Douglas Moore papers, 1883-2018, bulk 1907-1969

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Creator:

Moore, Douglas, 1893-1969

Abstract:

Douglas Stuart Moore (1893-1969) was an American composer, educator, and author. His best known works include the operas The Devil and Daniel Webster (1937-1939), The Ballad of Baby Doe (1953-1956), and Giants in the Earth (1949-1950), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1951. The papers include clippings, correspondence, course and lecture materials, librettos, photographs, programs, publicity materials, recordings, and scores.

Extent:

45 linear feet 100 document boxes, 7 half document boxes, 16 flat boxes, 4 phonograph record boxes, 2 CMI boxes, 1 mapcase folder

Language:

English .

Scope and content:

The collection includes a wide range of materials documenting Moore's work as a composer. The collection includes manuscript scores, published scores, outlines, recordings, and sketches. These materials document Moore's compositions from his early work at Hotchkiss School and at Yale University, as well as his professional career. Moore also kept a register of all his compositions, arranged chronologically. The register includes the date of composition for each work, lists of all performances of which he was aware, and includes notes on recordings and publications. In addition, the collection includes clippings, correspondence, librettos, photographs, programs, publicity materials, and texts related to his works and to the performances of his works.

Moore's professional career at Columbia University and his work with professional organizations is also documented his papers. There is material relating to the curriculum and administration of Columbia University's Music Department, which Moore chaired from 1940-1962, as well as course binders and other lectures notes. There is also correspondence related to Moore's membership in the Century Club, the MacDowell Association, and the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and to his editorship of the Prentice Hall Music series.

There is also documentation of Moore's professional writing. The papers include articles, clippings, and manuscripts of articles, books, and reviews written by Moore.

The papers also include personal, biographical, and school materials. This collection includes appointment books, awards, biographical materials, diaries, holiday cards, photographs of Moore and of Moore's friends, school materials, memorabilia, and materials related to Moore's activities at Yale University and in the Navy. The material from Yale University includes photographs and programs documenting his activities with the Dramatic Association and the Elizabethan Club, as well as materials related to his friendship with poet Archibald MacLeish. The collection also includes articles, clippings, dissertations, and theses about Moore, as well as recorded interviews with Moore and some of his colleagues and friends.

The papers also include family materials. Moore's correspondence with his mother, Myra D. Moore, is particularly valuable due to its length and frequency. Moore habitually wrote to his mother every week, and their correspondence documents their activities over a large span of time (1906-1933). There is also a smaller amount of correspondence, as well as clippings, diaries, photographs, and other materials related to Moore's wife, Emily Moore, and other family members.

The papers include a small amount of material from other individuals. These items include inscribed books and scores, as well as articles and clippings about Moore written by others. In addition, Lewis J. Hardee, who wrote his master's thesis on Moore, donated his research material and original interviews to be included with the Moore Papers: these form Series XI of the papers.

Biographical / historical:

Moore studied at Yale University (B.A., 1915, B. Music, 1917) with D.S. Smith and Horatio Parker. He composed several songs at Yale, including the fight song "Goodnight, Harvard." After he left Yale, Moore served in the Navy as a lieutenant during World War I. After his discharge, Moore studied music in Paris with Vincent d'Indy, and later studied with Nadia Boulanger and Charles Tournemire. In 1921, Moore became Director of Music and organist at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and also studied with Ernest Bloch. From 1923-1925, he served as organist at Adelbert College, Western Reserve University. And in 1925, Moore won a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, and spent a year in Europe.

Moore joined the faculty at Columbia University as Professor of Composition in 1926. He remained at Columbia until his retirement in 1962, also serving as Chair of the Music Department from 1940-1962.

Moore published two books, Listening to Music (1932) and From Madrigal to Modern Music (1942).

Moore was also a prominent spokesman for composers and musicians in the United States. He became active in the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and served as Director from 1957-1960. He was elected as a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1941, and later served as vice president and president. Moore's diverse positions, including the Secretary of the Alice M. Ditson Fund, allowed him to help numerous European musicians escape to the United States during World War II. For example, Moore arranged a stipend from the Ditson Fund for composer Bela Bartok to transcribe the folk songs in his collection. Moore established the Columbia Opera Workshop through the Ditson Fund, as well as an annual festival of contemporary music at Columbia University.

Acquisition information:

Papers: Source of acquisition--Moore, Mrs. Douglas and family, etc. Method of acquisition--Gift.

1991 Addition: Date of acquisition--03/07/91. Accession number--M-07-03-91.

Custodial history:

Gift of Mrs Douglas Moore & family, 1971 & 1973.

Gift of Mrs Bradford Kelleher & Miss Sarah Moore, 1980, 1987 & 1991.

Gift of Sarah Moore and Mary Moore Kelleher December, 1993.

Gift of Mary Moore Kelleher 1995-1996.

Addition to gift of Mary Moore Kelleher July, 1997.

Gift of Jack Beeson March, 2004.

Gift of Mary Moore Kelleher, delivered by Jack Beeson August, 2005.

Gift of Lewis J. Hardee July, 2007.

Gift of Darby Moore, March 2010.

Purchase from Lubrano Music Antiquarians, May 2010.

Gift of Darby Moore, August 2015.

Processing information:

Papers Entered in AMC 11/06/90

1991 Addition Updated 02/07/92 MK

Several accessions of the collection were processed by staff (BRC, RL, JI-W, and MK) between 1972 and 1991. Additional accessions received between 1993 and 2015 were processed during 2016-2017 by Orit Hilewicz (GSAS 2017). Finding Aid written by Orit Hilewicz (GSAS 2017) and Catherine C. Ricciardi, incorporating existing description, in 2017.

Additional material was processed into boxes 113-115 by Callum Blackmore (GSAS) in September 2023.

The 2015 Darby Moore accession (Series XII, boxes 116-CMI125) was processed by Callum Blackmore (GSAS) in February 2024

This material processed from 1972-1991 is in Boxes 1-42, and Flat Boxes 332-336 and 754. Although the finding aid was rewritten during 2017, this material was not re-arranged or moved in any way.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into twelve series and several subseries.

Accruals:

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

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related material:

Jack Beeson Papers, Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

John Latouche Papers, Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Annie Laurie Williams Records, Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Recordings of Moore's compositions exist in various RBML collections, and many have been digitized. The recordings can be found in the Digital Libraries Collection website by searching Douglas Moore.

Access and use

Restrictions:

The following boxes are located off-site: Boxes 43-58, 64-105, 107-108, 113-123, CMI 124-125. 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.

Some unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized. Email rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Box 83 is currently restricted, as the materials require conservation treatment.

Terms of access:

Permission from the Moore family is required to make photocopies or other copies of musical scores. Otherwise, single photocopies may be made for research purposes. 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); Douglas Moore papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:: Rare Book & Manuscript Library

RBML Home Page
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535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:: Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.

Contact:: rbml@library.columbia.edu

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