Acknowledgements
This catalogue would not be possible without the most generous assistance of librarian Ned Comstock at the Cinema-Television Archive of USC. His professional skills, deep musical interest, and friendly advice made feasible the whole undertaking. The Oscar Levant Collection lives at a very good address.
Access to it could not have been gained without the kind permission of the late June Levant.
Most importantly, awareness of the Collection was made possible by the early and untiringly helpful intervention of Michael Feinstein. A series of long-distance calls, his extraordinary personal knowledge of the Gershwin era, painstaking corrections, and his generosity of spirit all conspired to point this project in the right direction.
Mistakes, of course, are my own contribution to the effort.
At this writing, access to the Oscar Levant Collection requires the prior consent of Mrs Oscar (June) Levant and subsequent arrangement with Ned Comstock and staff at the:
Doheny Library
Cinema-Television Archive
University of Southern California
Los Angeles CA 90089-0182
Phone (213) 740-7610
Fax (213) 747-3301
Index
- Berceuse for a Social Misfit
- B Flat Minor Concerto
- Caprice
- Charlie Chan at the Opera
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
- March
- Minuet
- Nocturne
- Nothing Sacred
- Overture
- Prelude
- Rhapsody
- Scherzo
- Sinfonietta
- Sonatina
- String Quartette
- Suite for Orchestra
- No title given
- Schubert-Levant Minuet and Gavotte
- Pete Roleum and His Cousins
Item Number: 1
| Name of Work: | Berceuse for a Social Misfit |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | unknown |
| First Performance: | – |
| Instrumentation: | Piano and melody line |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | c. 3:00 |
| Sketch Form: | Pencil |
| Fair Copy Form: | Score in ink
Two-hand piano line, treble and bass
Treble melody line above treble piano line
1 page
27 measures |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | n/a |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 2
| Name of Work: | B Flat Minor Concerto |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | c. 1958 |
| Written For: | The Eddie Fisher Show |
| Instrumentation: | – |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | c. 10:00 |
| Sketch Form: | – |
| Fair Copy Form: | Piano/conductor score in ink |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Piano/conductor
8 pages |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | Adapted from Tchaikovsky |
Item Number: 3
| Name of Work: | Caprice |
| Alternate Title: | Caprice for Orchestra |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | "Written in 1940 for R Bennett's radio show"
"RB's Note Book" |
| Instrumentation: | *2*2*22 / 2320 / timp cymb blocks sd pno / str [vln A, B, C] |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | c. 9:00 |
| Sketch Form: | None |
| Fair Copy Form: | Ink |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Full score
43 pages
254 measures |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | Recorded by Marin Alsop, conductor
Concordia Chamber Orchestra
Angel CDC 54851 |
Item Number: 4
| Name of Work: | Charlie Chan at the Opera |
| Alternate Title: | Carnival [Carnaval, Carnivale] |
Date/Place of
Composition: | 1936, Hollywood |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | 20th century Fox film |
| Instrumentation: | – |
| Movement(s): | 1) Carnival - Then Farewell (Duet for Baritone and Soprano) - 86 measures - 3:24
2) Opera Sequence (Baritone Aria) - 85 measures
3) Aria for Baritone and Soprano - 85 measures
4) Carnivale Marche [incomplete] - 21+ measures
5) Carnival King and Country Call - 17 measures - 2:13
6) Carnival, Ah Romantic Love Dream (Aria for Soprano) - 43 measures - 2:36
7) Ah, Dream of Sweet Romance (Aria for Soprano) - 43 measures |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | – |
| Fair Copy Form: | – |
| Publication Form: | – |
| Score Form: | Full and Piano/conductor |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | Charles Maxwell |
| Miscellaneous: | Lyrics by William Kernell
Scores held at 20th century Fox Archives |
Item Number: 5
| Name of Work: | Concerto for Piano and Orchestra |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1941
"Beverly Wilshire Hotel"
"Park Central Hotel" |
| First Performance: | 17 February 1942
Alfred Wallenstein, conductor
NBC Symphony, Studio 8-H |
| Instrumentation: | *2*2*22 / 4331 / timp xyl sd tri cast / solo piano / str |
| Movement(s): | Allegro ritmico et al, in one movement |
| Total Running Time: | 14:30 |
| Sketch Form: | Full-score pencil sketches
Additional sketches in USC (box 8, folder 6) |
| Fair Copy Form: | Full-score in ink, 2 copies |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Full-score in ink, 3 sets
116 pages
527 measures |
| Part-Set Form: | 2 complete, plus ozalide originals |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | Recorded by Alfred Wallenstein, conductor
Oscar Levant, piano
DRG CD 13113 |
Item Number: 6
| Name of Work: | March |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | [New York, 1938] |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | from 'The American Way' musical |
| Instrumentation: | 2 alt sax 2 ten sax / 3 trpt 3 trb / traps, guitar, pno / - str |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | 4:00 |
| Sketch Form: | – |
| Fair Copy Form: | – |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Piano/conductor only
31 pages
124 measures |
| Part-Set Form: | Complete |
| Orchestrated By: | Bernard Mayers |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 7
| Name of Work: | Minuet |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | – |
| Instrumentation: | 2222 / 22? / ? / str |
| Movement(s): | [Incomplete] |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | Pencil sketches only
26 pages |
| Fair Copy Form: | None |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | [Incomplete] |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | United Artists paper |
Item Number: 8
| Name of Work: | Nocturne |
| Alternate Title: | Nocturne for Orchestra |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1936 |
| First Performance: | 14 April 1937, Trinity Auditorium, Los Angeles
Oscar Levant, conductor
Federal Symphony Orchestra
[Gerald Strang, conductor of other works on the evening's program] |
| Instrumentation: | *2*2*22 / 4331 / timp hp cel bd xyl tmb t-t tri / str |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | 10:30 |
| Sketch Form: | 18 pages of MS sketches
14 pages of MS piano sketches
"May 6 Friday 10:40"
RKO Studio paper |
| Fair Copy Form: | 2 reproduction scores in ink, hand "L.Q.W."
One of 48 pages and 228 measures
The other of 72 pages and 228 measures
Dated 1936: "To Arno" |
| Publication Form: | New Music Orchestra Series, 1938
48 pages
228 measures |
| Score Form: | Full score, as printed
Six in set, complete
One of six includes 3 pages of performance notes
- from Vladimir Golschmann, St. Louis Symphony |
| Part-Set Form: | Complete, with miscellaneous extras |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | Print score dedicated "To Arnold Schoenberg"
Part-set copied by "I.L. Epstein E206 Local 802 Registered 1939" |
Item Number: 9
| Name of Work: | Nothing Sacred |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | 1937, Hollywood |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | Selznick Studios film |
| Instrumentation: | – |
| Movement(s): | 1) Main Title - 35 measures
2) After Main - 22 measures
3) Insert - Reel 1 - 22 measures
4) Short Version Boat scene (A) - 7 measures
5) Boat Music B - 70 measures
6) Flower Sequence, Reel 5 - 61 measures
7) End Title - 5 measures |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | None
Plus sketches for 'montage' |
| Fair Copy Form: | None |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Piano/conductor only
Ditto paper, Selznick Library |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | David Raksin |
| Miscellaneous: | Score and parts also located in
Selznick Library,
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Centre,
University of Texas at Austin, PO Box 7219,
Austin TX 78713-7219, (512) 471-8944 |
Item Number: 10
| Name of Work: | Overture |
| Alternate Title: | Overture 1912
A New Overture
Polka for Oscar Homolka |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1939 |
| First Performance: | 1940
Frank Black, conductor
NBC Radio Orchestra |
| Instrumentation: | *2222 / 4230 / timp xyl sd bd cymb tri / str |
| Movement(s): | One |
| Total Running Time: | 6:00 |
| Sketch Form: | None |
| Fair Copy Form: | Two scores in MS with corrected reproduction
A third score in onionskin
54 pages
282 measures |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Full score in ink
2 pages of hand-written notes [corrections?]
Marked throughout in red, blue, green |
| Part-Set Form: | Two complete part-sets
Numerous changes in parts
Strings also in onion and repro with corrections
Second set appears to be a safety copy,
incomplete in woodwinds and brass
"Jack Kantor Local 802 Registered 1940" |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 11
| Name of Work: | Prelude |
| Alternate Title: | Prelude and Fugue in C Major |
Date/Place of
Composition: | "Composed in Bayreuth October [1934]" |
| First Performance: | – |
| Instrumentation: | 1 flute, 1 Bb clarinet, 1 bassoon |
| Movement(s): | Prelude - Full score - 7 pages - 54 measures
Part-set - MS sketch in pencil "October"
Fugue - Full score - 7 pages - 63 measures
Part-set - MS sketch in pencil
"Composed in Bayreuth October" |
| Total Running Time: | 6:00 [2:30 + 3:30] |
| Sketch Form: | See above |
| Fair Copy Form: | See above |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | Complete |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 12
| Name of Work: | Rhapsody |
| Alternate Title: | Romance in High C |
Date/Place of
Composition: | "18 July 1947" |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | RKO film "Romance on the High Seas" |
| Instrumentation: | Piano |
| Movement(s): | – |
| Total Running Time: | 3:00 |
| Sketch Form: | None |
| Fair Copy Form: | Piano only
5 pages
49 measures |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | – |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | Warner Brothers' Archive has a three-line piano sketch |
Item Number: 13
| Name of Work: | Scherzo |
| Alternate Title: | [String Quartet No. 2] |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | – |
| Instrumentation: | String quartet |
| Movement(s): | – |
| Total Running Time: | 7:00 |
| Sketch Form: | Several pages of apparently-related sketches |
| Fair Copy Form: | Pencil score only
38 pages
366 measures
RKO paper |
| Publication Form: |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | – |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | |
Item Number: 14
| Name of Work: | Sinfonietta |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | 25 February 1934
Bernard Hermann, conductor
Town Hall, New York |
| Instrumentation: | *1111 / 1110 / timp xyl sd bd cymb / str |
| Movement(s): | Toccata - 41 pages - 202 measures
Adagio - 29 pages - 117 measures
Rondo - 49 pages - 215 measures [including optional cuts] |
| Total Running Time: | 11:00 |
| Sketch Form: | Pencil sketches for Toccata only
Small sketch book in pencil |
| Fair Copy Form: | Pencil MS of Full score
Ink MS of Full score: 41pp, 29pp, 49pp |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Ink |
| Part-Set Form: | 1 ink copy of each part |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 15
| Name of Work: | Sonatina |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | 1932 |
| First Performance: | 30 April 1932
Oscar Levant, piano
Yaddo American Music Festival
Saratoga Springs, New York |
| Instrumentation: | Piano |
| Movement(s): | – |
| Total Running Time: | 12:00 |
| Sketch Form: | None |
| Fair Copy Form: | None |
| Publication Form: | Robbins Music Corporation, 1934
17 pages |
| Score Form: | None |
| Part-Set Form: | None |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | Recorded by Levant, 1st movement only,
20 January 1942
Columbia release M-508
DRG CD 13113
Released entire work from radio air-checks
taken on 28 February and 18 November, 1940
Recorded by Joseph Smith, 1993
Premiere CD 1028 |
Item Number: 16
| Name of Work: | String Quartette |
| Alternate Title: | [early version:] Two Sentimental Expressions (1938) |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1937 |
| First Performance: | October 1937
Kolisch Quartet, Denver |
| Instrumentation: | String quartet |
| Movement(s): | Allegro vigoroso - 196 measures
Andantino - 104 measures
Scherzo - 366 measures
Allegro molto - 243 measures |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | – |
| Fair Copy Form: | – |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Four MS parts in 1 score:
"String Quartet No. 1"
Ink MS in one score:
"Two Sentimental Expressions for String Quartet"
[the word 'sentimental' is added above line as after-thought, or after-joke] |
| Part-Set Form: | Complete, in ink
1st movement is in two editions |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 17
| Name of Work: | Suite |
| Alternate Title: | Suite for Orchestra |
Date/Place of
Composition: | 1938 |
| First Performance: | 24 November 1939
Oscar Levant, conductor
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra |
| Instrumentation: | *2*2*2*2 / 4331 / timp xyl sd tri cymb tamb cel gong / str |
| Movement(s): | March, Allegro con spirito - 41 pages - 270 measures
Dirge, Andante - 31 pages - 104 measures "In Memory of George Gershwin"
Dance in the Form of a Rondo, Allegretto - 68 pages - 230 measures |
| Total Running Time: | 22:00 |
| Sketch Form: | Large set of pencil sketches |
| Fair Copy Form: | None |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | Ink, in hand
Each movement in separate book
Two copies of March
Two copies of Dirge |
| Part-Set Form: | Large set of ink parts, in 3 volumes
Ozalides for each part-set |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | – |
Item Number: 18
| Name of Work: | None given |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1942 |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | [Russell Bennett radio program 'Note Book'?] |
| Instrumentation: | 22*22 / 3330 / cel, hp / str |
| Movement(s): | 1) Michigan Sky - 71 measures - 2:30
2) Florida - 48 measures - 1:30
3) New York - 57 measures - 1:55
4) Texas - 54 measures - 2:12
5) End - 18 measures - 0:30 |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | None |
| Fair Copy Form: | Ink in hand |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | – |
| Orchestrated By: | Russell Bennett 1942 "Prod FA" |
| Miscellaneous: | [For Bennett's radio program on WOR?] |
Item Number: 19
| Name of Work: | Schubert-Levant 'Minuet' |
| Alternate Title: | Minuet and Gavotte |
Date/Place of
Composition: | – |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | [Student orchestration assignment?] |
| Instrumentation: | Not stated clearly |
| Movement(s): | – |
| Total Running Time: | – |
| Sketch Form: | Pencil MS, incomplete
13 pages in Minuet
36 pages in Gavotte
Indeterminate number of measures |
| Fair Copy Form: | None |
| Publication Form: | None |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | – |
| Orchestrated By: | Levant |
| Miscellaneous: | [Student work?] |
Item Number: 20
| Name of Work: | Pete Roleum and His Cousins |
| Alternate Title: | – |
Date/Place of
Composition: | c. 1939 |
| First Performance: | – |
| Written For: | Joseph Losey, Director
Petroleum Industries Exhibition, Inc., 1939 |
| Instrumentation: | – |
| Movement(s): | – |
| Total Running Time: | Film rt 20:00 |
| Sketch Form: | – |
| Fair Copy Form: | – |
| Publication Form: | – |
| Score Form: | – |
| Part-Set Form: | Part-sets only
Ordered by cue |
| Orchestrated By: | – |
| Miscellaneous: | Industrial film, produced/directed by Joseph Losey
Filmed in Technicolour and 3-D by Harold Muller
Music written by Hanns Eisler
Conducted by Oscar Levant
Film consists of Howard Bay's puppets,
shown at the petroleum industry exhibit,
New York World's Fair, 1939 - 1940 |
As Preserved In The Oscar Levant Collection
Cinema-Television Archives
Doheny Library
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
Copyright © 1998-2000, Dr. Charles Barber.
