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Creator
Block, Frederick, 1899-1945
Call number
JPB 06-21
Physical description
14.5 linear feet (25 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Frederick Block Papers, JPB 06-21. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

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

The Frederick Block Papers consist primarily of the scores for his music. They also include clippings, programs, correspondence, scripts and photographs.

Biographical/historical information

Frederick Block was born in Vienna on August 30, 1899. He displayed musical talent early and began studying piano and composition at age nine. Initially his parents discouraged him from pursuing a career in music, but after his return from military service in World War I, Block enrolled at the Vienna Conservatory. There he studied composition with Josef Bohuslav Foerster, and later with Hans Gál. The first public performances of his music took place in Vienna in 1922. Through that decade he became more known; his music was heard on radio broadcasts in Prague and Vienna in the late 20s and early 30s.

After first concentrating on smaller forms (string quartets, piano pieces, songs), Block began to write for orchestra and particularly for opera in the 30s. From 1933-1937 he wrote six operas: Platonow, Rauschgold, Samum, Fiore, America and Pan. In later years he composed two more, Schattenspiel and Esther. Block wrote his own libretti, and also tried his hand at writing plays, though none were produced. Samum was produced by the Slovak National Opera in 1936 in Bratislava (one performance was broadcast) and received good reviews and audience response.

Block’s career continued successfully until the Nazi invasion of Austria in 1938, after which he fled to London, where he married his wife. They remained there a year before moving to New York in June 1940. There Block found work as a composer, arranger and orchestrator for radio and music publishers. In 1942 he composed music for the film We Are The Marines. Aside from his commercial work, Block’s artistic output was prolific in the last period of his life. In his New York years he completed the opera Esther, three symphonies, four suites, a piano quintet and other chamber works, piano pieces and songs. Block died on June 1, 1945.

Scope and arrangement

The Frederick Block Papers consist mainly of the scores for Block’s music, almost none of which is published. The scores include operas such as Samum and Rauschgold; orchestral works such as Block’s three symphonies and the Viennese Suite; chamber music; piano, vocal and choral music; and arrangements of the work of other composers, including a setting of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 for four-handed piano. Many of the compositions have parts as well as scores. The Papers also include clippings, concert programs, a scrapbook, composition lists, correspondence, play scripts written by Block, and photographic portraits of the composer.

The Frederick Block papers are arranged in three series:

  • Series I: Scores
    1920-1944 and undated
    22 boxes

    The scores are divided into chamber music, operas, orchestral music, piano music, vocal music and arrangements of music by other composers. Most of the scores are unbound ink or pencil manuscripts (bound scores are noted as such); occasionally there are printed scores, but almost none are published. Most of the scores have opus numbers on them; opus numbers for scores without them are derived from a biographical pamphlet in the collection (in Box 23, Folder 4). Some scores have opus numbers which do not match up to the list on that pamphlet.

    The largest portion of the scores consists of Block’s eight operas. Each of them has at least the libretto and full orchestral and piano-vocal scores. Two, Rauschgold and Samum, have orchestral parts as well. Block’s chamber music includes string quartets, piano quartets and quintets, and sonatas for violin, oboe, clarinet and alto saxophone, among other works. The scores for the chamber music usually contain parts as well as full scores. His orchestral music includes four symphonies and several pieces for string orchestra or chamber orchestra. The piano works include a bound collection of early pieces (1927-1932), nocturnes, marches, a few works for four-handed piano and several untitled/unidentified pieces. Block’s vocal music consists primarily of songs and lieder for voice and piano, but also includes Five Folksongs For Chorus and three works for voice and orchestra. Block’s arrangements of other composers’ music include a version of Tchaikovsky’s Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy for four clarinets and transcription of Mahler’s incomplete Symphony No. 10 for piano, four hands. This series also contains untitled sketches and orphan score pages.

  • Series II: Professional Papers
    1922-1951 and undated
    1 box

    This series contains loose clippings and concert programs (some posthumous); a scrapbook containing many more clippings and concert programs from throughout Block’s career; a folder of biographical information, resumes and composition lists; four scripts for plays written by Block (one as co-author); and an article Block wrote for Chord And Discord about his transcription for piano of Mahler’s Symphony No. 10. There is also a folder of information about the Frederick Block Committee, which was founded by Block’s widow and friends to promote Block’s music following his death. It contains correspondence (some to or from his widow) and publicity material.

  • Series III: Oversized Material
    1936-1944 and undated
    2 boxes

    The oversized material includes photographic portraits of the composer, two posters (one advertising a performance of Block’s opera Samum), and orchestral scores. The scores include five pieces by Block and two orchestral transcriptions of music by other composers.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

The Frederick Block Papers were donated to the Music Division in 2001 by the estate of Anny Nina Block.

Processing information

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

Separated material

  • Published Piano Transcriptions And Arrangements By Block
    • Bach, JS
      • Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring. New York: Century, 1946.
      • Toccata And Fugue In D Minor. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Birukoff, Paul. Prelude For Piano Solo, Op. 8. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
    • Bizet, George. Intermezzo from L’Arlesienne. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Chabrier, Emmanuel. España. New York: Century, 1943.
    • Debussy, Claude. L’Apres Midi D’Un Faune. New York: Century, 1944.
    • Des Pres, Josquin. Christe Eleison from Mas L’Homme Arme. New York: BMI, 1944.
    • Dvorak, Antonin. God Is My Shepherd. New York: H.W. Gray, 1942.
    • Enesco, Georges. Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Falla, Manuel de. Seguidille. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
    • Franck, Cesar. Panis Angelicus. New York: Century, 1946.
    • Gluck, Christoph Willibald. Gavotte from Iphigenia In Aulis. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Handel, G.F. Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah. New York: Century, 1944.
    • Kabalevsky, Dmitri
      • Sonatina (1st movement), Op. 13. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Theme And Variations from Piano Concerto Op. 9. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
    • Moussorgsky, Modeste
      • Coronation Scene from Boris Godounov. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Dance Of The Persian Girls from Khovanstchina. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Hopak. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Marche Solennelle. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Moussorgsky Selected Compositions For Piano. Radio City Albums Library No. 38. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Music At The Fair from The Fair Of Sorochinsk. New York, Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Siege Of Kazan from Boris Godounov. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Sunrise Over Moscow from Khovanstchina. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
    • Nessler, Victor E. It Was Not To Be from Der Trompeter von Sakkingen. New York: BMI, 1941. (Arrangement for band with strings.)
    • Offenbach, Jacques. Apache Dance. New York: Century, 1943.
    • Prokofieff, Serge
      • Danse Populaire from Romeo And Juliet, Op. 75. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Intermezzo from Sinfonietta, Op. 48. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Larghetto from Symphonie Classique, Op. 25. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Scherzo from Love Of The Three Oranges, Op. 33. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Suite From Lieutenant Kijé, Op. 60. New York: Weaner-Levant, 1943.
      • Triumphant March from Peter And The Wolf. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Rachmaninoff, Sergei
      • Cantabile from the 1st Piano Concerto. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1945.
      • Theme from 2nd Piano Concerto. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1945.
    • Rimsky-Korsakoff, Nicolai
      • Ballet Dance from The Czar’s Bride. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1942.
      • Cortege De Noces from Coq d’ Or. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1942.
      • Dance Of The Birds from Snow Maiden. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1942.
      • Festival At Bagdad from Scheherazade. New York: Century, 1943.
      • Rimsky-Korsakoff Selected Compositions For Piano. Radio City Albums Library No. 37. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1942.
    • Schubert, Franz. The Bee. New York: Century, 1943.
    • Shostakovich, Dmitri
      • Allegro from Symphony No. 1. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Dance from The Golden Age. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Lento from Piano Concerto. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Marche Sarcastique from Hamlet. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Polka from L’Age D’Or. New York: Century, 1943.
      • Polka from The Bolt. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Presto Scene from Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
      • Scherzo from Symphony No. 5. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1942.
    • Smetana, Bedrich
      • Furiant from The Bartered Bride. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Polka from The Bartered Bride. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941
    • Strauss, Johann. Strauss Waltzes For Piano Duets. New York: Amsco, 1941.
    • Stravinsky, Igor
      • An Album Of Igor Stravinsky Masterpieces. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Berceuse And Finale from L’Oiseau De Feu. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Chant Du Rossignol from Rossignol. New York, Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Chez Petroushka from Petroushka. New York, Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Danse De La Foire from Petrushka. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Danse Des Adolescents from Le Sacre Du Printemps. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Danse Infernale from L’Oiseau De Feu. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Marche Chinoise from Le Chant Du Rossignol. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Pastorale. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Ronde Printaniere from Le Sacre Du Printemps. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Scherzo (Jeux Des Princesses) from L’Oiseau De Feu. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
      • Supplications from L’Oiseau De Feu. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941
      • Tourneys Of Rival Tribes from Le Sacre Du Printemps. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1941.
    • Tchaikowsky, Peter
      • 1812 Overture. New York: Century, 1942.
      • Waltz from Serenade For Strings. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Verdi, Giuseppe. Prelude To Traviata. New York: Century, 1942.
    • Compilation: Piano Music Of New Russia. New York: Edward B. Marks, 1943.
    • Traditional. Jarabe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance). New York: Century, 1943.
  • Music By Other Composers (Not arrangements)
    • Bach, J.S. Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3. Arr. by F. Mittler. Part for cello or bassoon, to go with play-along recording.
    • Strauss, Richard. Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69, No. 5. For voice and piano.

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.