Finding Aids

Biographical Sketch

Milan Kaderavek was born in 1924 in Oak Park, Illinois. He received baccalaureate degrees in composition and clarinet, and a master’s degree in composition, from the American Conservatory of Music (Chicago), where his principal teacher was Leo Sowerby. Thereafter he earned a doctorate in composition and theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where his principal teacher was Gordon Binkerd. He has been active as a composer, arranger, and instrumentalist. His awards have included the Tamiment Award (1956) for his String Quartet; first prize in the 1956 National Composition Competition of the Albuquerque Civic Symphony for his Sinfonietta; and the 1961 Pi Kappa Lambda performing award. In 1980 he held a composition residency at the Ossabaw Foundation. His collegiate teaching and administrative positions have included service as chairman of the music department of the University of Illinois (Chicago Circle), and professor of theory and composition at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa). At Drake he taught woodwinds, woodwind methods, and small ensembles (1954-60), and returned in 1972 as the Area Head of Theory & History and as Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music. After 22 years of service as Area Head, Dr. Kaderavek was named professor emeritus.

 

Provenance

The collection was a gift to the Sibley Music Library from Dr. Kaderavek, sent in three installments in the spring-summer of 2003.

 

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains scores of original instrumental, vocal, and choral works by Dr. Kaderavek. The collection also holds photographs, programs, publicity and personal documents. The latter offer insight not only into Dr. Kaderavek’s own career, but also into the broader field of composition in the U.S. from the mid-twentieth century to the present.

 

Restrictions on Use

There are no restrictions on the use of the collection other than those imposed by the provisions of the US Copyright Law (1976) and its revisions.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SERIES

Series 1: Original Instrumental Works

The series contains 22 copies of works of music—published copies in addition to final manuscripts and working drafts. The documents are arranged chronologically in order of year(s) of composition, maintaining the composer’s own arrangement.

 

Series 2: Original Vocal and Choral Works

The series contains 19 copies of works of music—published copies in addition to final manuscripts, working drafts, and reductions. The documents are arranged chronologically in order of year(s) of composition, maintaining the composer’s own arrangement.

 

Series 3: Arrangements

The series contains 6 arrangements of works of music. The arrangements differ from the other works in that they are more jazz-oriented. Especially notable is Kaderavek’s transcription for orchestra of Walter Piston’s Passacaglia for Solo Piano (1950). The works are arranged chronologically in order of year(s) of composition, maintaining the composer’s own arrangement.

 

Series 4: Photographs, Programs, Publicity and Personal Papers

The series contains personal and professional documents of the composer, comprised of photographs; programs of both première performances as well as later performances of his works; advertisement flyers for premiere performances; personal letters and telegrams; and newspaper articles and reviews. The documents are arranged chronologically.

 

Series 5: Oversized Items

While not an integral series in and of itself, this series was created for physical arrangement purposes of housing items too large to have been accommodated in the containers designated for a given series.

 

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INVENTORY

Series 1: Original Instrumental Works

Box 1

Folder 1	Sonatina: for Piano (1948). Ms. repro. Score (27 pages of music). First performed May 11, 1948.
Folder 2	Trio: for Violin, Viola and ’Cello (1949). Fair copy in pencil. Score (33 pages of music). First performed March 1, 1949.
Folder 3	Sonata: for ’Cello and Piano (1949-50). Ms. repro. Score (56 pages of music); ’cello part lacking. First performed February 25, 1950.
Folder 4	Three Poems: for Small Orchestra (1950). Ms. repro. Score (32 pages of music). First performed November 8, 1950.
Folder 5	A Set of Three: for Brass Quartet (1950). Ms. repro. Score (16 pages of music). First performed May 24, 1950.
Folder 6	String Quartet (1954-5). Ms. repro. Score (58 pages of music); accompanied by the Philadelphia Inquirer review of the first performance. The score’s title page bears the signatures of the members of the Curtis Quartet. First performed June 22, 1956.
Folder 7	Sinfonietta: for Orchestra (1957-8). Ms. repro. Score (115 pages of music); inscription by Maurice Bonney, conductor of the première. First performed January 13, 1960.
Folder 8	Introduction and Allegro: for Saxophone Quartet (1961). Concert pitch two-stave working score in pencil (19 pages of musical notation); accompanied by structural sketches (1 page). First performed May 25, 1961.
Folder 9	Introduction and Allegro: for Saxophone Quartet (1961). Ms. repro. Ozalid score (23 pages of music).
Folder 10	Introduction and Allegro: for Saxophone Quartet (1961). Bryn Mawr, Penn.: Theodore Presser, c1963. Score (12 pages of music).
** **	Music for Orchestra (1969-70): separated to Series 5, Oversized Items.
Folder 11	Rhapsody: for Cello and Strings (1976). Short-score in pencil (16 pages of music). First performed August 5, 1976.
Folder 12	Rhapsody: for Cello and Strings (1976). Ms. repro. Score (32 pages of music); accompanied by descriptive analysis (1 page).
** **	Music for a Celebration: for Orchestra (1980): separated to Series 5, Oversized Items.
Folder 13	Fantasy and Toccata: for Solo Organ (1982). Ms. repro. Score (19 pages of music); accompanied by performance notes (1 small sheet). First performed September 12, 1982.
Folder 14	Fantasia: for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet (1979). Concert pitch working score in pencil (20 pages of music). First performed February 25, 1983.
Folder 15	Fantasia: for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet (1979). U.S.A.: Dorn Publications, Inc., c1981. Score with B-flat clarinet transposition (16 pages of music); accompanied by performance notes (1 page).
** **	Symphonic Images (1988-9): separated to Series 5, Oversized Items.
** **	Prelude and Dance: for Concert Band (1990): separated to Series 5, Oversized Items.
Folder 16	Explorations: for Solo Piano (1991). Ms. repro. Score (21 pages of music); accompanied by notes (1 page). First performed June 10, 1991.
Folder 17	Saxophone Quartet No. 2 (1994-5). Concert pitch two-stave working score in pencil. (19 pages of music). First performed April 7, 1995.
Folder 18	Saxophone Quartet No. 2 (1994-5). Ms. repro. Score (27 pages of music).

