.
28.00 boxes/containers
Ferde Grofé Collection, 1883-1926
1883-1926
The collection consists of 18 boxes from the composer’s personal library, comprising some manuscript arrangements, but primarily orchestrations including the complete Schirmer’s Galaxy Library. (Source: pages 30-31 of Special Collections in the Libraries at Southern Methodist University, 1989.)
18.00 boxes/containers
Jack Gurwell Collection, 1935-1980
1935-1980
The collection consists of three boxes of interview transcripts, jazz memorabilia, photos, and ephemera.
3.00 boxes/containers
