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Creator
Selinsky, Wladimir, 1910-
Call number
JPB 06-59
Physical description
14.5 linear feet (28 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Wladimir Selinsky Papers, JPB 06-59. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

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

The Wladimir Selinsky Papers consist primarily of scripts and scores for the radio and television productions for which Selinsky wrote music. They also contain Selinsky’s arrangements of popular songs.

Biographical/historical information

Wladimir Selinsky (b. Kiev, Russia, Feb. 15, 1910; d. New York City, Sept. 6, 1984) was born into a musical family. He was raised in Berlin and was a child prodigy violinist, performing and conducting at an early age. His family immigrated to the United States in 1925. Almost immediately Selinsky won a scholarship to study at the Institute for Musical Art (Julliard). He originally planned to be a concert violinist, but after his father fell ill Selinksy was forced to find work on Broadway as a concert master and assistant conductor. He also performed in various orchestras conducted by Bruno Walter, Leopold Stokowski, and Pierre Monteux.

In the 1930's, Selinsky began an active career as a composer and conductor for radio shows produced by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). He worked with Helen Hayes on two dramatic anthology programs, Textron Theatre and Helen Hayes Theatre, collaborating with Hayes to create the background music for adaptations of plays by such authors as Sinclair Lewis and Thornton Wilder.

Selinsky also worked on educational programs sponsored by National Association of Educational Broadcasters (N.A.E.B.), including The Jeffersonian Heritage (featuring Claude Raines) and People Under Communism, and also worked on programs for the Voice of America. Throughout the 1940's, Selinsky also had his own NBC radio program, Strings In Swingtime, which featured his own string quartet and orchestra. He recorded a number of violin pieces for Columbia Records, and composed and conducted music for CBS and NBC radio auditions and a radio and television workshop sponsored by the Ford Foundation in 1957. He also wrote stock film music under the pseudonym “Ward Sills” for the company Video Moods, Inc., some of which was used in the famed Ed Wood film Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959).

With the rise of television and the subsequent decline of network radio programs in the mid-1950's, Selinsky's career shifted to that medium, where he worked for the remainder of his career. The programs he worked on included dramatic anthologies such as Du Pont Show of the Week, Kraft Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, and U. S. Steel Hour; and several television movies in the 1970s and 80s, including Forbidden City, The Arthur Peach Story, Miles To Go Before I Sleep and Family Reunion (featuring Bette Davis). Selinsky died of heart failure at the age of 74.

Scope and arrangement

The Wladimir Selinsky Papers consist primarily of scripts for the radio and television productions for which Selinsky composed music, and the scores for that music. Radio programs with scripts and scores include the anthologies CBS Electric Theatre, CBS Helen Hayes Theatre and CBS Textron Theatre, and the educational series The Jeffersonian Heritage and People Under Communism. Television productions documented by scripts and/or scores include the series Lux Video Theater and Kraft Television Theater, and the network television films Forbidden City, Miles To Go Before I Sleep and Family Reunion. The collection also contains stock film music composed by Selinsky, some of which may have appeared in the Ed Wood film Plan 9 From Outer Space. There is also a set of arrangements by Selinsky of popular songs presumably used for Strings In Swingtime broadcasts, as well as recordings. In addition to scores and scripts, the collection has a small amount of papers, mainly production notes and music timings, and a few financial papers.

The Wladimir Selinsky papers are arranged in two series:

  • Series I: Scripts and Papers
    1941-1975 and undated
    7 boxes

    This series consists mainly of scripts for the radio and television productions that Selinsky wrote music for. Most of the scripts are adaptations by a staff writer of original plays or stories. It also includes notes on timings for music cues, and a small amount of business and financial papers. Script authors are credited when known. All scripts are arranged in broadcast sequence within its program series.

  • Series II: Scores
    1944-1981 and undated
    21 boxes

    This series consists of scores, parts and lead sheets for incidental music Selinsky wrote for radio and television programs as well as arrangements of popular songs (and some songs of his own) he wrote for broadcasts and recordings. Scores from TV or radio series are arranged in broadcast sequence.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

The Wladimir Selinsky Papers were donated to the Music Division in 1992 by Martha Selinsky.

Processing information

Processed by Matthew Snyder; Machine-readable finding aid created by Matthew Snyder.

Separated material

  • Published Scores
    • Arrangements and Compositions
      • Ascher’s Biergarten Band Folio: A Collection German Favorites. Parts for band. Published by Emil Ascher, Inc.
      • Classical And Modern Duets For Two String Basses by Fred Zimmerman. New York: International Music Company, 1950.
      • Early American Songs from the repertoire of the “Song-Spinners”. Arranged and edited by Margaret and Travis Johnson. New York: Associated Music Publishers, Inc., 1943. Arranged for four voices.
      • Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing by Paul Francis Webster and Sammy Fain. Arranged by Jim Baker for stage band. New York: Miller Music Corp., 1963.
      • Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing by Paul Francis Webster and Sammy Fain. Arranged by Johnny Warrington for dance band. New York: Miller Music Corp., 1955.
      • National Airs Of America. Stock arrangement for orchestra. New York: Emil Ascher, Inc., 1941.
      • Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin. New York: Harms, 1927. Piano and orchestra parts.
      • Song Of The Boatmen Of The Volga (traditional) and Cossack Lullaby (J. Jiránek). Arranged for orchestra by Otto Langey. New York: Schirmer, 1912.
      • Yankee Doodle. Arranged by Harold Sanford for orchestra. New York: BMI Orchestral Library, 1940.
    • Piano-Vocal Lead Sheets
      • All I Touch by Mel Mandell and Wladimir Selinsky. New York: Edwin H. Morris, 1958.
      • Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms by Thomas Moore. Philadelphia: Ditson, 1912.
      • Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree by Lew Brown, Charlie Tobias and Sam H. Stept. New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1970.
      • Driftwood by Mel Mandel and Wladimir Selinsky. New York: Edwin H. Morris, 1959.
      • Frenesi by Alberto Dominguez. English lyrics by Ray Charles and S.K. Russell. New York: Southern Music Publishing Co., 1941.
      • H KPYSTA??O. Arranged by Antonios Sakellarious. New York: Hermes, undated.
      • I Wants To Be The Leadin’ Lady by George Totten Smith and Harry Von Tilzer. New York: Shaperiro Bernstein & Von Tilzer, 1901.
      • I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time. By Neville Fleeson and Albert Von Tilzer. New York: Broadway Music Corp., 1920.
      • Jasmine by Mel Mandel and Wladimir Selinsky. New York: Edwin H. Morris, 1958.
      • Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing by Paul Francis Webster and Sammy Fain. New York: Twentieth Century Music, 1955.
      • Moonlight Serenade by Mitchell Parish and Glen Miller. New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1967.
    • Piano Scores
      • The Billboard March by John N. Klohr. John Church Company, 1901.
      • Burglar’s Revenge by Bert Shefter. New York: Joe Davis Inc., 1937.
      • Chopin’s Ghost by Bert Shefter. New York: Joe Davis Inc., 1937.
      • Jealousie by Jacob Gade and Vera Bloom. Paris: Brull, 1926.
      • Locomotive by Bert Shefter. New York: Joe Davis Inc., 1937.
      • My Gal Sal by Paul Dresser. Paul Dresser Pub. Co., 1942.
      • My Three Sons by Frank De Viol. New York: Meridian Music Corp., 1961.
      • SOS by Bert Shefter. New York: Joe Davis Inc., 1937.
      • Summer Of ’42 by Michel Legrand. New York: Warner Bros., 1971.
      • Wladimir Selinsky Conducts His Music From The Kraft Television Theatre. New York: Edwin H. Morris, 1958.
    • Violin-Piano Scores
      • All Alone by Irving Berlin. Transcription by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1937.
      • Always by Irving Berlin. Transcription by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1937.
      • Apple Blossoms by Joe Venuti. New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1933.
      • Fiddlin’ The Fiddle by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1927.
      • Fiddlinette by Anthony J. Franchini. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1927.
      • Gypsy Music Album. Compiled and edited by Vladimir Selinsky. New York: Regent, 1942.
      • In A Spanish Garden by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1928.
      • Remember by Irving Berlin. Transcription by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1937.
      • Russian Lullaby by Irving Berlin. Transcription by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1937.
      • Stringing Along by Dave Rubinoff. New York: Standard Music Publications, 1928.
      • Violinola by Anthony J. Franchini. Standard Music Publications, 1927.
      • Wild Dog by Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang. New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1931.
      • Wildcat by Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang. New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1928.
    • Sound Recordings
      • P.D.Q. Bach – Black Forest Bluegrass / Monty Python Contractual Obligation Album. One 7-inch tape reel.
      • R. Strauss – Die schweigsame Frau. Two 7-inch tape reels, with libretto and notes.
      • Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Violanta. One 7-inch tape reel, with libretto.
    • Books
      • Dowling, Lyle. A Brief Note On The Schillinger System: The Scientific Way To Success In Music. Published by Joseph Schillinger, 1942.
      • Schönberg, Arnold. Harmonielehre. Vienna: Universal-Edition, 1922.

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 publish, contact the Chief, Music Division.