| Description |
2.5 linear feet (11 boxes ) |
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Arranged in series: I. Professional papers, 1920-1977; II. Published scores, 1881?-1963; Series III. Scrapbooks, 1909-1977. |
| Summary |
The Alexander Steinert scores consist primarily of the composer's collection of published scores, the majority of these arranged for piano and four hands. The scores represent the work of prominent composers, as well as composers with whom Steinert studied personally, including Charles Martin Loeffler and Vincent d'Indy. There also are a number of scores by Russian composers. A small selection of correspondence and contracts document a few of Steinert's professional associations, notably communications with Eugene Ormandy of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the CBS Television Musical Department. Information about Steinert's professional career is represented in scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, programs, and other items (including a congratulatory telegram from George Gershwin). There is little documentation of his personal life included with these materials, but some information can be gathered from the scrapbooks. Also of interest are several notebooks in which Steinert had begun to organize a presentation of the highlights of his career. |
| Biography |
Alexander Lang Steinert (occasionally designated, Alexander Steinert, Jr.; 1900-1982) was a composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist who worked in television, film, and radio, as well as concert settings. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Steinert came from a musical family; his grandfather, Morris (or Moritz) Steinert, was the founder of M. Steinert & Sons, a prominent piano dealer in the New England region. He attended Harvard University, studying music with Charles Martin Loeffler. In 1923, Steinert began training at the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied with Andre Gedalge, Vincent d'Indy, and Charles Koechlin. His impressionistic tone poem, Southern Night, inspired by the French countryside, won him the American Prix de Rome in 1927. This piece had received its premiere with the Boston Symphony (under the baton of Serge Koussevitzky) in 1926. During his residency in Rome, Steinert directed the debut of his Two Poems for Soprano & Orchestra (1929), based on the writings of Percy Bysshe Shelley; Leggenda Sinfonica (1930) was performed the following year. As Steinert's compositions continued to appear on concert programs, he returned to the United States shortly after his fellowship in Rome concluded. In 1933, he toured the United States as a conductor with the Russian Opera Company (this financially-strapped troupe frequently changed names). During his engagement with the company, Steinert learned Russian and was involved with the American premiere of Alexander Tcherepnin's opera Ol-Ol (1934). In 1935, he performed his own Concerto Sinfonico with the Boston Symphony. During that same year, Steinert became a coach and assistant conductor for the original production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess during its out of town tryout in Boston and New York premiere. In December 1935, he substituted for Alexander Smallens and became the regular conductor at matinee performances. Steinert would serve as the conductor for the 1936 Porgy and Bess tour and the 1938 West Coast premiere; he also conducted selections at the 1937 Gershwin Memorial Concert at the Hollywood Bowl. In late 1936, Steinert settled in Los Angeles and began working in the film industry. In 1941, he arranged and conducted the music for Disney's animated film, Bambi, and throughout the 1940s he continued to score films. He also was credited as an actor in a few films, appearing as a conductor in Too Young to Kiss (1951), Because You're Mine (1952), and others. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Steinert worked extensively as composer and conductor on numerous radio productions for CBS, NBS, and ABC. In the later 1950s and into the 1960s, he added television credits to his body of work, primarily affiliated with CBS television. |
| Location of Other Archival Materials |
See also Alexander Steinert papers in the Isham Memorial Library, Eda Kuhn Loeb Library, Harvard University. |
| Indexes |
Collection guide available in repository and on internet. |
| Subject |
Steinert, Alexander, 1900-1982.
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Gershwin, George, 1898-1937 -- Correspondence.
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Ormandy, Eugene, 1899-1985 -- Correspondence.
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Arrangers (Musicians) -- United States -- 20th century.
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Composers -- United States -- 20th century.
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Conductors (Music) -- United States -- 20th century.
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Film composers -- United States -- 20th century.
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| Genre/Form |
Clippings.
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Contracts.
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Notebooks.
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Programs.
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Scores.
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Scrapbooks.
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| Occupation |
Arrangers (Musicians) |
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Composers. |
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Conductors (Music) |
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Film composers. |
| Added Author |
Indy, Vincent d', 1851-1931.
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Gershwin, George, 1898-1937.
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Loeffler, Charles Martin, 1861-1935.
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Ormandy, Eugene, 1899-1985.
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Smallens, Alexander, 1889-1972.
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CBS Television Network.
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American Music Collection.
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| Call No. |
JPB 06-62
|
| Research Call Number |
JPB 06-62
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