Guide to the Blanche Thebom Collection ARS.0059
Franz Kunst
Archive of Recorded Sound
October 2010
soundarchive@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Archive of Recorded Sound
Title: Blanche Thebom Collection
Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0059
Physical Description:
87 box(es)
86 boxes and 1 oversize folder
Date: 1934-2003
Physical Location: Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076
Abstract: The Blanche Thebom Collection has three
major components. The first is scores, correspondence, publicity, production notes, and
media from her post-Met career as teacher and director. Secondly, there are published and
unpublished sound recordings of Thebom. Lastly, the collection also retains Thebom's
extensive archive of printed music.
Material Specific Details: Audio: Tape 3" reels - 2 5" reels -
3 7" reels - 183 10" reels - 7 Audiocassettes - 59 Discs 7" instantaneous discs - 1 10"
instantaneous discs - 3 12" instantaneous discs - 145 10" 78 rpm test pressings - 40 12" 78
rpm test pressings - 6 10" 78 rpm album sets - 2 10" 78 rpm discs - 2 12" 78 rpm discs - 15
Moving Pictures: U-Matic - 14 Sony V-32 - 5 1" video - 1 Ampex 164 - 4 VHS - 4 DVD - 1 1"
film - 1 1/2" film - 2
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the
creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the
Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.
Access
Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of
intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.
Biography
Operatic mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania in 1915, and began
her formal concert career in 1941. She was a member of the Metropolitan Opera through 1967,
known for her roles in Wagnerian epics. During this period she also toured extensively,
including being the first American to perform at the Bolshoi in Moscow. In 1967 she was
appointed head of The Atlanta Opera Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that experience,
Thebom taught at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. In 1980 she moved to San
Francisco and directed an opera workshop at San Francisco State University, and founded the
Opera Arts Training Program in 1988 in conjunction with the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
Thebom passed away in March 2010 at the age of 94.
Preferred Citation
Blanche Thebom Collection, ARS-0059. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound,
Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the Blanche Thebom Collection contains scores, publicity, correspondence,
notes, and media from her years as a theatrical director. Included are business records and
production materials from the Atlanta Opera Company, production materials from the operas
and puppet shows she directed at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock, and some files
from her stint teaching at San Francisco State University. The largest portion of this
collection is devoted to Thebom's own printed music collection, intact and in the order she
kept it. Outside of some ephemera from her many tours abroad, there is little material from
her time performing with the Metropolitan Opera, nor is there much in the way of personal
correspondence. However, the collection does hold many recordings from this era, including
test pressings from her years recording for RCA (some with unissued takes), as well as
almost 150 unique recordings on fragile instantaneous discs, several from the 1930's. A
collection contents list is available.
Sponsor
This finding aid was produced with generous financial support from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission.
unused box numbers
Note: box numbers 35 & 43 are not used
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Operas
puppet theater
Mezzo-sopranos
Atlanta Opera Company (Atlanta, Ga.)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Thebom, Blanche -- Archives
Box 34
Aida
1967
Scope and Contents
Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Aïda.
Box 4, Box 6, Box 5
Alice
1976
Scope and Contents
An adaptation of Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" for the stage by Thebom.
Box 8, Box 5, Box 4, Box 2
Amahl & The Night Visitors
1975
Scope and Contents
Menotti, Gian Carlo, 1911-2007. Amahl and the night visitors
Box 13, Box 46
The Astar Experiment
1978
Scope and Contents
Kirby, Lou Ann, 1948- Astar experiment
Box 33, Box 33
Barber of Seville
1984
Scope and Contents
Rossini, Gioacchino, 1792-1868. Barbiere di Siviglia. Performed by the Marin Opera
Company.
Box 3, Box 4
Bastien & Bastienne / Mozart Fete Galante
1970-1976
Scope and Contents
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Bastien und Bastienne
Box 4
La Bella Dormente
Scope and Contents
Respighi, Ottorino, 1879-1936. Bella dormente nel bosco
Box 8, Box 13, Box 5
Beret & Per Hanson
1977-1978
Scope and Contents
Opera written by Hagen, performed at UALR.
Box 34
La Boheme
Scope and Contents
Puccini, Giacomo, 1858-1924. Bohème. Photographs from the Atlanta performance.
Box 13, Box 5, Box 8, Box 9
Calhoun's Christmas
1972-1980
Scope and Contents
Palmer, Carleton. Calhoun's Christmas. Libretto by Thebom, adapted from the book by
Phyllis McGimsey.
