The AMRC collections help to document the enormous influence on American music that has come from music's role as support for other art forms, from its beginnings through the present day. The AMRC holds one of the nation's most extensive collections of printed music used in theatres from the vaudeville productions of the nineteenth century through the silent film era. The Perry Como scores document the storied career of one of TV's most iconic artists and one of the pioneers of the format, and the Dave Grusin manuscripts provide a rare look into the film composing world, courtesy of one of CU's most distinguished alumni.
Perry Como scores and scripts
Scores and scripts of Perry Como, born Pierino Como (1912-2000), noted singer, recording artist, and television personality, including scripts, full scores, and instrumental parts from the Perry Como Show (1955-1963), TV specials, and recording projects; published sheet music; photographs; recordings; and memorabilia.
Stories from the Collections: Perry Como
Brent Michael Davids scores
Photocopied scores of Brent Michael Davids, composer.
Early American musical theater collection
Ballad operas collected by AMRC founder Sister Mary Dominic Ray, including research and teaching materials about actors and operas, articles about comic operas in the United States, and an index of opera titles.
Grauman's Theatres scores
Printed scores and parts for 3,845 orchestrations from the late nineteenth century and through the Silent Film Era, believed to have been collected originally in one or more libraries in Sid Grauman's theatre empire. The collection includes scores and parts, orchestrated primarily for large orchestra. Some scores contain property marks from individuals such as composer Rudolph Kopp or conductor Charles Gluck. Many bear the property stamp of "Grauman's Theatres." The collection includes the card catalogue used by California Lutheran University to access the scores. Many of the scores have been digitized by Rodney Sauer and may be made available.
Dave Grusin manuscripts
Manuscript scores of Dave Grusin (b. 1934), composer, graduate of the University of Colorado (B.Mus., 1956), including manuscript scores and parts for film and television compositions, as well as sketches and published arrangements. Notable in the collection are manuscript and sketches of several award-winning and award-nominated film scores, including "The Milagro Beanfield War," "On Golden Pond," and "The Fabulous Baker Boys."
Frederick J. Lavigne theater orchestra music
The Frederick J. Lavigne Theater Orchestra Music collection contains 126 boxes of theater orchestra sheet music. The collection was addressed to Frederick J. Lavigne at the Stadium Theater in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. A majority of the pieces in this collection show Lavigne's full name stamped on the sheet music.
Alvin G. Layton silent film music collection
Silent film music collected by Alvin Layton (1899-1987), composer, violinist, conductor of the Curran Theater Orchestra.
Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald memorabilia
Memorabilia related to Nelson Eddy (1901-1967) and Jeanette MacDonald (1901-1965), screen actors and musicians, collected by multiple collectors.
Nick Perito manuscripts and papers
Manuscripts and papers of Nicholas "Nick" Perito (1924-2005), pianist, composer, arranger, conductor; Bachelor of Music, Juilliard School of Music (1949); including manuscript compositions, scripts, correspondence, photographs, and papers documenting Perito.
Silent film music collection
Music from the silent film era, including cue sheets, film scores, folios, and incidental music from two Colorado organists, Claire H. Hamack and Adele V. Sullivan.
Hank Troy silent film cue sheets and scores
Collection contains cue sheets, music scores and parts from 1895 to 1927 for silent films.