Sid Ramin papers, circa 1957-2009, bulk 1957-1995

Summary Information

Abstract

Sid Ramin was a composer, conductor, and arranger for Broadway and Hollywood musicals and for television shows, including All My Children, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Gypsy, and West Side Story.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into seven series.

• Series I: West Side Story, 1957-1993
• Subseries I.1 Scores for Broadway Production, 1957
• Subseries I.2: Scores for The Sound of West Side Story by the Ramin-Kostal Orchestra, circa 1957
• Subseries I.3: Scores for Motion Picture, 1961
• Subseries I.4: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, 1961, 1977, 1993
• Subseries I.5: Other, undated
• Subseries I.6: Miscellaneous, circa 1957-1961
• Series II: Gypsy, 1959
• Subseries II.1: Songs Used for Orchestration
• Subseries II.2: Songs Not Used for Orchestration
• Subseries II.3 Scores for Pre-recording
• Subseries II.4 Scores of Original Orchestrations
• Series III: Broadway Musicials, 1962-1993
• Subseries III.1: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, 1976
• Subseries III.2: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1962
• Subseries III:3 I Can Get It For You Wholesale, 1962
• Subseries III.4: Jerome Robbins' Broadway, 1989
• Subseries III.5: The Red Shoes, 1993
• Subseries III.6: Say, Darling, 1958
• Series IV: Television and Film, 1950s-1980s
• Subseries IV.1: All My Children, 1980s
• Subseries IV.2: Around the World in 80 Days, 1957
• Subseries IV.3: Miracle on 34th Street, 1973
• Subseries IV.4: Stiletto, 1969
• Subseries IV.5: Other
• Series V: Commercials
• Series VI: Other Works and Collaborations, 1960-1990s
• Subseries VI.1: Leornard Bernstein, 1960-1995
• Subseries VI.2: Boston Pops, 1990, undated
• Subseries VI.3: Disney Arrangements, 1990s, undated
• Subseries VI.4: Mass, 1972
• Subseries VI.5: Kennedy Inaugural Anniversary Celebration, 1963
• Subseries VI.6: President Johnson Overtures, 1965
• Subseries VI.7: Sid Ramin Albums
• Subseries VI.8: Other
• Series VII: Other Material, 1999-2009, undated

Description

Scope and Content

Song copies and the scores of the original orchestrations for the Broadway musicals Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and I Can Get It For You Wholesale. Also, scores for the movie and stage orchestration and symphonic suite for West Side Story; and the original orchestral scores for the motion picture, Around The World In Eighty Days. The orchestration for this film was the work of Leo Shuken and Sid Cutner.

A majority of the contents in this collection are scores (in original, photocopied, and bound formats) for music arranged or composed by Sid Ramin throughout his career. The collection covers his work for Broadway, film, and television. It also includes scores arranged by Ramin for concerts and recording sessions by orchestral groups such as the Boston Pops and individual singers such as Barbra Streisand. Leonard Bernstein features prominently throughout the collection, as his musical West Side Story and its film adaptation are included, as well as several of Bernstein's other writings such as A Quiet Place, Mass, Jubilee Games, Sonata for Clarinet, and the Fanfare for John F. Kennedy.

While most of the folders are entirely composed of musical scores, some folders also contain notes and brief correspondence between Ramin and his collaborators, and some scores have written annotation from Ramin and his collaborators in the margins. For 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there are several folders of newspaper clippings with reviews of the production. The collection also includes a matted photograph of Sid Ramin taken in 2009.

• Series I: West Side Story, 1957-1993

• Series II: Gypsy, 1959

  "Gypsy." A Musical Fable. Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Produced, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Starring Ethel Merman. Orchestration by Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler. Produced in Spring 1959.

• Series III: Broadway Musicials, 1962-1993

• Series IV: Television and Film, 1950s-1980s

  Series features scores from music written or arranged by Sid Ramin for television and film, including television programs, films, and made-for-TV films. Subseries are arranged by title of program or film. Miscellaneous subseries includes single folders with scores for films Destination Moon (undated) and Funny Face (1957), TV movie Mark Dolphin (1965), and television programs The Patty Duke Show (1964-1966) and The Trials of O'Brien (1966).

• Series V: Commercials

  Series contains scores for music composed by Sid Ramin for television commercials, spanning chronologically from the 1960s to the 1990s. Companies featured in this collection include Diet Pepsi, Amtrak, Revlon, General Motors (GM), New York Telephone, and Exxon.

• Series VI: Other Works and Collaborations, 1960-1990s

  Series contains scores arranged or reviewed by Sid Ramin that involve other musical artists or groups, as well as several audio reels for The Big Band Sound of Sid Ramin album and miscellaneous recording sessions. Most of the foldered scores pertain to works by composer Leonard Bernstein, including his fanfare for John F. Kennedy, Mass, Jubilee Games, Sonata for Clarinet, and orchestral suite from A Quiet Place. Other artists or groups included in the collection are the Boston Pops, the Cleveland Pops, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Robert Goulet, Sinéad O'Connor, Sidney Sheldon, and Barbra Streisand. There are several untitled and undated scores in this series that could not be identified with a specific work or production.

• Series VII: Other Material, 1999-2009, undated

  This series includes two miscellaneous items - a photograph of Sid Ramin, and an unidentified audio reel.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 25-27. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions. If you would like to use audiovisual materials in Boxes 25-26, please contact the library in advance of your visit to discuss access options.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Permission required to copy music scores. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Sid Ramin papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Ramin, Sid. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1968. Accession number--M-68.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 08/--/89.

Addition to the collection processed by Emily Hawk (GSAS 2022), 2018-2019.

Revision Description

2010-02-24 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2019-06-20 XML document instance updated by Catherine C. Ricciardi

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical Note

Sidney Ramin (1919-2019) was an Academy Award, Grammy, and Daytime Emmy-winning orchestrator, composer, and arranger. From his long-spanning career, he was best known for his work as orchestrator for several prominent Broadway productions, including West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962). He was also well known for composing "Music to Watch Girls By," written as a commercial jingle for Diet Pepsi and first released in 1966 as a single by Bob Crewe. Additionally, he has composed and arranged scores for films and television programs, including Candid Camera, All My Children (for which he won a Daytime Emmy), The Milton Berle Show, and the made-for-television 1973 remake of Miracle on 34th Street.