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Creator
Moyse, Marcel, 1889-1984
Call number
JPB 02-11
Physical description
8 linear feet. (23 boxes)
Language
The correspondence series contains substantial material writen in French; English
Preferred Citation

Marcel Moyse Papers, JPB 02-11, Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Papers of Marcel Moyse, flutist and expert teacher in French-style flute. The collection primarily contains papers and scores relating to Moyse’s work as a teacher.

Biographical/historical information

Marcel Moyse (1889-1984) was born on May 17th in Saint Amour, to an unwed mother, who died nine days later, and a father who refused to acknowledge his existence. Moyse was given his mother’s family name and was passed on by the midwife to a woman named Madame Perretier. Marcel lived with Madame Perretier and her two daughters for seven years until his maternal grandparents claimed him.

At age 15, he traveled to Paris to live with his uncle, a professional cellist. In 1906, Moyse studied flute with Paul Taffanel and won the premier prix at age 16.

Moyse was a soloist in the Opera-Comique in Paris from 1913 to 1938. He first toured America in 1913, playing the obligatos for Nellie Melba. Moyse was a soloist under such conductors as Furtwaengler, Toscanini, Prokofiev and Richard Strauss. Then in 1919, he studied with Phillippe Gaubert and later with Adolphe Hennebains. In 1934, Moyse played in the premiere of Ibert’s Flute Concerto, which had been dedicated to him. Also in the 1930s, Moyse was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, one of the highest civilian honors in France.

In 1939, Moyse’s son Louis Moyse married Blanche Honegger. Moyse founded a Trio with Louis on the piano and Blanche on the violin, just before Louis left to fight in World War II. In 1940, Honegger gave birth to twin sons, Michel and Claude. After the war, the Trio regrouped and returned to Paris but found the atmosphere oppressive. So, they along with Celine Moyse and Louis’ third child, Isabelle, left for South America and with old friends, Rudolph Serkin and Irene Busch, they gave many concerts. The next year, the Moyses’ returned to Europe.

In 1949, the Moyses immigrated to Brattleboro, Vermont and, with the help of Serkin and Busch, opened the music department at Marlboro College. Encouraged by their success, they started the Brattleboro Music Center, enrolling 200 students during the first year alone.

Moyse made his mark on the musical world by perpetuating the French-style of flute playing, which became popular after World War II. The French-style flute cultivated a smooth, rich, penetrating and brilliant sound, to which vibrato was commonly added, in contrast to the dark, dense, compact sound, without vibrato, that had been cultivated by English and German players for the past 150 years. Broadcasts and recordings made the polished and evocative playing of French-style flutists available to a large international public. These players were exponents of the Taffanel school, passed down by his students Adolphe Hennebains, Gaubert and Marcel Moyse. It was Moyse’s innovative approach that provided the foundation for a new French school.

Moyse spent his career as a performer and teacher. He taught flute for 22 years at the Paris Conservatory, in addition to the many years spent teaching in Brattleboro. He led classes in Europe and Japan, wrote 37 books of studies for the flute, and produced recordings such as “The French School of Flute Playing.” Moyse died on November 1, 1984 in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Scope and arrangement

The majority of the collection consists of Moyse’s papers relating to his work as a teacher of the French-style flute. As a whole, the collection illustrates Moyse’s contribution as a teacher and impact in the field of flute study. This collection is especially helpful for biographical information about Moyse, as well as charting his career as a performer. The collection does, however, lack significant material relating to Moyse's work as a teacher and performer before he immigrated to the United States at age 60.

The scores series contains exercises and studies Moyse used in his teachings and in the writing of his 37 books of studies for the flute. Another series of note is the photograph series, which contains a visual representation of Moyse’s entire life from his early childhood to his death. Notably absent from the collection are the numerous watercolors and artwork that Moyse created; however, the collection does contain a limited number of his artwork.

The Marcel Moyse papers are arranged in ten series:

  • Series I: Scores
    1904-1971
    3 boxes; 1 linear feet

    This series contains Moyse’s exercises and studies for the flute used to further his life’s work--teaching French-style flute. The series also contain Moyse’s personal copies of scores some of which are inscribed by the composer. The scores series is divided into two sub series.

  • Series II: Correspondence
    1919-1985
    2 boxes; 1 linear feet

    The majority of the correspondents are students, friends and family. The series includes correspondence from many well-known musicians and composers including Robert Aitken, Philippe Gaubert, Jacques Ibert, and Carl Lutes.

  • Series III: Papers
    1862-1989
    2 boxes; 1 linear feet

    This series contains Moyse’s personal papers and includes some vital records as well as genealogical information about the Moyse family. The professional papers included in this series are representative of Moyse’s work as a teacher and a performer. The papers series is divided into two sub series.

  • Series IV: Notebooks
    1964-1978
    2 boxes; .75 linear feet

    This series contains the spiral and bound notebooks that Moyse used for addresses and to take various notes. Of particular note, are the notebooks Moyse used to write the text for his numerous books of studies for the flute.

  • Series V: Clippings
    1938-1985
    1 box; .5 linear feet

    This series contains numerous articles published about Moyse in several different languages. One of the most revealing pieces in the series, located in the English language clippings folder, is an interview Moyse gave to Pilar Estevan. In this interview, Moyse talks about his early childhood, the first time he played the flute, and teaching.

  • Series VI: Artwork
    1919-1974
    1 box; .25 linear feet

    The Artwork series contains sketches and block prints by Moyse. Some of the sketches and prints include the photograph from which the work was drawn.

  • Series VII: Photographs
    1892-1984
    5 boxes; 1.85 linear feet

    This series offers a well-rounded visual glimpse into Moyse’s life. The series contains numerous photographic series of Moyse teaching classes and seminars. A photograph that is notably missing from the collection is the one photograph that Moyse was said to have had of his birth mother as a young girl. Moyse seems to have collected musicians’ portraits. The collection includes a large set of commercially available portraits. The Photographs series has been divided into three sub-series.

  • Series VIII: Ephemera
    1913-1985
    1 box; .5 linear feet

    The Ephemera series contains two brochures relating to the study of the flute as well as a couple of travel brochures. This series also contains programs for a variety of musical events, the majority of which feature Moyse.

  • Series IX: Scrapbooks
    c. 1950-1978
    3 boxes; .35 linear feet

    There are four scrapbooks in this series, two of which were presented to Moyse on his 80th birthday. The third scrapbook was presented by his students, and the last scrapbook is a record of the Moyse Trio.

  • Series X: Oversized Materials
    1950-1970
    3 boxes; 1.61 linear feet

    The majority of the oversized materials are photographs. Of particular note, is the portrait series of Moyse taken by his grandson, Claude Moyse. Of the various other materials in this series, the majority are Moyse’s artwork or tributes given to Moyse such as a star registered in his name through International Star Registry.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

June 1995, deed of gift from Marcel Moyse Society President Eleanor Lawrence.

Processing information

Processed by Amy Azzarito; Machine-readable finding aid created by Amy Azzarito.

Separated material

For access to these materials, visit the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.

Audiovisual materials separated from archival collections are cataloged individually and can be found in the Library catalog. Search CATNYP, The New York Public Library catalog.

  • Films
    • 1. Can labeled: Marcel Moyse work pix--M.O.S. rolls
    • 2. Can labeled: Mozart rehearsal--Moyse Prod. Order no. 189614
    • 3. Can labeled: Reel 3
    • 4. Can labeled: Miscellaneous-Michel Moyse - trims
    • 5. Can labeled: Trims/out
    • 6. Can labeled: Moyse prods.
    • Two large boxes of films
      • One box contains three reels of tape:
        • 1. James Galway [interview] R-1
        • 2. James Galway [interview] R-2
        • 3. Marcel Moyse V.O (This box also contains a smaller box with film labeled Marcel Moyse - work pix, trim/outs)
  • Tapes (reference using reel numbers)
    • Reel Number 1-Mozart concerti
    • Reel Number 2-Hue - Gluck -Debussy
    • Reel Number 3-Hennebains + Moyse : copy of 78s
    • Reel Number 4-Fr. School of Fl. Playing (A)
    • Reel Number 5-Fr. School of Fl. Playing (B)
    • Reel Number 6-Tone dev. Side 1
    • Reel Number 7-Tone dev. Side 1
    • Reel Number 8-Tone dev. Side 2
    • Reel Number 9-Tone dev. Side 2
    • Reel Number 10-Tone dev. Side 2
    • Reel Number 11-Misc. melodies
    • Reel Number 12-Practice out-takes
    • Reel Number 13-Practice out-takes
    • Reel Number 14-Practice out-takes
    • Reel Number 15-Practice out-takes
    • Reel Number 16-Practice out-takes
    • Reel Number 17-[missing]
    • Reel Number 18-M-110 side A
    • Reel Number 19-M-110 side A
    • Reel Number 20-M-110 side A
    • Reel Number 21-M-110 side B
    • Reel Number 22-M-110 side B
    • Reel Number 23-M-110 side 1
    • Reel Number 24-M-110 side 2
  • Record: Harmonie De Saint Amour, 1879-1979
    • Side 1: "Sans chemise, san pantalon Marche. Arr Jack Le Bourgeois" and "Cincinnatti: Marche Americaine de James Cower"
    • Side 2: "Jam Session Stor, Fantaisie Jazz de John Darling" and "Moment Musical de Schubert Quintette. Arr de Corroyez"

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to copy or publish, please contact the Music Division.