| Description |
35.5 linear feet (38 boxes ) |
|
Arranged in series: I. Scores, 1956-2004; II. Music/office files, 1963-1992; III. Oversized scores, 1964-2004. |
| Summary |
The Francis Thorne papers primarily contains scores by the composer. These include sketches, piano/vocal scores, full scores, and orchestral parts. The collection also includes office files, which contain biographical essays, clippings, correspondence, and programs. These files also include some information about the Thorne Music Fund, Inc. There is limited personal material in the collection as a whole. |
| Biography |
Prolific American composer Francis Thorne (born 1922) is well known for his work in a variety of genres, as well as for his service in music administration. Born in Bay Shore, New York, Thorne came from a musical family. His father had been a ragtime pianist and his grandfather, Gustave Kobbé was an eminent music critic and writer. Thorne's own approach to music was equally eclectic. He received his formal music training at Yale University with Paul Hindemith. After graduation, Thorne served in the United States Navy during World War II. Following the war, he worked in both the banking industry and as a stock broker on Wall Street. In 1955, Thorne abandoned the field of finance and tried his hand again at music. Duke Ellington recommended Thorne to Manhattan's Hickory House, where he landed a two-year engagement as a jazz pianist. In 1958, Thorne moved his family to Florence, Italy in the hopes of studying composition with Luigi Dallapiccola. Thorne instead became a private student of David Diamond. Thorne would incorporate jazz into his formal compositions. A seminal work in this vein was Nocturnes for Voice and Piano. His first big success as a professional composer was the work Elegy for Orchestra, which received its premiere with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1964. Thorne also became the founder and administrator of the Thorne Music Fund from 1965-1974. This fund awarded emerging composers three-year fellowships to focus on their writing. Thorne later served as the executive director of the Naumburg Foundation and the American Composers Alliance. He also has been the president and co-founder of the American Composers Orchestra. |
| Form |
Three lyrical songs, 1944: 1. Looking up / H. Moss ; 2. Sleep now / J. Joyce ; 3. The world is too much with us / W. Wordswarth (box 25, f. 6) Available in microfilm as part of the Francis Thorne papers; service copy classmark: *ZB-4359. |
| Reproduction |
Box 25, f. 6. Microfilm. New York : New York Public Library, 2009. 1 microfilm reel ; 35 mm. (MN *ZZ-41217) |
| Indexes |
Collection guide available in repository and on internet. |
| Subject |
Thorne, Francis.
|
|
Composers -- United States -- 20th century.
|
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Music -- Scholarships, fellowships, etc.
|
| Genre/Form |
Scores.
|
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Clippings.
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Correspondence.
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Programs.
|
| Occupation |
Composers. |
| Added Author |
Diamond, David, 1915-2005.
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American Composers Alliance.
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American Composers Orchestra.
|
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American Music Collection.
|
| Call No. |
JPB 06-65
|
| Research Call Number |
JPB 06-65
|
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*ZB-4359 [Microfilm]
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