George Edwards papers, 1963-2012
Summary Information
Abstract
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- MS#1573
- Bib ID:
- 8704587 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Edwards, George, 1943-2011
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 16 linear feet (20 document boxes 7 flat boxes and 1 CD box)
- Language(s):
- English .
- 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.
-
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material 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.
The medical records in Box 19 are open to researchers.
To use audiovisual materials in Series VIII, please contact the library to discuss access options as most of these materials have not been reformatted and are not readily available for use.
Description
Summary
George Edwards (1943-2011) was an American composer, critic, and teacher. Edwards' papers include scores, teaching materials, audio recordings, programs, clippings, correspondence, and biographical materials, including medical records and information surrounding Edwards' death from Alzheimer's disease. The papers also include some subject files and written and musical works by other authors.
The strength of the collection is the documentation of Edwards' activities as a composer. Most of Edwards' major works are represented here, in sketches, drafts, and/or published scores. There are a large number of composition notebooks, showing Edwards' compositional process for some of his major works. There are also a significant number of draft fragments and sketches that have not yet been identified. A collection of programs shows that many of Edwards' works received numerous performances throughout his lifetime. Many of Edwards' works are also represented in the audio recordings included in this collection.
Edwards' activities as a teacher and scholar are also well documented. There are drafts of his written works, as well as syllabi, musical analyses, and handouts for Music Humanities and Species Counterpoint classes in Columbia University's Music Department. For the most part, Edwards' administrative activities are not documented in this collection.
A final noteworthy aspect of this collection is the inclusion of Edwards' medical records, which document his decline and death from Alzheimer's disease from 2005 to 2012. This file includes correspondence between Edwards' wife and his doctors that documents the effects and challenges of the illness for Edwards and his family.
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Series I: Biographical and Personal Files, 1965-2011, undated
This series includes Edwards' biographical information and personal files, including curriculum vitae (CV) drafts, lists of works, diplomas and certificates, a datebook and expense log, miscellaneous notes, and materials relating to his death and memorial concert at Columbia, including programs, correspondence, recordings, and photographs.
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Series II: Musical Works, 1963-2004, undated
Most of Edwards' works are represented here by sketches, drafts, and/or bound holographs. The series begins with musical notebooks containing a number of unidentified sketches and drafts. Individual scores range from early works as a composition student at Oberlin College to vocal, chamber, and large-ensemble pieces composed as late as 2004. There is a significant amount of unidentified loose fragments of sketches and drafts that may include some unfinished or unpublished works. This series is arranged chronologically by work, with unidentified materials at the end of the series.
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Series III: Written Works, 1962-1998, undated
This series contains drafts and published copies of essays and articles written by Edwards, from college essays to journal articles. Edwards' collected essays were published in the volume Collected Essays on Modern and Classical Music in 2008; that volume is not included in this collection, though most of the essays within it are represented here in draft form.
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Series IV: Teaching Materials, 1997-2002, undated
Edwards taught in Columbia University's Department of Music from 1977 to 2006. This series includes notes, syllabi, musical analyses, and handouts for Music Humanities and Species Counterpoint classes at Columbia. Many of these materials are undated.
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Series V: Programs and Clippings, 1964-2007, undated
This series contains programs, program notes, and clippings and facsimiles of reviews, which all document the many performances that Edwards' works received throughout his lifetime.
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Series VI: Correspondence, 1967-2005, undated
Correspondence from Edwards includes letters written home from the American Academy in Rome, and unfinished letters towards the end of his life. Correspondence to Edwards includes letters from Richard Hoffman, Jacques Monod, David Saperstein, and other colleagues, teachers, students, performers, and figures from the New York City contemporary music scene.
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Series VII: Subject Files (Created by Others), 2005-2012
This series contains materials created by others regarding Edwards, mostly dating towards the end of his life. Much of it was created by his wife, Rachel Hadas. The series includes correspondence regarding a concert and a recording session of Edwards' works, a list of books, scores, and recordings owned by Edwards at the time of his death, and a folder of extensive medical records and correspondence regarding Edwards' illness and death. Edwards began to experience unidentified symptoms in the late 1990s that developed to include dementia, and were attributed to Alzheimer's disease after a brain autopsy following his death in 2011. The medical records may be useful to researchers aiming to understand the experience of Alzheimer's sufferers and their families.
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Series VIII: Sound Recordings, 1964-2006, undated
Many of Edwards' works are represented here on recording, from his Oberlin senior recital through performances in the mid-2000s. The series is divided into subseries by audio media type, and within the subseries arranged chronologically by work. Performers include the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gunther Schuller, Collage, Parnassus, the American Composers Orchestra conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, the Pro Arte Quartet, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the Columbia University Sinfonietta conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky.
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Series IX: Works by Others, 1987-1991, undated
This series is divided into audio recordings of musical works by other composers, and written works by other authors.
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Series X: Additions to the Papers
This series includes material added to the papers since their original processing.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 10 series.
- Series I: Biographical and Personal Files, 1965-2011, undated
- Series II: Musical Works, 1963-2004, undated
- Series III: Written Works, 1962-1998, undated
- Series IV: Teaching Materials, 1997-2002, undated
- Series V: Programs and Clippings, 1964-2007, undated
- Series VI: Correspondence, 1967-2005, undated
- Series VII: Subject Files (Created by Others), 2005-2012
- Series VIII: Sound Recordings, 1964-2006, undated
- Subseries VIII.1: Tape reels, 1964-1981, undated
- Subseries VIII.2: LPs, 1975, undated
- Subseries VIII.3: Cassettes, 1982-1997, undated
- Subseries VIII.4: Compact Discs, 2002-2006, undated
- Series IX: Works by Others, 1987-1991, undated
- Subseries IX.1: Recordings of Musical Works by Other Composers, undated
- Subseries IX.2: Written Works by Other Authors, 1987-1991, undated
- Series X: Additions to the Papers
Using the Collection
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.
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material 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.
The medical records in Box 19 are open to researchers.
To use audiovisual materials in Series VIII, please contact the library to discuss access options as most of these materials have not been reformatted and are not readily available for use.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes, except that permission is required to copy musical 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); George Edwards Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Accrual
No additional material is expected
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
2010-2011-M166: Source of acquisition--Rachel Hadas. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--6/10/2011.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Papers processed by Emily Clark (GSAS), 2015.
Finding aid written by Emily Clark (GSAS), 2015.
Revision Description
2015-05-23 File created.
2015-05-29 XML document instance created by Catherine C. Ricciardi
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
Biographical / Historical
George Edwards (1943-2011) was an American composer, critic, and teacher. He attended Oberlin College from 1961-1965, and Princeton University from 1965-1968, where he studied with Milton Babbitt, Edward T. Cone, and Earl Kim, and obtained an Master of Fine Arts (MFA). He taught music theory and composition at the New England Conservatory in Boston from 1969-1976. He was a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome from 1973-1975, and won the Rome Prize in Composition in 1975. In 1977 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University in New York. He was a Guggenheim Fellow in both 1980 and 1986, and earned tenure at Columbia in 1987, heading the composition program from 1987 to 1995. He also served on the Advisory Committee of the Alice M. Ditson Fund from 1988 to 2005, serving as the Committee's Secretary from 1995-1998. He served as Chair of the Department of Music at Columbia from 1996 to 1999. After his retirement in 2006, he was named Edward MacDowell Emeritus Professor of Music by Columbia's Board of Trustees.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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