Amherst Center for Russian Culture Aron Pressman Collection of Opera Scores Accession number: Quantity: Containers: Processed by: CRC99-0003 6.5 linear ft. 6 archival boxes Aaron Stayman Fall 1999 Finding Aid Date: December 1999 Prepared by: Edited by: Access: Copyright: Aaron Stayman Stanley Rabinowitz Director of the Center for Russian Culture No restriction. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of the copyrights, Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be directed to the Director of the Amherst Center for Russian Culture. Amherst College Center for Russian Culture Page 1
Aron Pressman Collection of Opera Scores Contents Desciption of the collection...3 Complete listing of materials Operas in Russian (or translated into Russian)...4 Operas not in Russian...7 Ballet...7 Other sheet music...7 Amherst College Center for Russian Culture Page 2
Description of the Collection The present collection includes books of sheet music belonging to Aron Pressman. Many of these are opera scores printed in the very first part of the century. Originally these scores were used by the Russian Grand Opera Company, an opera troupe that travelled throughout Russia and the Far East during the 1920's. Aron Pressman became aquainted with this group while he was living in Indonesia and soon became their accompanist. As is the tradition of Russian opera companies, the Grand Opera Co. performed all their repertoire in Russian, regardless of the original language. Many of the scores in this collection are Russian editions which include a printed Russian text. Others are foreign editions which only offer the original language in print. In these cases, someone has translated the text into Russian and written it into the score in pencil. In addition to handwritten text, the scores often contain performance notes and markings in colored pencil. Inscriptions appear inside the cover of several scores (an inscription to S. M. Radamskii from Gliere appears inside an edition of the composer s Krasnyi mak (Le Pavot Rouge). The fifty nine operas in this collection represent the diverse repertoire of the Grand Opera Co. The Russian repertoire includes the work of great composers such as Mussorgskii, Tchaikovskii, Rimskii-Korsakov and Glinka. From the western European operatic tradition, the collection includes sco res of works by Bizet, Verdi, Gounod, Leoncavallo, Meyerbeer, Puccini, Strauss and others In addition to opera, Aron Pressman s collection includes a ballet by Gliere and a song cycle by Mussorgskii. Amherst College Center for Russian Culture Page 3
Operas in Russian: The following folders contain operati c works by Russian composers as well as works by Western European composers with texts translated into Russian. Unless otherwise noted the music consists of the vocal parts and a piano reduction. Each opera is professionally published and bound. For those operas printed without a text in Russian, a handwritten translation into Russian appears alongside the original text. The operas are filed alphabetically by composer according to the Roman alphabet. Box #1 Folder# Date Descri ption 1? Bizet, Georges, Carmen, Choudens, Paris (305 pp.). Note: Title page signed: N. Ar. Presinskaya. 2? Bizet, Georges, Les Pecheurs de Perles, Jurgenson, Moscow (95 pp.). Note: This score is only a piano reduction, includes no text to be sung. 3 1912 Bizet, Georges, Les Pecheurs de Perles, Jurgenson, Moscow (209 pp.). Note: Handwritten notes appear throughout score. 4? Borodin, A., Prince Igor (Knyaz Igor), M.P. Belaieff, Leipzig (372 pp.). 4A? Cui, C., Mademoiselle Fifi, Jurgenson, Moscow (81pp.). 5 1932 Dargomyzhskii, A., Kamennyi gost, Gosudarstvennoe Muzykal noe Izdat., Moscow (180 pp.). 6 1937 Dargomyzhskii, A., Rusalka, Muzgiz, Moscow (307 pp.). 