Music (Vilna Archives)
Scope and Contents
The Music (Vilna Archives) consists of the manuscripts of instrument parts of Yiddish operettas and musical plays that were part of the Esther Rachel Kaminska Museum of the YIVO Institute in Vilna (from 1927).
The collection includes the works of composers and authors of musical works who were involved in the earliest history of Yiddish theater in Russia and Poland (and formerly Romania), namely composers Abraham Goldfaden, founder of the Yiddish theater), Peretz Sandler, Arnold Perlmutter, Herman Wohl, J. Brody, Louis Friedeell, Khone Wolfsthal, Sigmund Moguesco, and others.
Authors include Abraham Goldfaden, Joseph Lateiner, Moyshe Hurwitz, Jacob Gordin, Sigmund Mogulesco, M. Richter, Yitskhok Auerbach, Anschel Shor, Moyshe Shor, A.M. Sharkansky, N.M. Shaykevitsh/Shomer, N. Rakov, and others.
Some operettas were sometimes arranged by more than one composer or arranger for various instruments in different versions. For instance, Shulamis was arranged by L.G. Isaac Bernfeld, Yitskhok Szlosberg, M.A. Krutiansky, and S. Wajnberg. In certain cases, arrangers were also composers: Joseph Rumshinsky, David Beigelman, Julius Adler, Mordkhe Hochberg, Peretz Sandler, Zelig Mogulesco, G. Salis, Shloyme Prizament, Yitskhok Szlosberg, and Aaron Zylberberg.
Other arrangers included Shmuel Wajnberg, Adolf Gimpel, H. Kumok, M.A. Krutiansky.
Each manuscript includes a scope note with a description of the instrument parts that are extant of the musical work. They are indictaed as D (Director's part), V-1 (First Violin), V-2 (Second Violin), VA (Viola), B (Bass), F (Flute), C (Clarinet), Oboe, French Horn, T (Trumpet), Tb (Trombone), and P (Percussion).
Dates
- 1892-1938
Language of Materials
The collection is in Yiddish, Russian, Polish, and some German and Hebrew.
Access Restrictions
The collection has been digitized and is available online without restrictions. The physical collection is closed.
Use Restrictions
The images, documents, film footage, audio materials, and texts displayed in any portion of this web site may be copyrighted. Permission to use this web site is given on condition that the user agrees to follow U.S. copyright laws. The user agrees that she or he assumes liability for any copyright violations resulting from unauthorized use of items appearing on this web site and to hold YIVO harmless from any action involving copyright infringement. It is the responsibility of the user to carry out a due diligence search under U.S. copyright laws to determine the copyright status of items displayed on this web site.
Biographical / Historical
The Esther Rachel Kaminska Museum was established in 1926 after the death of the artist by her son-in-law Sigmund Turkow, and daughter Ida Kaminska. Originally housed in the apartment of the deceased, the Museum was transferred to the YIVO Institute in Vilna in 1927.
The Museum at first consisted of the rich archive of the Kaminsky family, including the collection of producer-playwright-actor Abraham Isaac Kaminsky, husband of Esther Rachel; later it was augmented by accessions from producer-playwright Nokhem Lipovsky, producer-actor Elieser Rapel, and others.
During World War II, the collection was part of the archival documents that were confiscated by the Nazis. After the war it was discovered at the Offenbach Depot in Germany, and returned to the YIVO Institute in New York in 1947.
Extent
26.3 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Music (Vilna Archives) collection comprises the music manuscripts of the Esther Rachel Kaminska Museum. This includes the instrument parts of various operettas, folk songs, and musical plays.
The Esther Rachel Kaminska Museum was established after the death of the artist in 1928 by her son-in-law Sigmund Turkow, and her daughter,Ida Kaminsky. Originally housed in the apartment of the deceasd in Warsaw, the Museum was transferred to the YIVO Institute in Vilna in 1927. In addition to the archives of the Kaminsky family, the Museum was augmented by music accessions of producer-playwright Nokhem Lipovsky, producer-director Elieser and Zina Rappel, and later by Norbert Glimer, M.L. Genfer, and others.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into two series. Series 1, arranged alphabetically by the title of the musical work, and Series 2, the addendum.
- Series I: Music (Vilna Archives), 1892-1938
- Addendum, 1890s-1973
Immediate Source of Acquisition
During World War II, the collection was part of the archival documents that were confiscated by the Nazis. After the war it was discovered at the Offenbach Depot in Germany, and returned to the YIVO Institute in New York in 1947.
- Title
- Guide to the Music (Vilna Archives) 1892-1938 RG 7
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- The collection was arranged by Dr. Leon T. Blasczyk, reprocessed and catalogued by Chana Mlotek in 1994. Partial finding aid created by Violet Lutz and completed by Beata Kasiarz in 2021.
- Date
- ©2021
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Sponsor
- Processed, conserved and digitized as part of the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections project (2015-2022)
Repository Details
Part of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Repository
