Finding Aid for the Albert Goldberg Papers PASC-M.0010
Caitlin Denny 2016, under the supervision of Courtney Dean; Machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Finding aid last updated 28 August 2017.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Albert Goldberg papers
Creator:
Goldberg, Albert (Conductor)
Identifier/Call Number: PASC-M.0010
Physical Description:
8.8 Linear Feet
(20 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1908-1986
Abstract: This collection holds the scrapbooks, clippings and printed ephemera of conductor and music critic Albert Goldberg. The bulk
of the collection consists of his own writing as well as materials about the Works Progress Administration Federal Music Project
for which he was the Illinois State Director.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English, German and Italian.
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
This collection was originally acquired from Albert Goldberg's estate.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Albert Goldberg Papers (Collection PASC-M 10). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Albert Levi Goldberg was born on June 2, 1898 in Shenandoah, Iowa. Along with studying music privately, Goldberg attended
the University of Nebraska from 1915-1916 and the Chicago Music College from 1920-1922. He received his Masters degree in
Music from the Gunn School of Music in 1923. Shortly afterwards, Goldberg started his lengthy career in music review and criticism
at the Chicago Herald and Examiner between the years of 1925 and 1936. He then took on the role of Illinois State Director
of the Federal Music Project in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at the beginning of the program in 1935 until the
program termination in 1943. He often conducted the orchestras that played within this program. After his experience in the
WPA, he continued his music criticism writing for the Chicago Tribune (1943-1947) and the Los Angeles Times (1947-65). Goldberg
often lectured in the music department at UCLA beginning in 1948 until the mid 1950s. Goldberg wrote his column The Sounding
Board in the Los Angeles Times for 18 years. He became the music staff writer in 1965 and critic emeritus the following year
at the Los Angeles Times. He continued to write for other publications after his retirement as well. Goldberg died on February
4, 1990 in Pasadena, CA.
Scope and Content
This collection holds the writings, scrapbooks, clippings and printed ephemera of conductor and music critic Albert Goldberg.
The bulk of the collection consists of his own writing as well as materials about the Works Progress Administration Federal
Music Project for which he was the Illinois State Director. Other materials include Goldberg's personal collection of sheet
music booklets from various classical musicians.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the following series:
- Series 1: Personal, 1916-1975
- Series 2: Sheet Music, 1908-1976
- Series 3: Works Progress Administration Federal Music Project, 1933-1975 (bulk 1933-1943)
- Series 4: Writings, 1910-1986
Related Oral History
The following oral history is available through the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research:
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Music critics -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
Federal Music Project (U.S.)
Goldberg, Albert (Conductor)
Series 1. Personal
1916-1975
Scope and Content
The personal files of Albert Goldberg include primary materials he collected about Los Angeles' Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,
newspaper clippings on his father's death from surgery, articles and flyers featuring Goldberg, and correspondence between
friends.
box 1
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Book
1943
box 1, folder 2
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
1961-1964
Series 2. Sheet Music
1908-1976
Language of Material: Some of the materials in this series are in German and Italian.
Scope and Content
This series is comprised of Albert Goldberg's personal sheet music and opera book collection of various composers. Some of
the records in this series pertain to a specific iterance of the score or opera. Some of the production houses involved in
these specific renditions were the Chicago Civic Opera Company (Beethoven's Fidelio and Alfano's Resurrection), USC School
of Performing Arts (A Midsummer Night's Dream), the Metropolital Opera Association (Wozzeck). Publisher's in this collection
include Ernst Eulenburg, John F. Huber, Fred Rullman, Boosey & Hawkes, Westminster Recording Co., Oliver Ditson Company, Ricordi,
Edizioni Suvini Zerboni, M. Baron Inc., and Editions Max Eschig. Some of the books have handwritten annotation by Goldberg.
box 2, folder 1
Alfano, Frank: Resurrection
1925
box 2, folder 2
Bach, Johann Sebastian: Six Partitas
undated
box 2, folder 3
Bartok, Bela: 3rd Piano Concerto
1947
box 2, folder 4
Bartok, Bela: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
1942
box 2, folder 5
Beethoven, Ludwig van: Concerto No. 1 in C major Op. 15
1935
box 2, folder 6
Beethoven, Ludwig van: Concerto No. 4 in G major op. 58
undated
box 2, folder 7
Beethoven, Ludwig van: Klavier-Trio in B flat major Op. 97
1945
box 2, folder 8
Beethoven, Ludwig van: Fidelio
1930, 1959
box 2, folder 9
Bizet, Georges: Carmen
undated
box 3, folder 1
Boito, Arrigo: Mefistofele
1908
box 3, folder 2
Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor Op. 15
undated
box 3, folder 3
Brahms, Johannes: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major Op. 83
undated
box 3, folder 4
Britten, Benjamin: A Midsummer Night's Dream
1960, 1976
box 3, folder 5
Buchner, Georg: Wozzeck
1952
box 3, folder 6
Catalani, Alfredo: Loreley
1955
box 3, folder 7
Charpentier, Gustave: Louise
Circa 1920
box 3, folder 8
Cherubini, Luigi: Portuguese Inn, The
1954
box 3, folder 9
Grieg, Edvard: Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 16
undated
box 3, folder 10
Liszt, Franz: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major
undated
box 3, folder 11
Liszt, Franz: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major
undated
box 4, folder 1
Liszt, Franz: Totentanz
undated
box 4, folder 2
Ljadow, Anatoli: The Enchanted Lake Op. 62
1934
box 4, folder 3
Mozart, Amadeus: Piano Concerto No. 537 in D Major
undated
box 4, folder 4
Mozart, Amadeus: Piano Concerto No. 488 in A Major
undated
box 4, folder 5
Mozart, Amadeus: Piano Concerto No. 365 for Two Pianos in E Flat Major
undated
box 4, folder 6
Szymanowski, Karol: Symphony No. 4 Op. 60
1933
box 4, folder 7
Tschaikowsky, Pyotr Ilyich: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op. 23
undated
Series 3. Works Progress Administration Federal Music Project
1933-1975 (bulk 1933-1943)
Scope and Content
This series includes correspondence, reports, photographs, clippings, and ephemera. Correspondence documents the progress
of the orchestras under Goldberg's supervision; correspondents include composer Frederick A. Stock, New Deal era arts administrator
Florence Kerr, the Library of Congress' Chief of Music Division Harold Spivacke, and FWA Director Evelyn S. Byron. Also present
is the final report back on the Illinois Music Project in 1943 as well as the official WPA style sheet for typographical uniformity
in programming music compositions. Concert programs, flyers and reviews for the various orchestras Goldberg managed and conducted
are also found in this series. Photographs included depict Goldberg and his colleagues posing with their orchestras as well
as candid shots together. The scrapbook in this collection consists of an arrangement of programs and reviews of concerts.
The Works Progress Administration file includes newspaper clippings about Roosevelt putting an end to the WPA.
The title Illinois Music Project refers to the general WPA program under which Goldberg worked as State Director and conductor.
The orchestra initially took on the name Illinois Symphonic Ensemble. The orchestra then adopted the name Illinois Symphony
Orchestra which was maintained throughout its existence.
box 7, folder 2
Illinois Music Project
1941 March-1943 February
box 7, folder 3
Illinois Symphonic Ensemble: Large Programs
1942 June 17
box 4, folder 8
Illinois Symphonic Ensemble: Small Programs
1941 May 5-1943 January 14
box 1, folder 4
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Large Programs
1936 August 12-1942 August 11
box 5, folder 1
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, First Season
1936 October-1937 June
box 5, folder 2
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, Second Season
October 1937 - June 1938
box 5, folder 3
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, Third Season
1938 October-1939 June
box 6, folder 1
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, Fourth Season
1939 December-1940 August
box 6, folder 2
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, Fifth Season
1940 October-1941 April
box 6, folder 3
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Small Programs, Sixth Season
1941 November-1942 June
box 6, folder 4
Illinois Symphony Orchestra: Other Programs
1936 June-1937 November
box 7, folder 5
Other Federal Music Project Programs
1933-1936
box 6, folder 5
Photographs, small
circa 1936-1940s
box 7, folder 6
Publicity
1936-1942, 1975
box 7, folder 7
Works Progress Administration
1940-1943
Series 4. Writings
1910-1986
Scope and Content
This series is mostly newspaper articles written by Albert Goldberg as a music critic for several publications such as The
Chicago Herald and Examiner, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Musical America, Music Digest, and Opera News amongst
others. Most of his reviews and critiques are for opera and classical music.
box 17, folder 3
Subseries 1. Early drafts
circa 1910s-1927
Subseries 2. Clippings
1910-1986
Scope and Content
Consists of loos newspaper clippings, arranged chronologically. The 1963-1965 folder titled "Los Angeles Times The Sounding
Board and Calendar" includes a column titled "The Music Critic Versus the Avant-Garde" to which two follow up articles were
written due to the overwhelming written responses Goldberg received after publishing the original article. Goldberg includes
a long quote from a letter written by former UCLA faculty member Leonard Stein in which he attacks Goldberg's negative opinion
of avant-garde musical compositions.
box 9, folder 1
Musical America
1927-1937, undated
box 7, folder 8
Music Digest, Chicago Herald and Examiner
1928-1935
box 7, folder 9
Chicago Sunday Tribune
1943
box 9, folder 2
Chicago Tribune
1944-1947
box 9, folder 3
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1947
box 10, folder 1
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1948
box 10, folder 2
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1949
box 7, folder 10
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1949-1956
box 10, folder 3
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1950
box 7, folder 11
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1959 - 1960
box 11, folder 1
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board and Calendar
1963 -1965
box 11, folder 2
Chicago Sun Times, Opera News, Washington Post
1965 - 1985
box 11, folder 3
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1966-1968
box 7, folder 12
Opera News, San Jose Mercury
1966 - 1968
box 7, folder 13
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1969
box 7, folder 14
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1970
box 11, folder 4
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1971
box 13, folder 1
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1972
box 13, folder 2
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1973-1976
box 13, folder 3
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1978-1979
box 14, folder 2
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1980-1981
box 11, folder 5
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1982
box 14, folder 3
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1983-1984
box 11, folder 6
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1985-1986
box 17, folder 1
Los Angeles Times
undated
box 11, folder 7
Other Writers' Clippings
1930-1985
Subseries 3. Scrapbooks
1925-1966
Scope and Content
Scrapbooks consist of newspaper articles of Goldberg's and are arranged chronologically. Duplications may exist between articles
included in scrapbooks and those that are loose as clippings.
box 12
Musical America, Music Digest, Herald Examiner
1925-1931
box 13
Chicago Sunday Tribune
1943-1947
box 14
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1947-1954
box 14, folder 1
Guide to arrangement of scrapbook
undated
box 15
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1947-1950
Physical Description: This item has been water damaged.
box 16
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1950-1953
box 16
Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Saturday Review
1953-1956
box 17
Los Angeles Times: The Sounding Board
1956 - 1958
box 18
Los Angeles Times, Musical America, Opera News
1958-1960
box 19
Los Angeles Times, The Piano Teacher, Bravo!, Opera News, The School Musician
1963-1965
box 20
Los Angeles Times, Montreal Star, The Union Teacher, Opera News, Pavilion
1965-1966
box 18, folder 1
Subseries 4. Full publications
1929-1964
Scope and Content
Full publications with Goldberg's writing.
