Scope and arrangement
The Joelle Wallach papers, dating from the 1940s to 2019, document the composer's work and life through scores; photographs; personal and professional papers; and audio and video recordings.
Series I: Scores holds mainly self-published scores and parts for over 120 of Wallach's compositions from throughout her career. These include such notable works as the octet From the Forest of Chimneys; the oratorio Toward a Time of Renewal; The Tiger's Tail for orchestra; String Quartet #2; and song settings of poetry and Jewish liturgy, among other sources. Some titles also have programs or program notes.
Series II: Photographs holds publicity headshots and portraits of Wallach by the photographer Christian Steiner from the 1980s to the 2010s. Also present are personal photographs of Wallach and her family, friends, and spouse.
Series III: Personal and Professional Papers contains personal and professional letters from such figures as Vincent Persichetti, Herb Bielawa, and Rhoda Levine, as well as correspondence with her husband, the Sumerologist Stephen J. Lieberman. Also present is a small set of programs and publicity brochures, as well as diplomas and certificates.
Series IV: Audio and Video Recordings contains an audio recording of The Firefighter's Prayer; video recordings of performances of In Memory the Heart Still Sings (with choreography by Ella Magruder) and String Quartet #2; and video of a discussion with Wallach at the 1996 La Musica Chamber Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida.
The Joelle Wallach papers are arranged in four series:
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1967-2018
This series holds scores and parts for over 120 of Wallach's compositions. These range from works for solo voice or instrument, to settings of poetry for voice and piano, to choral pieces, chamber music, orchestral works, a chamber opera, and various other vocal and instrumental combinations.
Notable works in this series include the octet From the Forest of Chimneys, the oratorio Toward a Time of Renewal; The Tiger's Tail for orchestra; Firefighter's Prayer, written in the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 attacks; the chamber opera The King's Twelve Moons; song settings of works by William Carlos Williams, Walt Whitman, and other poets; settings of Jewish liturgy and Sephardic songs; Where Angels May Lie Down Among Us: A Chamber Symphony; and several string quartets.
With very few exceptions, all the scores are self-published and in final form. Orchestrations are noted in the container list. All titles include full scores; the presence of other score types (such as piano reduction or vocal scores), and parts, are noted in the container list. Some titles also have programs or program notes.
This series also holds one score by John Corigliano, Summer Fanfare for orchestra.
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1940-2010s
The photographs are in two divisions, Publicity and Personal. The bulk of the series consists of publicity headshots and portraits of Wallach dating from the 1980s to the 2010s; many are by the photographer Christian Steiner. Negatives and contact sheets are present as well. The Personal photographs span Wallach's life from the 1940s to the 1980s. They depict her, her family, and friends, as well as her wedding to her second husband, the historian and Sumerologist Stephen J. Lieberman, in 1988.
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1959-2019
This series holds letters, programs and brochures, and diplomas and other certificates.
Letters comprise most of the series. They include professional letters to presenters, funders, colleagues, and composers such as Vincent Persichetti and Herb Bielawa; in some cases there are brief runs of correspondence. A separate file of letters to artists and poets includes notes from Max Wohlberg, Rhoda Levine, and Denise Levertov. Wallach's personal letters include correspondence with her husband, Stephen J. Lieberman; letters from family and friends; and letters from a fan, K.T. Maclary.
There is a single folder of programs and publicity brochures, with only a few items. The diplomas and certificates include Wallach's high school and college degrees, a teaching certificate, and her passport.
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1996-2002
This series contains an audio recording of The Firefighter's Prayer; video recordings of performances of In Memory the Heart Still Sings (with choreography by Ella Magruder) and String Quartet #2; and video of a discussion with Wallach at the 1996 La Musica Chamber Music Festival in Sarasota, Florida.