http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu010016 Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials Processed by the Music Division of the Library of Congress Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2010 Guides to Special Collections in the Music Division of the Library of Congress

Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2010561029

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2010 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials 1902-1940 (bulk 1909-1918) ML31.G48 Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938 approximately 200 items 10 containers 5.0 linear feet Material principally in English Music Division Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Alma Gluck was a Romanian-born American soprano and voice teacher. This collection principally consists of scrapbooks related to her professional career. It also includes photographs, annotated sheet music, correspondence, clippings, and other assorted materials. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

 People Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938--Archives. Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938--Correspondence. Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938--Photographs. Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938. Gluck, Alma, 1884-1938. Sembrich, Marcella, 1858-1935. Zimbalist, Efrem. Subjects Operas--Excerpts--Vocal scores with piano. Sopranos (Singers)--United States. Form/Genre Clippings (Information artifacts) Correspondence. Photographic prints. Scrapbooks. Administrative Information Provenance

Gift, Marcia Davenport, March 1973.

 Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

 Processing History

The Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials were processed by Mary McCarthy in July 1991. The finding aid was revised and coded for EAD by Christopher Hartten in April 2010.

 Transfers

Sound recordings have been transferred to the Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.

 Related Material

The Library of Congress Music Division holds several collections that contain correspondence from Alma Gluck, the most notable being the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Collection. Additional correspondence is present in the Damrosch-Blaine, Damrosch-Tee Van, Schwerke, and A.P. Schmidt collections.

Copyright Status

The Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.

 Access and Restrictions

The Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time. Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.

 Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note Date Event 1884 May 11 Born Reba Fiersohn in Romania 1886 Father Israel Fiersohn dies 1890 Moves to New York with mother Anna Fiersohn 1902 Marries insurance agent Bernard Gluck 1903 Daughter Abigail (Marcia Davenport) born 1906-1909 Studies voice with Arturo Buzzi-Peccia 1909 November 16 Debut performance with Metropolitan Opera Company as Sophie in Werther 1909 November 28 Debut performance at Metropolitan Opera House stage 1910 October 18 First song recital at Mendelssohn Hall 1912 Divorces Bernard Gluck 1912-1913 Studies voice with Marcella Sembrich 1913 Begins recording for Victor Records 1913 June 15 First song recital in London 1914 July 15 Marries violinist Efrem Zimbalist 1916 summer Daughter Marie Virginia born 1916 August 6 Mother Anna Fiersohn dies 1919 Son Efrem Zimbalist Jr. born 1925 May 25 Last recital at Manhattan Opera House 1938 October 27 Dies from cirrhosis of the liver at the Rockefeller Institute, New York Scope and Content Note

The Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials span the period 1902-1940, with the majority of the materials dating from 1909-1917. Gluck's distinguished career as an operatic singer is chronicled in eleven scrapbooks filled with clippings of performance reviews and other musical activities, including recording releases with Victor Records and voice studies with Marcella Sembrich. Interspersed are articles pertaining to personal matters such as her divorce from Bernard Gluck, marriage to Efrem Zimbalist, and other subjects.

The "Photographs" series consists of fifty-nine black and white images of family portraits, concert tours, and assorted publicity shots. Included are photographs of Efrem Zimbalist with Walter Damrosch and an album from Gluck's World War I performances at Camp Lewis, Washington. The "Music" series is comprised almost entirely of annotated and unannotated printed piano-vocal scores, the exception being a tunebook with melodic lines scrawled in the singer's hand. The remaining materials include several letters, articles, obituaries and sympathy cards, and reviews of Marcia Davenport's biography on Mozart.

