Louise Homer collection of vocal scores

id
3972
origination
Homer, Louise, 1871-1947
date statement
1849-1911
key date
1849
identifier (local_mss)
20247
org unit
Music Division
call number
JPF 00-1
b-number
b14748299
total components
19
total series
0
max depth
1
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2013-04-01 15:04:54 UTC
updated
2026-01-20 20:36:56 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

physdesc
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"1.7 linear ft. (17 volumes)"}
unitid
{"value"=>"JPF 00-1", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"20247", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1849-1911", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1849/1911"}
date_inclusive_start
1849
date_inclusive_end
1911
keydate
1849
unittitle
{"value"=>"Louise Homer collection of vocal scores"}
repository
{"value"=>"Music Division, <span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library</span>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"The Louise Homer Collection of Vocal Scores contains a sampling of music owned and annotated by the American contralto."}
prefercite
{"value"=>"<p>Louise Homer Collection of vocal scores, JPF 00-1, Music Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.</p>"}
origination
{"value"=>"Homer, Louise, 1871-1947", "type"=>"persname"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Louise Homer (née Louise Dilworth Beatty), American contralto, was born in Shadyside, Pennsylvania, on April 28, 1871. She studied in Philadelphia and later Boston, where she met her future husband, the composer Sidney Homer. They were married in 1895. Together they went to France where she studied voice with Fidèle Koenig, and drama with Paul Lhérie.</p> <p>Homer made her operatic debut in 1898 as Leonora in <span class=\"title\">La Favorita</span> at Vichy. The following year she was engaged at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, and soon after was engaged by Covent Garden. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris in <span class=\"title\">Aïda</span> on November 14, 1900, while the company was on tour in San Francisco. Her house debut in the same role was on December 22, 1900. With one exception (1914-15) she appeared regularly with the company until 1919. From 1920-25 she appeared with the Chicago Opera Company, and in 1926 appeared with the San Francisco and Los Angeles opera companies. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera in 1927, and gave her final staged performance there on November 28, 1929.</p> <p>Moving to Florida, Homer gave recitals for a while and taught singing for several years. In 1939, Sidney Homer published an autobiographical account of their lives, <span class=\"title\">My Wife and I</span>.</p> <p>Louise Homer died at Winter Park, Florida, on May 6, 1947. In 1973, one of her daughters, Anne Homer, published a biography, <span class=\"title\">Louise Homer and the Golden Age of Opera</span>.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The Louise Homer collection of vocal scores represents a sampling of the roles the contralto sang on stage. Some of the scores appear to have been used for pedagogical purposes, a role Homer took on after her retirement from the operatic stage in 1929.</p> <p>The value in these scores lies in the markings and annotations. At the very least, these markings indicate places for the singer to breath and phrase. In some cases (such as the <span class=\"title\">Lohengrin</span> score), Homer has pencilled in alternative notes so as to avoid the high tessiture of Ortrud's part. In several cases such as the French edition of <span class=\"title\">Il Trovatore</span>, Homer takes great pains to indicate movement, sometimes annotating each phrase of the music with descriptions of blocking.</p> <p>These scores provide an unusual view into the artistry of one of the most noted American contraltos of the early part of the twentieth century.</p>"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"<p>Scores are arranged alphabetically by composer and title.</p>"}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>The Louise Homer Collection of vocal scores (as well as the manuscripts of her husband Sidney Homer), were donated to the Music Division in November 1967 by Katherine Homer Fryer, one of the daughters of Louise and Sidney Homer.</p>"}
userestrict
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to copy or publish, please contact the Music Division.</p>"}
relatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<p>The manuscript scores of composer Sidney Homer (Louise Homer's husband) are cataloged collectively as JPB 83-299.</p>"}
note
{"value"=>"<p>Vocal scores annotated by Louise Homer, American contralto</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Katharine Homer Fryer, 1967</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Robert Kosovsky; machine-readable finding aid created by Robert Kosovsky.</p>"}
date_start
1849
date_end
1911

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Child components TOP

  1. Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750. [Matthäuspassion. Piano-vocal score. English] The Passion of our Lord according to St. Matthew. Boston : O. Ditson
  2. Bizet, Georges, 1838-1875. [Carmen. Vocal score. English and French] Carmen : opera in 4 acts. New York : G. Schirmer
  3. Bruneau, Alfred, 1857-1934. L'attaque du moulin : drame lyrique en quatre actes d'apres Emile Zola. Paris : Choudens
  4. Gounod, Charles, 1818-1893. [Roméo et Juliette. Vocal score. English and French] Romeo and Juliet : opera in five acts. New York : G. Schirmer
  5. Meyerbeer, Giacomo, 1791-1864. [Prophète. Vocal score. French] Le prophète : opera en cinq actes. Paris : Benoit, Aine
  6. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. [Zauberflöte. Vocal score. Italian and German] Die Zauberflöte = Il flauto magico : Oper in zwei Akten. Leipzig : C.F. Peters
  7. Parker, Horatio W. (Horatio William), 1863-1919. [Mona. Vocal score. Selections] Mona : an opera in three acts. New York : G. Schirmer
  8. Saint-Saens, Camille, 1835-1921. [Samson et Dalila. Vocal score. English] Samson and Delilah, opera in three acts. New York : G. Schirmer
  9. Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Rigoletto : opera en 4 actes. Paris : Leon Grus, []
  10. Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. Il trovatore = The troubadour : an opera in four acts. New York : G. Schirmer
  11. Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. [Trovatore. Vocal score. English and Italian] Il trovatore : (The troubadour) opera in four acts. New York : G. Schirmer, []
  12. Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901. [Trovatore. Vocal score. French] Le trouvere : grand opera en quatre actes : represente sur le Theatre de l'Opera. Paris : Benoit
  13. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Lohengrin. Vocal score. English & German] Lohengrin : romantic opera in three acts. Leipzig : Breitkopf & Härtel, []
  14. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Lohengrin. Vocal score. French] Lohengrin. Opera en 3 actes et 4 Tableux. Paris : Durand & Fils, []
  15. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Vocal score. English & German] Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. Mainz : B. Schott's Sohne
  16. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Ring des Nibelungen. Rheingold. Vocal score. English & German] Das Rheingold. London : Schott
  17. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Ring des Nibelungen. Walkèure. Vocal score. English & German] Der Ring des Nibelungen. Die Walkure. Mainz ; London : Schott
  18. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Tannhäuser. Vocal score. French] Tannhauser : opera en 3 actes et 4 tableaux. Paris : A. Durand et Fils, []
  19. Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883. [Tristan und Isolde. Vocal score. English & German] Tristan and Isolda. Leipzig : Breitkopf