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Leonard Bernstein Collection

Leonard Bernstein conducting NY City Symphony, 1945. About this image

|| About the Collection ||

The Leonard Bernstein Collection is as exceptional a collection as its namesake would suggest. Bernstein, arguably the most prominent figure in American music in the 20th century, made his impact as a conductor, composer of classical and theater music, and as an educator through his books, conducting students at Tanglewood, and, especially, his various televised lecture series that helped define the potentials of that medium. The collection is as close to comprehensive of the various aspects of his life and career as would be reasonably possible.

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|| Collection Details ||

General

Span Dates: 1900-1991
Bulk Dates: 1930-1990
Major Language(s): English, Hebrew, French, German
Repository: Music Division, Library of Congress

Physical Collection

Number of Items: 400000
Number of Containers: 1,060
Contents: Correspondence, approx. 15,600 items; writings, approx. 9,300 items; photographs, approx. 17,500 items; datebooks, approx. 60 items; programs, approx. 500 items; fan mail, approx. 10,000 items; press and clippings, approx. 5,000 items; scrapbooks, 130; business papers, approx. 120,000 items; music manuscripts, approx. 1,000 items; music, approx. 50,000 items.
Processing History: Large portions of the collection are processed and available through the information in the online finding aid, with later portions accessible through draft sections of the finding aid, however there are still large portions which are unprocessed and not easily accessible, primarily music materials not in Bernstein's hand. The Amberson Business Papers, and Personal Business Papers are stored in Landover and require advance notice to be brought in.
Transfers: Audio-visual materials were transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division (M/B/RS). Recordings may be found in Sonic by searching the Collection name: "Leonard Bernstein Audio Materials"
Provenance: Beginning in 1953, and continuing until 1967, Leonard Bernstein gave many of his most significant music manuscripts to the Library of Congress, including: The Age of Anxiety, Symphony No. 2, Candide, Chichester Psalms, Fancy Free, Jeremiah, Symphony No. 1, On the Waterfront, Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, Serenade (after Plato's "Symposium"), Trouble in Tahiti, West Side Story and Wonderful Town. Between 1965 and 1983, Bernstein gave 104 scrapbooks to the Library (five additional scrapbooks were given by Brandeis University in 1973). Helen Coates, Bernstein's longtime friend and secretary, left 94 letters, music manuscripts and other Bernstein related items to the Library in her will. The Library received the items in 1991. An additional 600 letters, which had been in the possession of Helen Coates, were also given to the Library by the Springate Corporation in 1991. In 1993, the Springate Corporation, representatives of the Bernstein estate, increased the size of the Bernstein Collection many times over by giving to the Library hundreds of thousands of additional items. This included, not only additional music manuscripts, but correspondence, writings of all types, photographs, commercial and non-commercial recordings and audio-visual materials (now housed in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division,) business papers, programs, fan mail, date books, realia, and other less common items. In addition to Bernstein's personal business papers, the extensive archives for his corporate identity, Amberson Inc., were also part of the gift. In 1997, Burton Bernstein, brother of Leonard Bernstein, gave the Library ninety-five additional items to add to the Bernstein Collection. Originally from Jennie Bernstein's apartment, and consisting primarily of letters to their parents; including fifty-two from Leonard Bernstein, one from Felicia Bernstein, one from Aaron Copland and four from Helen Coates. The estate continues to add items to the collection.

Access/Copyright

Access Permissions: Permitted, subject to PARR policies and procedures
On Microfilm?: The following portions are on microfilm: MUSIC-1011 (West Side Story music holographs, ML96.B), MUSIC-1811 (Symposium After Plato, ML30.3C.B44, Koussevitzky commission), MUSIC-1904 (ML96.B, various Bernstein music holographs, 2 reels), Microfilm 99/2002 (scrapbooks, 28 reels)
Copyright Info: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html
Preferred Citation: Leonard Bernstein Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress