Victoria Glaser

Biographical information

Victoria Glaser was born to Otto Charles and Dorothy Merryless Glaser on September 11, 1918 in Amherst, MA. She received instruction in counterpoint from Dorothy Fay Little and harmony with Stephen Tuttle before attending college. Glaser attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, MA and earned her B.A. and M.A. She studied theory with Walter Piston, Tillman Merritt, and Nadia Boulanger; flute with Georges Laurent; piano with Frederick Tillotson.

Glaser was an early pioneer in the development of the Preparatory Division at New England Conservatory beginning in 1957. She taught theory, ear training, sight singing, flute, piano, cello, and organ until 1982. Glaser began her teaching career in the 1940s starting at Wellesley College (1943-1946) followed by the Dana Hall School (1945-1959), Longy School of Music in Cambridge (1972-1993), and the Music School at Rivers (1977-?).

Outside of the classroom, Glaser was the Organist and Choir Director of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cambridge. Also, she composed choral arrangements and original compositions published by E.C. Schirmer and G. Schirmer. Her many instrumental compositions won her recognition in the Boston musical community. This is detailed in Howard Pollack's book Harvard Composers: Walter Piston and His Students, from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski. Glaser is also known for her own book entitled Training for Musicianship published in 1971.

Physical description

The Glaser Papers consist of 2.4 lin. ft; contained in two record cartons and one manuscript box. This collection consists primarily of paper files.

Provenance

This collection includes materials belonging to and created by Victoria Glaser, who was an early pioneer in the Preparatory Division at New England Conservatory of Music. This collection was donated to the New England Conservatory by Victoria Glaser in 2007.

Access

Access to the Victoria Glaser Papers is granted by the NEC Archivist. There are no restrictions pertaining to this collection.

Copyright

Please contact the Archivist regarding of copyright restrictions and publication permissions. This collection should be cited as: NECA 19.10. Victoria Glaser Papers, New England Conservatory Archives, Boston, MA.

Scope & Content

The Victoria Glaser Papers are organized into nine series:

  1. Compositions and Arrangements
  2. Longy School of Music
  3. Music School at Rivers
  4. New England Conservatory of Music
  5. Publication correspondence
  6. Teaching Materials
  7. Unitarian Universalist Singles
  8. Miscellaneous
  9. Publication manuscripts

The Compositions and Arrangements series includes manuscript vocal and instrumental works composed or arranged by Glaser. Also, there are works collected by Glaser of other composers.

The Longy School of Music series contains materials dating from 1977-1987. These include correspondence, committee records, a newsletter, and a concert program.

The Music School at Rivers series contains a brochure outlining the programs provided for students as well as correspondence, general faculty materials, flyers promoting the programs, newsletters, and student recital programs.  These records span the years 1976-1979.

The New England Conservatory of Music series is comprised of correspondence with NEC Presidents, listings of Preparatory School requirements, and concert programs from the Preparatory School. One folder documents various strategic issues that were facing the Preparatory Division, including the relationship between NEC and the Music School at Rivers. Other materials include: records of a Preparatory Theory faculty seminar; a report of the findings of a Ford Foundation Study Group which examined music education for children ages 9-12; and a typed manuscript of the book or paper “Music is for Little People”, written by Lisa Frederick Parker of the NEC Extension Division faculty.  

The Publication Correspondence series consists primarily of correspondence regarding Glaser’s book Training for Musicianship. The majority of the correspondence involves copyright permission requests to various publishers for musical examples that Glaser planned to use in her book. There are also letters commenting on the book or requesting copies of the book. The folders in this series are organized alphabetically. The last folder labeled “Other” contains letters from publishers/senders for which there is only one piece of correspondence. This folder is organized alphabetically within. Finally, the last folder contains correspondence pertaining to the publication of Glaser’s later book, The Inquisitive Music Lover.

The Teaching Materials contain lesson plans from the classes taught by Glaser during her career at the NEC-Preparatory School and other schools. Also included are examples of examinations and assignments given by Glaser. In addition, there are six notebooks which contain more lesson plans and musical examples utilized in classes. While Glaser was at NEC she taught theory, sight singing, ear training and many more courses. Finally there is a “Harmony Course” book written by Nadia Boulanger which Glaser perhaps used in her teaching.

The Unitarian Universalist Singles series includes newsletters from 1981-1983 when Glaser was a forum leader. Also, included are the contracts used to rent church facilities in order to host meetings.

The Miscellaneous series contains a few pieces of general correspondence and unidentified correspondence. It also includes newspaper clippings /advertisements and a folder pertaining to Glaser’s review of a book by Lily Owyang and Linda Ostrander entitled Creative Piano: A Modular Approach for Adult Beginners. A thick notebook containing Glaser’s notes from classes she had taken in college including a Greek literature class and a Music class, as well as an outline for her honors thesis, can be found in this series. Finally, there are four unidentified 3x5 photos and two larger images of churches; one appears to be a sketch.

The Publication Manuscripts series contains typewritten drafts of nine chapters of Glaser’s book The Inquisitive Music Lover, a draft of Piano Sight Playing for the Novel Musician, and a complete pre-publication copy of her book Training for Musicianship with pasted-in text and musical examples.

 

Container List

Series 1: Compositions and Arrangements and Translations
            Victoria Glaser

Box 1

Choral- Children's Chorus

    Folder 1    An Argument to Set
    Folder 2    On Seven Winds

S.A.T.B.

    Folder 3    3001 (Lament for a Dead Planet)
    Folder 4    Freedom Songs
    Folder 5    Litany
    Folder 6    London in 1888
    Folder 7    Oh Solider, Solider
    Folder 8    The White Lie
    Folder 9    Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
                   
S.A.B.

    Folder 10    Little Christmas
    Folder 11    Three Carols for Christmas

S.S.A. / S.S.A.A.

    Folder 12    The Cambric Shirt
                     Christ now by Thy Passion
    Folder 13    La Dance
    Folder 14    Greek Hymn
    Folder 15    Greensleeves (What Child is this?)
                       Homeric Hymn (2 copies)
    Folder 16    La Musique
                       Three Canons for Treble Voices(Brahms; text    
                       translations by V. Glaser)
T.T.B..

    Folder 17    Wharra fe Dinner?

T.T.B.B.

    Folder 18    What A Tryin' Time (Spiritual)

Mixed Voices (unison)

    Folder 19    Festival Anthem

Solo Voice

    Folder 20    Easy Choir Song (with ensemble)
    Folder 21    Summer Song (Lyin' Out Long) (with piano)
    Folder 22    Victoria Glaser Publications: Choral Arrangements

Instrumental
   
Cello

    Folder 23    Plucker's Harvest
    Folder 24    Verses

Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon

    Folder 25    A Jazz Counterpoint

Flute and Piano[?]
                       
    Folder 25    Berceuse (Chopin/arr. Glaser)

Flute, Viola, Piano
   
    Folder 26    Loeillet Sonata in B minor

Flute, Viola, Cello

    Folder 27    Pentaphony

Harpsichord

    Folder 28    Recollections

Piano
                       
    Folder 29    Inquiry
    Folder 30    Prelude and Allegro
                   
Organ

    Folder 31    Prelude on Easter Melodies
    Folder 32    Prelude on Hymn 79 (Meg Irwin)
    Folder 33    Unidentified

Miscellaneous
           
    Folder 34    Epithalamian for Theo and Steve Colburn
    Folder 35     Ragtime Romp

Other Composers       
      
Bronneau, Gilles Yves

    Folder 36-40 Opus 25: nos. 1-5 (5 Psaumes)(Chorus, Flute, Hautbois,       Strings and Organ)
    Folder 41    Symphonie 2, Pastorale, Opus 31 (Conductors Score)
    Folder 42    Sonate Opus 32, numero 3 (Oboe and Piano)

Cobb. C.W.

    Folder 43    Basque Carol (S.A.T.B.)
    Folder 44    To Mary Sing (S.A.T.B.)

Glaser, C.

    Folder 45    Dein Auge (Mezzo-Soprano)
                     Morgens steh ich auf Fragen
                     Frühlingslied
   
    Folder 46    Mes Esta Di   
               
Neily, Robert

    Folder 47    Away in a Manger (S.A.T.B.)

Sukkar, Mary

    Folder 48    Lament for Anwar Sadat (Conductors Score)

Virgemah, Kevyn

    Folder 49     Conte (Piano)
               
Unidentified

    Folder 50    Alma Mater (Voice)
    Folder 51    Margery, Come Feed the Black Sow

`    `
Series 2: Longy School of Music

Box 2

    Folder 1    Correspondence
    Folder 2    Committee Records
    Folder 3    Newsletter
    Folder 4    Program

Series 3: The Music School at Rivers

    Folder 5    Correspondence
    Folder 6    Faculty materials
    Folder 7    Flyers/Press Releases
    Folder 8    Newsletter
    Folder 9    Recital Program
           
Series 4: New England Conservatory of Music

    Folder 10    Correspondence w/NEC Presidents
    Folder 11    Preparatory School – Theory Requirements
    Folder 12    Preparatory School – Voice Requirements
    Folder 13    Preparatory School Programs
    Folder 14    Preparatory/Extension Division – Strategic Issues
    Folder 15     Seminar with Preparatory Theory Faculty
    Folder 16    Ford Foundation Study Group
    Folder 17    “Music is for Little People”

Series 5: Publication correspondence
       
Training for Musicianship

    Folder 18    Associated Music Publishers, Inc
    Folder 19    Baker and Taylor Co.
    Folder 20    Bärenreiter Verlag
    Folder 21    Boosey & Hawkes Inc.
    Folder 22    Broude Bros. Co.
    Folder 23    J. & W. Chester
    Folder 24    Elkan-Vogel Company
    Folder 25    Frank Music Co.
    Folder 26    International Music Corp.
    Folder 27    Edwin F. Kalmus
    Folder 28    Music & Man
    Folder 29    MENC
    Folder 30    Music Publishers Holding Corp.
    Folder 31    Novello & Co.
    Folder 32    Oxford University Press
    Folder 33    C. F. Peters
    Folder 34    Theodore Presser
    Folder 35    Viking Press
    Folder 36    Other

The Inquisitive Music Lover
   
    Folder 37     Correspondence

Series 6: Teaching Materials

Lesson Plans

      Folder 38    Counterpoint-18th century
      Folder 39    Counterpoint-Baroque
      Folder 40    Counterpoint-Modal
      Folder 41    Harmony I
      Folder 42    Harmony II
      Folder 43    Intermediate I and II
      Folder 44    Introduction
      Folder 45    Music 203-A
      Folder 46    Music 203-B
      Folder 47    Music 203-C
      Folder 48    Music 208-A
      Folder 49    Music 208-B
      Folder 50    Music 208-C
      Folder 51    Musicianship I and II
      Folder 52    Senior I and II
      Folder 53    Teenage Beginners/Juniors
      Folder 54    Theory I and II
      Folder 55    Assignments
      Folder 56    Exams
      Folder 57    Notebook 1
      Folder 58    Notebook 2
      Folder 59    Notebook 3
      Folder 60     Notebook 4
      Folder 61    Notebook 5
      Folder 62    Notebook 6 (oversize)
      Folder 63    Harmony Course/Nadia Boulanger
   
Series 7: Unitarian Universalist Singles Group

      Folder 64    Contracts, January 1982-September 1983
      Folder 65    Forum Discussion Guidelines and Topics

Newsletter

      Folder 66    February 1981-December 1981
      Folder 67    February 1982-September 1982
      Folder 68    April 1983-September 1983   
      Folder 69    Miscellaneous

Series 8: Miscellaneous

      Folder 70    Correspondence, General
      Folder 71    Correspondence, Unidentified
      Folder 72    Newspaper Clippings/Advertisements
      Folder 73    Review of Owyang/Ostrander Book
      Folder 74    Course Notebook
      Folder 75    Photographs

Series 9: Publication Manuscripts

Box 3

      Folder 1    Draft, The Inquisitive Music Lover, Chpt.1-2
      Folder 2    Draft, The Inquisitive Music Lover, Chpt. 3-6
      Folder 3    Draft, The Inquisitive Music Lover, Chpt. 7-8
      Folder 4    Draft, The Inquisitive Music Lover, Chpt. 9
      Folder 5    Draft, Piano Sight-Playing for the Novice Musician
   
 Complete Manuscript Draft, Training for Musicianship

Finding aid compiled by Steven D. Booth, Fall 2007.