Performances + Events
Arthur Berger
Arthur Berger was an influential composer, critic, and teacher for more than half a century..
About Arthur Berger
Born in 1912 in New York City, Berger received his musical education at New York and Harvard Universities, pursuing further studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and at the Sorbonne. By his early twenties he was accepted into the circle of avant-garde New York composers and became a member of the Young Composers Group that revolved around Aaron Copland as its mentor. In his capacity as critic, Berger became one of the chief spokesmen of American music for that period.
Although Berger made notable contributions to the orchestral repertory, he devoted the major share of his compositional activities to chamber and solo piano music. His String Quartet received a New York Music Critics Circle Citation in 1962. Among his orchestral works are: Serenade Concertante, written for the CBS Orchestra; Polyphony, a Louisville Orchestra commission; and Ideas of Order, commissioned by Dimitri Mitropoulos for the New York Philharmonic—a work that received a full page story in Time magazine following its premiere.
Among Berger’s numerous published critical and analytical articles, his seminal study “Problems of Pitch Organization in Stravinsky” applied the expression “octatonic” to the 8-note scale that has since become conventionally know by that term. At a time when Stravinsky’s so-called neoclassicism was under attack, Berger wrote extensively and cogently in its defense. He was one of the first to write about Charles Ives and the first to write a book on the music of Aaron Copland. This study, which had occupied him since the early 1930s, was published by the Oxford University Press at a time (1953) when there was no precedent for books on American composers dealing as he did with their musical technique. In August 1990, Aaron Copland was reprinted by Da Capo Press.
Berger’s receipt of an award from the Council of Learned Societies in 1933 was the first in a long series of honors bestowed on him by prestigious organizations throughout his life: Guggenheim, Fromm, Coolidge, Naumburg, and Fulbright Foundations; the NEA; League of Composers; and Massachusetts Council on the Arts & Humanities, to name a few. He was a Fellow of both the American Academy & Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Berger began his college teaching career in 1939 at Mills College, where Darius Milhaud joined the faculty the following year. (It was he who persuaded Pierre Monteux, conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, to ask Berger to write a woodwind quartet for first-desk musicians of that orchestra.) In 1943 Berger became a music critic for the New York Sun, and in 1946 he accepted Virgil Thomson’s invitation to join the New York Herald Tribune. After a decade as a full-time daily music reviewer in New York City, he resumed teaching in 1953 at Brandeis University during the formation of its graduate music program. Following his retirement from Brandeis in 1980 as the Irving Fine Professor of Music Emeritus, Berger taught at the New England Conservatory of Music until 1999. During his retirement, Berger lived and taught privately in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His book Reflections of an American Composer, published by the University of California Press in November 2002, won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award. Berger died October 7, 2003 at age 91. He was survived by his wife, Ellen.
(Sources: Arthur Berger biography (photocopy of revised version previously published in the Arthur Berger brochure), winter 2001 issue of Pan Pipes, and a News Update dated 11/03 in Box 1, Folder 23 in the Arthur Berger Papers, New England Conservatory Archives.
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Collection
The Arthur Berger collection consists of two record cartons and three flat manuscript boxes; approximately 3 linear feet.
The Arthur Berger Papers were compiled by Rosalie Calabrese, Arthur Berger’s agent, during Berger’s life and after his death. The Arthur Berger Papers were donated by the Arthur Berger Trust in 2016. This collection was processed by Clarissa Yingling in Fall 2016.
This non-circulating collection is open for research use by appointment on site at Blumenthal Family Library (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Advance notice is required. To schedule an appointment or request further information, please contact the Archivist.
Please contact the Archivist regarding permissions to publish materials from this collection. Citation should read: NECA 19.2. Arthur Berger Papers, New England Conservatory Archives, Boston, MA.
The Arthur Berger Papers, which span the years 1933-2016 (primarily 1987-2007), are organized into the following six series:
- Music-Related Materials
- Publications & Publicity
- Correspondence
- Published Music
- Manuscript & Printed Masters
- Audiovisual Materials
The Music-Related Materials series includes materials pertaining to recordings/CDs of Berger’s music, including Geoffrey Burleson’s CD recording of Berger’s complete works for solo piano; performances celebrating Berger’s 80th, 85th, and 90th birthdays; performances celebrating Berger’s centennial; the Cape & Islands Chamber Music Festival, where Berger was composer-in-residence in 1997; Berger’s copyrights of his own works; sales and rentals of Berger’s works; and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). These materials include correspondence, reviews, programs, flyers, advertisements for performances, newspaper articles, press releases, invoices, royalty statements, copyright licenses, copies of a biographical brochure, contracts, and an inventory of Berger’s works. The ASCAP materials include title registrations, writer performance records, and correspondence.
The Publications & Publicity series contains materials related to Berger’s book, Reflections of an American Composer, including correspondence; reviews; order forms; book proposals; an excerpt from the book; materials about the publication and promotion of the book; permissions to use photographs, text, and figures in the book; and a program and press release for the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award ceremony. There are also articles written by Berger; newspaper articles and reviews, including the spring 1953 issue of American Composers Alliance Bulletin, which contains an article about Berger’s music and a list of his compositions up to that date; programs and flyers; press releases; and materials related to the website. A folder of biographical information includes interviews with Berger, his biographical brochures, Who’s Who in Music proofs, a bibliography of Berger’s books and articles, and a copy of the spring 1995 issue of American Music which includes an article about Berger’s music and a list of his works. The Obituaries & Memorials folder contains notices of memorial concerts, obituaries, and correspondence.
The Correspondence series contains letters and print-outs of emails, and it includes correspondence from Berger to his agents, Rosalie Calabrese and Verna Fine. The majority of the correspondence is between Rosalie Calabrese or Verna Fine and other people with an interest in Berger and his music. This correspondence reveals the range of activities performed by Calabrese and Fine as Berger’s agents. There is also correspondence with Berger’s music publishers (C. F. Peters and APNM) and a folder containing materials related to Berger’s archives at the New York Public Library, Brandeis University, and the New England Conservatory (correspondence, brochures, programs, concert announcements, and inventories). The bulk of the materials are in English with 1 article in German and 1 letter in French.
The Published Music series is divided into four sections: Orchestral Works, Chamber Music, Piano Music, and Vocal/Choral Music. The Orchestral Works include the scores to Serenade Concertante, Polyphony for Orchestra, and Prelude, Aria and Waltz. The Chamber Music includes scores for Quartet in C Major for Woodwinds, Chamber Music for 13 Players, Perspectives II, Diptych (Collage I and Collage II), and Collage III. The Chamber Music also includes parts for Quartet in C Major for Woodwinds, Perspectives II, and Collage III. The Piano Music includes Two Episodes, Fantasy for Piano, Three Bagatelles, Five Pieces for Piano, Birthday Cards, and Perspectives III for Piano Four-Hands. The Vocal/Choral Music includes Garlands, Tov L’hodos (from the 92nd Psalm), Five Settings of European Poets for Tenor and Piano, and Ode of Ronsard.
The Manuscript & Printed Masters series is divided into four sections: Orchestral Works, Chamber Music, Piano Music, and Vocal/Choral Music. The Orchestral Works include a reduced score of Polyphony, a pencil score of Perspectives II (orchestral version), and parts for Perspectives II (orchestral version). The Chamber Music includes a score and parts (strings) for Perspectives II (chamber version). The Piano Music includes Fantasy for Piano, Partita for Piano, Perspectives III for Piano Four-Hands, Suite for Piano Four-Hands (1. Capriccio, 2. Aria, 3. Rondo: Duet for H. S.), and Birthday Cards. The Vocal/Choral Music includes Words for Music, Perhaps for soprano and piano; Words for Music, Perhaps for soprano with flute, clarinet, and cello; Tov L’hodos (from the 92nd Psalm); When I am dead…; O Love, Sweet Animal; and Ode of Ronsard.
The Audiovisual Materials series contains 23 cassette tapes and 10 compact discs. The majority of the cassette tapes contain recordings of performances of Berger’s works, including a First Monday at Jordan Hall performance of Trio for Violin, Cello & Piano by Laurence Lesser (cello), Masuko Ushioda (violin), and Randall Hodgkinson (piano) on November 21, 1987. The CDs include Form (2 copies); Arthur Berger: Complete Works for Solo Piano (2 copies); An Arthur Berger Retrospective (1 copy); Music of Arthur Berger (2 copies), The Chamber Music of Arthur Berger, and Five Songs and Two Birthday Pieces.
Arrangement Note
The papers (Box 1) were in clearly labeled folders when they were obtained by the New England Conservatory Archives. These folder labels (90th birthday, Cape & Islands, etc.) have been maintained, except when the large size of the folder necessitated dividing its contents among more than one folder. The majority of the documents were originally ordered chronologically from most recent date to least recent date, and this order has been maintained. The two exceptions to this are the Copyrights & Contracts folders (Box 1, Folders 12 and 13) and the Program Notes & Brochure Inserts folder (Box 1, Folder 11). The contents of these three folders are in their original, non-chronological order. The papers were divided into three series: Music-Related Materials, Publications & Publicity, and Correspondence. The order of the folders in each series reflects their original order when acquired. Both the Published Music series and the Manuscript & Printed Masters series were divided into Orchestral Works, Chamber Music, Piano Music, and Vocal/Choral Music. The works belonging to each division were arranged chronologically (least recent date to most recent date) by date of composition. The Audiovisual Materials series contains cassette tapes and compact discs, and these are in their own box.
