Solomon Pimsleur was born in Paris, France, in 1900 and emigrated to the United States with his parents at an early age. Completing both his undergraduate and graduate studies at Columbia University he was the recipient of a Julliard Fellowship in 1926 and studied at the Summer Institute of the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria, in 1929. An honorary D. Mus. was awarded to him by the Boguslawski College of Music in Chicago in 1940. He died in New York City in 1962. With over 120 compositions to his credit, Pimsleur can be considered a prolific composer. His work aroused some early attention, but he gained little recognition later in his life. Nor did he ever succeed in securing an academic position. A performance of his Symphonic Ballade by the Philharmonic Society of New York at Lewisohn Stadium in 1933 marked the sole performance of any of his works by an established professional ensemble. Subsequent performances of his compositions were in large part due to his own persistent efforts. While his compositions drew praise for the craftsmanship they exhibited, Pimsleur's self-declared conservative style put his music outside the mainstream of contemporary development. A posthumous concert of his music was arranged by his wife Meira in 1965 and was presented in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York City.
This collection contains papers of composer Solomon Pimsleur. The collection primarily consists of papers related to his compositions, including sheet music, sketches and revisions, concert programs from New York theaters, newspaper clippings, as well as employment and professional documents. The collection also contains sonnets and art work created by Pimsleur. Additionally, the collection includes papers related to the early twentieth century Zionist movement and Pimsleur's mid-twentieth century trips to Europe and Jerusalem.
Preliminary Inventory:
Box 1: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including numerous composition sketches and revisions, correspondence, newspaper clippings, employment documentation, and concert programs, between 1912 and 1965.
Box 2: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, numerous composition sketches and revisions, between 1914 and 1927.
Box 3: Correspondence to Pimsleur, as well as sonnets, and financial documents from 1927 to 1961.
Box 4: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including copies of concert programs and papers related to the European and American Zionist movement in connection to Palestine, between 1935 and 1946.
Box 5: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including correspondence, sonnets, newspaper clippings, various professional and personal documents, concert programs, as well as a personal account of his trip to Jerusalem, between 1931-1956.
Box 6: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including correspondence, concert programs, professional documents, copyright materials, various publications, as well as an opera and a published book of sonnets both written by Pimsleur, between 1927 and 1961.
Box 7: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, numerous composition sketches and revisions, and concert programs, between 1918 and 1959.
Box 8: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, numerous composition sketches and revisions, as well as professional and miscellaneous documents, between 1915 and 1952.
Box 9: Painting and drawings by Pimsleur. Oversized material: sheet music.
Box 10: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, numerous composition sketches and revisions, between 1920 and 1962.
Box 11: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, concert programs from New York, and professional documents, between 1915 and 1953.
Box 12: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, sketches, and revisions, between 1924 and 1961.
Box 1: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including an essay on poet John Masefield, sonnets, correspondence, sheet music, and personal documents, between 1918 and 1962.
Box 1: Papers related to music composed by Pimsleur, including sheet music, programs, and lists of compositions sent to the Columbia University Music Library. Also includes music and culture-related publications collected by Pimsleur, correspondence from son Joel and wife Meira, newspaper clippings, and Pimsleur family photographs. Materials range from 1923 to 2012.
Box 2: Oversized sheet music and composition books for music composed by Pimsleur from 1928 to 1943. Also includes The Musician magazine from January 1934 and undated copies of a program poster.
This is an unprocessed collection. Any arrangement reflects either a pre-existing order from the records' creators or previous custodians, or preliminary sorting performed by staff.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions apply.
[Item description]
Preliminary Guide to the Solomon Pimsleur Papers (MSSM.072)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Received by Washington State University Libraries from Hans Moldenhauer in 1984 (MS1984.56) and donated by Carla Price in 2012 (MS2012.10). Additional materials donated by Solomon Pimsleur’s granddaughter, Adrienne Keith, in December 2019. (MS2019.23)
Solomon Pimsleur Papers 1918-1970
Washington State University Libraries: Moldenhauer Music Manuscript Exchange Transaction Records 1973-1982
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.