 Organization of the Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials

This Alma Gluck Scrapbooks and Other Materials are organized in 4 series:

Scrapbooks, 1909-1917 Photographs, 1902-1928 Music, 1900s-1920s Miscellany, 1913-1940 http://lccn.loc.gov/2010561029 Container List Container Contents 1-7 Scrapbooks, 1909-1917 1 1909 November 16 - 1910 September 8 [30] p. 2 1910 September 9 - 1911 October 20 [30] p. 3 1911 October 4 - 1912 January 29 [72] p. 3 1912 January 31 - 1912 June 9 [36] p. 3 1912 March 21 - 1912 December 8 [71] p. 4 1913 January 22 - 1914 July 31 [91] p. 4 1913 June 10 - 1914 March 28 [98] p. 4 1915 April 24 - 1916 June 30 [149] p. 5 1914 July 10 - 1915 January 17 [149] p. 6 1916 July 28 - 1916 December 6 [149] p. 7 1916 November 25 - 1917 April 4 [100] p. 8 Photographs, 1902-1928 8/1 1902, 1907-1913 12 black and white photographs 8/2-3 1909-1913 18 black and white photographs

Principally AG in various opera roles

 8/4 1917-1918 20 black and white photographs

Includes: New York Symphony tour; World War I performances at Camp Lewis

 8/5 1919, 1928 9 black and white photographs 8-9 Music, 1900s-1920s Beethoven, Ludwig van 8/6 Adelaide

AG annotations

 8/6 Loin de ma tombe obscure Brahms, Johannes 8/7 Dort in den Weiden 8/7 O liebliche Wagen 8/7 Vorschneller Schwur

AG annotations

 Haydn, Joseph 8/8 La vie Lehmann, Liza 8/9 In a Persian garden Autograph printed score

Inscribed by AG to Arturo Toscanini

 Lully, Jean Baptiste 8/10 Amadis. Bois apais redouble ton ombre

AG annotations

 Martini, Jean Paul Egide 8/10 Plaisir d'amour

AG annotations

 Méhul, Etienne Nicolas 8/11 Joseph. Air de Joseph Monsigny, Pierre-Alexandre 8/11 O ma tendre musette Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 9/1 Alleluia

AG annotations

 9/2 Cosi fan tutte

Incomplete

 9/3 Idomeneo. Zeffiretti lusinghieri

AG annotations

 9/4 Lieder

AG annotations

Edition Peters plate number: 6703

 9/5 Lieder

AG annotations

Edition Peters plate number: 9536-9537

9/6 My favorite songs: Alma Gluck Rosa, Salvator 9/7 Only smile, I will ask nothing more Schubert, Franz 9/8 Die Forelle 9/8 Heidenröslein 9/9 Der Lindenbaum 9/9 Die Post

Incomplete

 9/9 An Sylvia

AG annotations

 Schumann, Robert 9/10 Auftrage 9/10 Er ist's

AG annotations

 9/10 Frühlingsnacht

AG annotations

 9/11 Intermezzo 9/11 Der Nussbaum

AG annotations

 Strauss, Richard 9/12 Du meines Herzens Krönelein 9/13 Tunebook AG holograph manuscript notebook with melodic lines and texts; [63] p.

10 Miscellany, 1913-1940 10/1 Alma Gluck Zimbalist Memorial performance, 1940 November 23

Programs and clippings

 10/2 Articles about AG, 1913, 1938-1939, undated 10/3 Letter from AG to Marcia Davenport, undated Holograph manuscript, in ink; [1] p. 10/3 Letter from [Uncle] Dan Froham to AG, April 15 Holograph manuscript, in ink; [1] p.

AG response attached

 10/4 Marcia Davenport materials, 1932, undated Articles and reviews related to her biography on Mozart 10/5 Obituaries, 1939, undated 10/6 Sympathy notes and cards regarding death of AG

Notable correspondents: Carl Engel; Geraldine Farrar; Sinclair Lewis; Lily Pons; John D. Rockefeller Jr.; Elizabeth Shumann; Arturo and Carla Toscanini; Alice Damrosch Wolfe; Bruno Zirato

 10 Davenport, Marcia. Mozart. New York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932

Printed edition inscribed to AG