Box 33, Box 13
The Consul
1974
Scope and Contents
Menotti, Gian Carlo, 1911-2007. Consul
Box 8, Box 4, Box 47, Box 14, Box 2
Carmen Cabaret / Caravan
1971-1982
Scope and Contents
Bizet, Georges, 1838-1875. Carmen. Adapted as a condensed version by Thebom.
Box 5, Box 11, Box 10
Childhood of Christ
1977
Scope and Contents
Berlioz, Hector, 1803-1869. Enfance du Christ
Box 5, Box 6, Box 10
Cinderella
1979-1980
Scope and Contents
Rossini, Gioacchino, 1792-1868. Cenerentola (Cinderella). Thebom's final production
at UALR.
Box 33, Box 18, Box 4, Box 17
Cosi Fan Tutte
1975-1979
Scope and Contents
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Così fan tutte
Box 16, Box 15
The Devil And Daniel Webster
1975-1982
Scope and Contents
Benét, Stephen Vincent, 1898-1943. Devil and Daniel Webster
Box 8, Box 4, Box 5, Box 1
Don Quixote
1978
Scope and Contents
Massenet, Jules, 1842-1912. Don Quichotte
Box 3, Box 16
Holiday For Santa
1970
Scope and Contents
Thebom, Blanche. Holiday for Santa.
Box 34, Box 33
King Arthur
1968
Scope and Contents
Purcell, Henry, 1659-1695. King Arthur. Debut performance at Atlanta's Memorial Arts
Center.
Box 13, Box 16
Les Mamelles de Tiresias
1974
Scope and Contents
Poulenc, Francis, 1899-1963. Mamelles de Tirésias
Box 13
The Telephone
Scope and Contents
Menotti, Gian Carlo, 1911-2007. Telephone
Box 5
Master Pete's Puppet Show
Scope and Contents
Falla, Manuel de, 1876-1946. Retablo de Maese Pedro
Box 42, Box 47, Box 47
Merry Wives of Windsor
1985
Scope and Contents
Nicolai, Otto, 1810-1849. Lustigen Weiber von Windsor. Performed at San Francisco
State.
Box 5, Box 4, Box 12, Box 8
The Old Maid And The Thief
1978
Scope and Contents
Menotti, Gian Carlo, 1911-2007. Old maid and the thief
Box 4, Box 9, Box 8
Orfeo
1974
Scope and Contents
Monteverdi, Claudio, 1567-1643. Orfeo
Box 5, Box 3, Box 46
Snowmaiden
1970
Scope and Contents
Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay, 1844-1908. Snegurochka
Box 5
La Vida Breve
Scope and Contents
Falla, Manuel de, 1876-1946. Vida breve
Box 34, Box 47
2. Atlanta Opera Company / Atlanta Opera Council
1960-1972
Physical Description: 2
box(es)
Scope and contents
Clippings, contracts, correspondence, memoranda, photographs, press releases,
production notes, programs, audio recordings of gala, etc.
Box 16
3. Blanche Thebom Show
1965
Physical Description: 25 audiotape
reel(s)
Scope and Contents
Recordings from Thebom's interview program (also possibly titled "Blanche Thebom
Presents..."). Guests: Robert Merrill, Gary Graffman, Edward Woodward, Nicolai Gedda,
Dore Schave, Marian Anderson, Enoch Light, Andre Kostelanetz, Skitch Henderson, Giorgio
Tozzi, Mitch Miller, Hildegarde, Roddy McDowell, Eleanor Stebes, Jerome Hines, Richard
Tucker, Jan Mitchell, Mischa Ellman, Roberta Peters, Alicia Markova, Eileen Farrell, and
Bill Cosby.
Box 45, Box 44, Box 30
4. Discs - Instantaneous
Physical Description: 149
instantaneous disc(s)One 7" disc ; three 10"
discs ; one-hundred-and-forty-five 12" discs
Box 7, Box 26
5. Discs - Commercially pressed shellac
Physical Description: 70 shellac
disc(s)
Box 33, Box 1
6. Dubrovnick Summer Festival
1959
Physical Description: 2
box(es)
Scope and Contents
Program and other ephemera from a festival in Croatia at which Thebom performed.
Box 1
7. Metropolitan Opera House demolition clippings
1966-1967
Physical Description: 1
folder(s)
Box 19, Box 24, Box 23, Box 22, Box 21, Box 20, Box 40, Box 39, Box 42, Box 41, Box 15, Box 37, Box 38, Box 31, Box 32, Box 36, Box 27, Box 28, Box 29
8. Printed music collection
circa 1934-2003
Physical Description: 19
box(es)
Scope and Contents
Published scores, libretti, sheet music, teaching guides, etc. Many signed or possibly
notated by Thebom. Some are manuscripts and some are photocopies. There are folders
grouped by subject such as "Russian", "Italian", "German", "Light English" and "Encore
Material."
Box 33, Box 1
9. Osaka International Festival
1961
Physical Description: 2
box(es)
Scope and Contents
Programs, scrapbook, and other ephemera from a festival in Japan at which Thebom
performed.
Box 34
10. Songs of Experience - Daniel Steven Crafts
undated
Physical Description: 1
score(s)
Scope and Contents
Crafts, Daniel Steven. Songs of Experience. Includes short correspondence and a news
clipping.
Box 1, Box 15, Box 18, Box 13, Box 14, Box 11, Box 12, Box 6, Box 10, Box 2, Box 3
11. University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR)
circa 1973-1980
Physical Description: 11
box(es)
Box 13, Box 5
12. UALR galas
1969-1971
Physical Description: 2
box(es)
Box 42, Box 25
13. Books
circa 1934-2003
Physical Description: 2
box(es)
Scope and Contents
Books signed by or inscribed to Thebom. Some are signed by author. One book includes an
essay ("Opera - Evolution or Revolution") by Thebom.Included is a score for the Rake's
Progress that has been turned into a scrapbook related to a 1953 appearance by Thebom as
"Baba the Turk" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City donated by Les
McWilliams.
Box 25
14. Printed opera programs (San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle,
Metropolitan)
1963-1990
Physical Description: 1
box(es)
Box 69, Box 74, Box 70, Box 71, Box 79 (Oversize - Scrapbook), Box 76 (Oversize - Scrapbook), Box 77 (Oversize - Scrapbook), Box 78 (Oversize - Scrapbook), Box 82, Box 81, Box 83, Box 85, Box 80, Box 84, Box 1, Box 86
15. Programs, clippings, correspondence, and personal documents
circa 1934-2003
Physical Description: 15
box(es)
Donor note
Much of this series was donated by Villec, Phyllis, in 2014.
Arrangement
This series has been boxed in the order it was received. Its contents are therefore
mostly unorganized at present.
Sensitive material
This series has not been weeded for potentially sensitive items. Researchers viewing
these materials will therefore be required to sign an agreement that they will not
disclose or reproduce any sensitive information they might find.
Scope and Contents
Box 86 contains two Kratt master key chromatic pitch instruments.
Box 9, Box 33, Box 47, Box 46, Box 16, Box 47, Box 86
16. Audiovisual material
1938-1996
Physical Description: 6
box(es)
Scope and Contents
Many unmarked or poorly marked, some with no Thebom content. Among the recordings:
Antony and Cleopatra 1966 ; Manila 1959 ; Kolodin ; Trigere ; "phone negotiations" ;
Samson and Delilah ; Queen of Spades ; Regina ; Thebom interview KKHI ; Thebom interview
1993 (also transferred to DVD) ; Aida 1953 ; The Trojans in London ; many reels of disc
transfers (marked with Roman numerals).
Box 86 contents, 3 7" reel-to-reel tapes: Portion of first Atlanta Gala with Tony
Randall [badly over-recorded] ; BT presents an interview for audition purposes ; BT in
practice Bill Hughes Wolf Songs, practice tape for radio shows in New York.
Box 17
17. Film
circa 1934-2003
Physical Description: 3
film(s)One 1" film in 5" can ; two 1/2" films in
12" cans
Scope and Contents
Films are minimally marked. One says "In Brasil with Senador Church" on its can,
another says "rehearsals" on its leader.
Box 73, Box 72, Box 75, Box 86
18. Photographs and negatives
circa
1934-2003
Physical Description: 3
box(es)
Donor note
Much of this series was donated by Villec, Phyllis, in 2014.
Scope and Contents
Box 86 contains slides of Yosemite, Grand Canyon, old Metropolitan Opera house,
Southern Regional Opera and others.
Box 87
Oversize black-and-white photograph: "Dinner in honor of Madame Zara
Doloukhanova, The Waldorf-Astoria, New York City, Aprill 22, 1959"
1959-04-22