7? Delibes, Leo, Lakme, Gutheil, Moscow (259 pp.). 8? Espozito, E., Kamorra, printed by V. Grosse, Moscow (334 pp.). 9 1942 Glinka, M., Ivan Susanin, Muzgiz, Moscow (395 pp.). 10? Glinka, M., Ruslan i Liudmilla, Gutheil, Moscow (335 pp.). Note: Score contains handwritten markings throughout. 11? Glinka, M., Zhizn za tsaria, Gutheil, Moscow (225 pp.). Box #2 12? Gounod, Ch., Faust, Gutheil, Moscow (356 pp.). 13? Gounod, Ch., Romeo et Juliette, Gutheil, Moscow (257 pp.). Note: Contains some han dwritten notes. 14? Halevy, F., La Juive (Zhidovka), Jurgenson, Moscow (431 pp.). Note: Contains many handwritten notes and changes in Russian text. The title page of another edition of the same opera appear s inside th e cover. Some of what appears to be the troupe s business information appears on the back of the last page. This score is in very poor condition. 1999 November Page 4
15? Leoncavallo, R., Pagliacci (Paiatsy), Zeivang, Moscow (137 pp.). 16? Leoncavallo, R., Pagliacci, Jurgenson, Moscow (75 pp.). 17? Mascagni, Pietro, Cavalleria Rusticana (Derevenskoe Rytsarstvo), Gutheil, Moscow (111 pp.). 18? Massenet, J., Thais, Heugel and C ie, Paris (275pp.). Note: Russian text is entirely handwritten (translated by Antkantr?). 19? Meyerbeer, G., Gli Ugonotti (Gugenoty), Jurgenson, Moscow (445 pp.). 20? Meyerbeer, G., Roberto il Diavolo (Robert-diavol ), Jurgenson, Moscow (407 pp.). 21 1949 Mussorgskii, M., Boris Godunov, Muzgiz, Moscow (386 pp.). Box #3 22? Mussorgskii, M., Boris Godunov, W. Bessel., Moscow (215 pp.). 23? Mussorgskii, M., Boris Godunov, W. Bessel., St. Petersburg (280 pp.). Note: Missing binding. 24 1932 Mussorgskii, M., Khovanshchina, Muzgiz, Moscow (371 pp.). 25? Mussorgskii, M., Khovanshchina, V. Bessel and Co., Moscow (207 pp.). 26 1939 Mussorgskii, M., Salambo, Muzgiz, Moscow (209 pp.). 27 1934 Mussorgskii, M., Zhenitba, Muzgiz, Moscow (225 pp.). 28? Napravnik, E., Dubrovsky, Jurgenson, Moscow (345 pp.). Note: Score contains han dwritten notes. 29? Offenbach, J., Les Contes D Hoffmann, Choudens, Paris (327pp.). Note: Title page signed S. Bardin. The names of the troupe s cast members appear next to their respective characters in the opera on the next page. The Russian text was added to this score in colored pencil over the French. Other markings and notes in colored pencil appear throughout. 30? Orefice, G., Chopin, Edoardo Sonzogno, Milan (185 pp.). Note: On the page preceding th e title page, someone has wr itten a Russian translation of the descriptive passage for the first scene ( Il Natale It., Rozhdestvo Ru.). Nam es of the troupe s singers appear by their respective parts in the list of characters. Russian text has been added in colored pencil above the Italian. Other notes appear throughout. 31? Planquette, R., Les Cloches De Corneville (Kornevil skie Kolokola), V. Bessel and Co., St. Petersburg (261 pp.). Note: Score contains handwritten notes in pencil. Two names appear on the title page ( N. Cokoivek? and <?>orinia ). 1999 November Page 5
32? Puccini, G., La Boheme, Prin ted by V. Gr osse, Moscow (distributed by G. N. Vasil ev, Moscow), (183 pp.). Note: Contains handwritten pencil notes throughout. Box #4 33? Puccini, G., Tosca, Gutheil, Moscow (307 pp.). Note: Suflerskii appears on title page. Handrwitten notes appear throughout. 34? Rachmaninov, S., Aleko, Gutheil, Moscow (100 pp.). Note: Score contain pencil markings. Rezhiserskii and No. 2" written on front cover. 35? Rachmaninov, S., Aleko, Gutheil, Moscow (100 pp.). Note: Score contain pencil markings. Kommercheskoe sobranie printed on front cover. 36 1951 Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Maiskaia noch, Tome 30 of Polnoe sobranii sochinenii, (The Complete Works of Rimski-Korsakov), Muzgiz, Moscow (351 pp.). 37? Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Sadko, Belaieff, Leipzig (229 pp.). 38 1914? Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Sadko, Belaieff, Moscow (416pp.). Note: Suflerskii appears on title page. 39? Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Skazanie o nevidenom (sic) grade Kitezhe, Belaieff, Leipzig (326 pp.). Note: Score contains handwritten notes in pencil throughout. 40 1949 Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Snegurochka, Muzgiz, Moscow (401 pp.). 41? Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Tsarskaya nevesta, M.P. Belaieff, Leipzig (261 pp.). Note: Score contains handwritten marks in pencil. 42 1951 Rimskii-Korsakov, N., Zolotoi petushok, Tome 43 of the Polnoe cobranie sochinenii (Complete Works of Rimski-Korsakov), Muzgiz, Moscow (233 pp.). Box#5 43 1968 Rubinstein, A., Demon, Izdatel stvo Muzyka, Moscow (310 pp.). 44? Rubinstein, A., Demon, pub.? (287 pp.). Note: Score contains handwritten marks in colored pencil. 45? Rubinstein, A., Neron, Jurgenson, Moscow (437 pp.). Note: Contains marks in colored in pencil. Very old, binding in poor condition. 46? Rubinstein, A., Neron, Jurgenson, Moscow (437 pp.). Note: Contains marks in colored in pencil. Suf. A. Borisovich and the initials D.J. (Roman script) appear on the title page. Very old, bent spine. 1999 November Page 6
47? Saint-Saens, C., Samson et Delila, Gutheil, Moscow (261 pp.). Note: Score contains notes and marks in colored pencil. 48? Serov, A. N., Rogneda, Gutheil, Moscow (283 pp.). Note: Contains an inscription to a singer, Volzhanik(?), from V.L. <?> for his birthday (Vilnius, Aug. 17, 1919). 49 1941 Shaporin, Y., Na pole Kulikovom, Muzgiz, Moscow (137 pp.). Note: Inscribed to Aron Pressman by the Am-Rus Music Corporation. 50? Strauss, J., Der Zigeunerbaron, Gutheil, Moscow (227 pp.). Note: Title page signed by M.I. Malomet (conductor) (Sept. 15 1873 <93>?). Score contains pencil ma rkings. 51? Tchaikovskii, P., Cherevichki, Jurgenson, Moscow (297 pp.). Note: Score contains markings in pencil. 52 1964 Tchaikovskii, P., Evgenii Onegin, Muzgiz, Moscow (288 pp.). Box#6 53? Tchaikovskii, P., Mazepa, Jurgenson, Moscow (267 pp.). Note: Suflerskii appears on title page. Pencil markings appear throughout the score. 54? Tchaikovskii, P., Pikovaia dama, Jurgenson, Moscow (289 pp.). 55? Thomas, A., Mignon, A. Gutheil, Moscow (405 pp.). Note: Score contains markings in colored pencil. 56? Verdi, G., Aida, Jurgenson, Moscow (289 pp.). Note: Suf Nov.? 1912g. appears on title page. Another indecipherable name appears in the top left corner of the page. Score contains colored pencil markings throughout. 57? Verdi, G., Il Trovatore (Trubadur), A. Gutheil, Moscow (270 pp.). Note: Colored pencil markings in score. 58? Verdi, G., Rigoletto, A. Gutheil, Moscow (317pp.). Note: Suf. A. B. appears on title page. Score contains markings in colored pencil. 1999 November Page 7
Operas not translated into Russian. (Box#6 continued) Folder# Date Descri ption 59? Verdi, G., Un Ballo in Maschera, R. Stabilimento Ricordi (307 pp.). Ballet (Box#6 continued) Folder# Date Descri ption 60 1933 Gliere, R., Krasnyi mak (Le Pavot Rouge), Muzgiz, Moscow (268 pp.). **Note: Inscribed to Sergei Matveevich Radamskii by R. Gliere. Other Sheet Music (Box#6 continued) Folder# Date Descri ption 61 1921 Mussorgskii, M., Scenes Lyriques, V. Bessel and C ie, (84 pp.). Note: This book contains three song cycles by Mussorgskii (edited and arr anged by Rimskii-Korsakov): Bez solktsa (Sans Soleil), Detskaia (Enfantines Fr.), Pesni i pliaski smerti (Chants et Danses de la Mort Fr.). The score includes music for solo voice with piano accompaniment and text in French and Russian. 1999 November Page 8