Series 1: Music Related Materials
Box 1 – Folder 1
Recordings/CDs, 1987-2007; bulk 1996-2007
Box 1 – Folder 2
Complete Works for Solo Piano CD, 2002-2004
Box 1 – Folder 3
Complete Works for Solo Piano CD, 1998-2001
Box 1 – Folder 4
Centennial Performances, 2012-2013
Box 1 – Folder 5
90th Birthday Celebrations, 2002
Box 1 – Folder 6
90th Birthday Celebrations, 2001
Box 1 – Folder 7
Cape & Islands Chamber Music Festival, 1996-1997
Box 1 – Folder 8
85th Birthday Celebrations, 1997
Box 1 – Folder 9
85th Birthday Celebrations, 1995-1996
Box 1 – Folder 10
80th Birthday Celebrations, 1991-1993
Box 1 – Folder 11
Program Notes & Brochure Inserts, 1956-2002
Box 1 – Folder 12
Copyright & Contracts, 1951-2011
Box 1 – Folder 13
Copyright & Contracts, 1951-2011
Box 1 – Folder 14
Sales & Rentals, 1992-2004
Box 1 – Folder 15
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), circa 1960-2004
Box 1 – Folder 16
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), circa 1960-2004
Series 2: Publications & Publicity
Box 1 – Folder 17
Reflections… book, General, 1997-2010; bulk 1997-2004
Box 1 – Folder 18
Reflections… book, Photograph Permissions, 2000-2010
Box 1 – Folder 19
Reflections… book, Text Permissions, 2000-2004
Box 1 – Folder 20
Reflections… book, Fair Use Text, 2000
Box 1 – Folder 21
Reflections… book, Figure Permissions, 2000-2001
Box 1 – Folder 22
Articles by Arthur Berger, 1944-2001
Box 1 – Folder 23
Biographical Information, circa 1950-2003
Box 1 – Folder 24
Obituaries & Memorials, 2003
Box 1 – Folder 25
Newspaper Reviews & Articles, 1995-2007
Box 1 – Folder 26
Newspaper Reviews and Articles, 1953-1994
Box 1 – Folder 27
Programs & Flyers, 1997-2009
Box 1 – Folder 28
Programs & Flyers, 1964-1996
Box 1 – Folder 29
Press Releases, circa 1988-2001
Box 1 – Folder 30
Current Website, 2005-2016
Box 1 – Folder 31
Former Websites, 1999-2014
Box 1 – Folder 32
Mailing Lists Box 1 – Folder 33
Duplicate Documents
Box 1 – Folder 34
Correspondence, General, 2003-2013
Box 1 – Folder 35
Correspondence, General, 2000-2002
Box 1 – Folder 36
Correspondence, General, 1998-1999
Box 1 – Folder 37
Correspondence, General, 1995-1997
Box 1 – Folder 38
Correspondence, General, 1993-1994
Box 1 – Folder 39
Correspondence, General, 1987-1992
Box 1 – Folder 40
Correspondence, C. F. Peters and APNM, 1997-2005
Box 1 – Folder 41
Correspondence, New York Public Library, New England Conservatory, and Brandeis University, 2011
Series 3: Published Music
Box 2 – Folder 1
Orchestral Works, Serenade Concertante (score), 1944, revised 1951
Box 2 – Folder 2
Orchestral Works, Polyphony for Orchestra (score), 1956
Box 2 – Folder 3
Orchestral Works, Prelude, Aria and Waltz (score), 1982
Box 2 – Folder 4
Orchestral Works, Prelude, Aria and Waltz (score), 1982
Box 2 – Folder 5
Chamber Music, Quartet in C Major for Woodwinds (set of parts), 1941
Box 2 – Folder 6
Chamber Music, Quartet in C Major for Woodwinds (score), 1941
Box 2 – Folder 7
Chamber Music, Duo for Violoncello and Piano, 1951
Box 2 – Folder 8
Chamber Music, Chamber Music for 13 Players (score), 1956
Box 2 – Folder 9
Chamber Music, String Quartet (score), 1958
Box 2 – Folder 10
Chamber Music, Trio for Guitar, Violin & Piano (score), 1972
Box 2 – Folder 11
Chamber Music, Quintet for Woodwinds (score), 1984
Box 2 – Folder 12
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (score), 1960 revised 1985
Box 2 – Folder 13
Chamber Music, Diptych (Collage I and Collage II) (score), 1990, revised 1995
Box 2 – Folder 14
Chamber Music, Diptych (Collage I and Collage II) (score), 1990, revised 1995
Box 2 – Folder 15
Chamber Music, Collage III (parts: violin and cello), 1992, revised 1994
Box 2 – Folder 16
Chamber Music, Collage III (parts: flute and clarinet, percussion, 1992, revised 1994
Box 2 – Folder 17
Piano Music, Two Episodes, 1933
Box 2 – Folder 18
Piano Music, Fantasy for Piano, 1942
Box 2 – Folder 19
Piano Music, Three Bagatelles, 1946
Box 2 – Folder 20
Piano Music, Four Two-Part Inventions for Piano, 1948-1949
Box 2 – Folder 21
Piano Music, Three One-Part Inventions (piano solo), 1954
Box 2 – Folder 22
Piano Music, Three One-Part Inventions (score, part), 1954
Box 2 – Folder 23
Piano Music, Three Pieces for Two Pianos, 1961
Box 2 – Folder 24
Piano Music, Five Pieces for Piano, 1969
Box 2 – Folder 25
Piano Music, Five Pieces for Piano, 1969
Box 2 – Folder 26
Piano Music, Two Birthday Pieces, 1980, 1983
Box 2 – Folder 27
Piano Music, Birthday Cards
Box 2 – Folder 28
Vocal/Choral Music, Tov L’hodos (from the 92nd Psalm), 1946
Box 2 – Folder 29
Vocal/Choral Music, Ode of Ronsard, 1987
Series 4: Manuscript & Printed Masters
Box 2 – Folder 30
Orchestral Works, Polyphony (reduced score), 1956
Box 2 – Folder 31
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (score), 1960, revised 1985
Box 2 – Folder 32
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (score), 1960, revised 1985
Box 2 – Folder 33
Piano Music, Fantasy for Piano, 1942
Box 2 – Folder 34
Piano Music, Partita for Piano, 1947
Box 2 – Folder 35
Piano Music, Intermezzo, 1948
Box 2 – Folder 36
Piano Music, Birthday Cards; Fanfare for NEC (performed 3/4/1992
Box 2 – Folder 37
Vocal/Choral Music, Tov L’hodos (from the 92nd Psalm), 1946
Box 2 – Folder 38
Vocal/Choral Music, When I am dead…, 1978
Box 2 – Folder 39
Vocal/Choral Music, O Love, Sweet Animal, 1982, revised 1990
Box 2 – Folder 40
Vocal/Choral Music, Ode of Ronsard, 1987
Box 2 – Folder 41
Vocal/Choral Music, Ode of Ronsard, 1987, revised 2002
Series 3: Published music (continued)
Box 3—Folder 1
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (score), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 2
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (score), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 3
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: woodwinds), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 4
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: brass), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 5
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: piano-celeste, harp, percussion), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 6
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: violins 1 &2), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 7
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: viola, cello, contrabass), 1960, revised 1985
Box 3 – Folder 8
Piano Music, Perspectives III for Piano Four Hands, 1982, revised 1987
Box 3 – Folder 9
Vocal/Choral Music, Garlands, 1945
Box 3 – Folder 10
Vocal/Choral Music, Five Settings of European Poets for Tenor and Piano, 1978-1979
Series 4: Manuscript & Printed Music (continued)
Box 4—Folder 1
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (score), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 2
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (parts: strings), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 3
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (parts: woodwinds), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 4
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (parts: brass, percussion, harp, piano), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 5 Manuscript & Printed Masters, Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (parts: violins 1 & 2), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 6
Orchestral Works, Perspectives II (parts: viola, cello, bass), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder7
Chamber Music, Perspectives II (parts: strings), 1960, revised 1985
Box 4 – Folder 8
Piano Music, Three Bagatelles for Piano, 1946
Box 4 – Folder 9
Piano Music, Perspectives III for Piano Four-Hands, 1982, revised 1987
Box 4 – Folder 10
Piano Music, Suite for Piano Four-Hands (1. Capriccio, 2. Aria, 3. Duet for H.S. [Rondo]), 1997
Box 4—Folder 11
Vocal/Choral Music, Words for Music, Perhaps (for soprano and piano), 1939
Box 4—Folder 12
Vocal/Choral Music, Words for Music, Perhaps (for soprano with flute, clarinet, & cello) (score and parts), 1939, revised 1986
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials
Box 5
23 Audiocassette tapes containing recordings of performances of Arthur Berger’s works, 1964-2004
10 Compact discs containing Arthur Berger’s works, 1980-2002
