Scope and arrangement
The contents of this collection were received in two parts. The first, consisting of four boxes of materials, was cataloged in 1985. Another six boxes arrived after the initial material was cataloged but was not processed until 1994.
Most of the contents of this collection cover Serly's career as a composer, though not every one of his works is represented. His well-known arrangements of five selections from Bartók's Mikrokosmos in versions for string quartet and for orchestra are not included, nor are many others of those listed in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music (v. 4, 191-92). Of Serly's theoretical writings, those that concern the modus lascivus are represented here. In addition there are a few articles and lectures of general musical interest.
The Tibor Serly papers are arranged in six series: