University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
1721
Bergsma, William, 1921-1994
William Bergsma
papers
1941-1986
2.08 cubic feet (3 boxes and 1 folder)
Collection materials are in
English.
Correspondence
and music manuscripts of William Bergsma, School of Music faculty, University
of Washington
William Bergsma was a composer and professor of music at the UW.
Bergsma was born in Oakland, California in 1921. He attended Stanford
University from 1938 to 1940 and completed his B.A. and M.A. at the Eastman
School of Music in 1943. From 1946 to 1963 he served on the faculty of The
Juilliard School in a variety of roles, most notably as chair of the
composition department. From 1963 to 1971, Bergsma was chair of the School of
Music at the University of Washington, where he remained as professor after
retiring from administration.
Bergsma composed works for symphony orchestra, opera, chamber
ensembles, solo instruments and choral groups. He received numerous honors and
awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and awards from the National
Endowment for the Arts and the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation. In 1992,
he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Arranged into 3 accessions
- Accession No. 1721-001, William Bergsma papers, 1970-1971
- Accession No. 1721-002, William Bergsma papers, 1941-1986
- Accession No. 1721-003, William Bergsma correspondence,
1967-1986
Correspondence, 1967-1986, concerning Bergsma's position as director
of the School of Music, University of Washington, and music manuscripts,
1941-1977.
Open to all users.
Request at UW
Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of
Washington Libraries
Processing levels vary.
Bergsma, William, 1921-1994--Archives
University of Washington. University Archives
University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)
Colleges and Universities
Music
Accession No. 1721-001: William Bergsma papers, 1970-1971
.03 cu. ft. (1 folder)
Scope and Content:
Correspondence concerning Bergsma's position as director of the
School of Music, University of Washington, 1970-1971.
Restrictions on Access:
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info:
Source: Helen V. Pratt, October 08, 1971.
Accession No. 1721-002: William Bergsma papers, 1941-1946
1.84 cu. ft. (2 boxes)
Arrangement:
Arranged as received
Scope and Content:
Correspondence concerning Bergsma's work with the School of Music,
University of Washington, 1982, 1986, and music manuscripts, 1941-1977.
(Compositions returned to Bergsma by Galaxy Music Company when new copies were
printed.)
Restrictions on Access:
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info:
Source: unknown, 1990
1
1721-002
Letter of transmittal from Steve Schaffner, Galaxy Music
Company
1986
1
1721-002
Gold and the Senor Commandant.
Ballet. "Siesta," "Parade," "Elegant Dance," "Furious Dance." 16
pp.
1941
1
1721-002
Gold and the Senor Commandant.
Ballet. "Siesta" and "Happy Dance." 28 pp.
1941
1
1721-002
Gold and the Senor Commandant.
Ballet. Program.
1941
1
1721-002
A Carol on Twelfth Night.
Commissioned by the Louisville Orchestra. Original version. Two copies. 49 pp.
each.
1953
1
1721-002
A Carol on Twelfth Night. Revised
version. (revised pages loose in front)
1958
1
1721-002
Documentary I: Portrait of a City.
Site for Orchestra. (Expansion of 1958 score for a television production) 64
pp.
1958-1963
1
1721-002
Chameleon Variations. Commissioned
by the Portland Junior Symphony. 61 pp.
1960
1
1721-002
Serenade, To Await the Moon.
Dedicated to Milton Katims. Spiral bound version. 52 pp.
1965
1
1721-002
Serenade, To Await the Moon.
Dedicated to Milton Katims. Tape bound version, two copies. One with
performance markings by Katims. 36pp. each.
1965
2
1721-002
Sinister Dance. Score. 10 pp. and
parts.
1951
2
1721-002
Praise. Choral work. 6 pp.
Holograph.
1958
2
1721-002
Oh, Mother, On This Blessed Day.
Published under pseudonym Lawrence Wilbur. Holograph. 5 pp.
1959
2
1721-002
Illegible Canons. For clarinet and
percussion. 15 pp.
1968
2
1721-002
The Murder of Comrade Sharik.
Opera (1969), after a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Earliest extant version. 77
pp.
1971
2
1721-002
The Murder of Comrade Sharik.
Opera (1969), after a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Revision. Extra pp included.
100 pp.
1973
2
1721-002
The Murder of Comrade Sharik.
Opera (1969), after a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Revised ending. Photocopied.
(pp. 126-148)
1977
2
1721-002
The Murder of Comrade Sharik.
Opera (1969), after a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. Correspondence and notes re:
premiere, Brooklyn College.
1986
2
1721-002
Fourth Quartet. Commissioned by
the University of Alabama for the Cadet Quartet. Original version (including
revised finale).
1970
2
1721-002
Fourth Quartet. Commissioned by
the University of Alabama for the Cadet Quartet. Subsequent version (including
third movement later discarded).
1971
2
1721-002
Wishes, Wonders, Portents, Charms.
For chorus and instruments. Piano reduction. pp. 1-64
1974
2
1721-002
Wishes, Wonders, Portents, Charms.
For chorus and instruments. Substitution, pp. 22B-23
undated
2
1721-002
Blatant Hypotheses. For trombone
and percussion. 10 pp.
1977
2
1721-002
Sweet Was The Song The Virgin Sung; Tristan Revisited. I & II. Commissioned by the Seattle Symphony
Orchestra. 113 pp. (last pp. loose)
1977
2
1721-002
Correspondence from John Coney, KCTS-9
1982
2
1721-002
We Pause Briefly
undated
2
1721-002
Second Symphony: Voyages II.
Revisions. pp. 20-37.
undated
Accession No. 1721-003: William Bergsma correspondence, 1967-1986
.21 cubic feet (1 box)
Arrangement:
Arranged as received.
Scope and Content:
Correspondence concerning Bergsma's work with the School of Music,
University of Washington, 1967-1986
Restrictions on Access:
Open to all users.
Acquisition Info:
Source: John Gibbs for UW Music Library, 07/18/2005
1/1
1721-003
Jack Beeson
1981 May - 1986 August
1/1
1721-003
Elliot Carter
1986 August
1/1
1721-003
George Crumb
1986 August
1/1
1721-003
David Diamond
1975 March
1/1
1721-003
Alan Hovhaness
1976 August
1/1
1721-003
Andrew Imbrie
1976 August
1/2
1721-003
Donald Howard Keats
1977 April
1/2
1721-003
Kavid Kechley
1978 April
1/2
1721-003
Barbara Kolb
1980 July -September
1/2
1721-003
Douglas Moore
1967 February
1/3
1721-003
Vincent Persichetti
1986 August
1/3
1721-003
Roger Reynolds
1976 February
Scope and Content:
Contains copy of letter from Roger Reynolds to Richard Felciano,
Jan. 1976 and others re. "consortium of contemporary music centers in the
West."
1/3
1721-003
Loren Rush
1972 December
1/3
1721-003
Glenn Stallcop
1977 January - 1978
1/3
1721-003
Robert Suderburg
1983 June - August
1/3
1721-003
Robert Ward
1978 April, September
1/3
1721-003
Donald Waxman
1977 August 3
1/4
1721-003
William Schuman
1978 April - 1983 July
1/5
1721-003
Janet Winter
1978 January - 1983 July
General Notes:
Janet Winter, nee Lewis (librettist)
1/6
1721-003
Acousticians for Meany Hall
1974 October - November
Scope and Content:
Paul Hayden Kirk (Kirk, Wallace, McKinley) and Paul Veneklausen
(Paul S. Vaneklausen and Associates).
1/7
1721-003
Pulitzer Prize Committee
1974 April
1/8
1721-003
Henry Brant
1974
Scope and Content:
Grand Universal Circus. Meany Hall
Performance, 1974. Correspondence and production notes.