 

Series 2: Original Vocal and Choral Works

Box 2

Folder 1	Winter Scene (1950) [text by Dorothy Alyea]. Ms. repro. SATB score with piano reduction (4 pages of music). No documentation of first performance is extant.
Folder 2	Three Songs: for Voice and Piano (from James Joyce’s “Chamber Music”) (1950). Strings in the Earth and Air — Oh Cool is the Valley Now — Lean Out of the Window Golden-hair. Ms. repro. Score (8 pages of music). First performed November 8, 1950.
Folder 3	Blessed Art Thou, O Lord God (Benedictus Es Domine): for Choir and Organ (1956). Chicago, Ill.: Choral Services, Inc., c1957. SATB score with organ (15 pages of music). First known performance on March 16, 1958.
Folder 4	Blessed Art Thou, O Lord God (Benedictus Es Domine): for Choir and Organ (1956). Chicago, Ill.: Choral Services, Inc., c1957. SATB score with organ (15 pages of music). First known performance on March 16, 1958.
Folder 5	Valencia: for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano (1962) [text by Antonio Machado]. Ms. repro. Score (5 pages of music). Date of first performance unknown.
Folder 6	Nightfall: for Soprano, Clarinet in B-flat and Viola (1963) [text by Juan Ramón Jiménez]. Ms. repro. Score (6 pages of music). B-flat clarinet line notated at actual pitch. Date of first performance unknown.
Folder 7	Talk Not To Me: for SATB Chorus a cappella (1966) [text by Emily Dickinson]. Cincinnati, Oh.: Westwood Press, Inc., c1967. SATB score with rehearsal reduction (6 pages of music). Date of first performance unknown.
Folder 8	Let My Prayer Come Like Incense: for TTB and Organ (1967) [official English text of the Bible: Gradual, Ps. 140: 2]. Cincinnati, Oh.: World Library Publications, Inc., c1968. Score (11 pages of music). Date of first performance unknown.
Folder 9	I Announced Your Justice: for SATB and Organ (1969) [official English text of the Bible: Gradual, Ps. 39:10-11]. Cincinnati, Oh.: World Library Publications, Inc., c1970. Score (16 pages of music). Date of first performance unknown.
Folder 10	Once A Child: Settings of 4 Poems by Emily Dickinson: for SATB a cappella (1975-6). It Troubled Me, Make Me A Picture, Snow Flakes, Over the Fence Strawberries Grow. Ms. repro. Score with rehearsal reduction (29 pages of music). First performed April 26, 1976.
Folder 11	Veni Creator Spiritus: for SATB a cappella (1977). Chicago, Ill.: G. I. A. Publications, Inc., c1979. Score with rehearsal reduction (4 pages of music). First performed October 23, 1977.
Folder 12	This Summer and Last: for SATB a cappella (1981) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Ms. repro. Score with rehearsal reduction (9 pages of music). First performed April 18, 1981.
Folder 13	Birches in Spring: for SATB a cappella (1984-5) [text by Carol Burdick, from A Face of My Own]. Ms. repro. Score with rehearsal reduction (11 pages of music). First performed in 1985.
Folder 14	The Countryside Sleeps, Trembling. . .: for SATB a cappella (1987) [text by Juan Ramón Jiménez, translation by Eloise Roach]. Ms. repro. Score with rehearsal reduction (13 pages of music). First performed March 3, 1987.
Folder 15	Of Nature, Visions and Ironies: for large Chorus and Wind Ensemble (1987) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Short-score and piano reduction in pencil (114 pages of music); with sketches and notes (2 pages). First performed March 19, 1988.
Folder 16	Of Nature, Visions and Ironies: for large Chorus and Wind Ensemble (1987) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Ms. repro. Choral/Piano score (74 pages of music); marked rehearsal copy.
** **	Of Nature, Visions and Ironies: for large Chorus and Wind Ensemble (1987) [text by Thomas Hardy]: separated to Series 5, Oversized Items.
Folder 17	Four Hardy Songs: for Mezzo-Soprano, B-flat Clarinet, Viola and ’Cello (1996-7) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Wagtail and Baby — Waiting Both — The Faithful Swallow — The Passer-By. Working score/sketches in pencil (22 pages of music). First performed April 22, 1997.
Folder 18	Four Hardy Songs: for Mezzo-Soprano, B-flat Clarinet, Viola and ’Cello (1996-7) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Wagtail and Baby — Waiting Both — The Faithful Swallow — The Passer-By. Ms. repro. Large score (24 pages of music). B-flat clarinet line notated at actual pitch.

 

Series 3: Arrangements

Box 2

Folder 19	Passacaglia: for Solo Piano, transcribed for Orchestra (1950) [Walter Piston/Kaderavek]. Ms. repro. Score (12 pages of music); accompanied by photocopy of a letter from Walter Piston to Kaderavek concerning Kaderavek’s arrangement of the original. No documentation of first performance is extant.
Folder 20	Clarinet Polka: for Mixed Clarinet Quartet (mid-1950s). Ms. repro. Score (9 pages of music). No documentation of first performance is extant.
Folder 21	April in Paris: for large Big Band (mid-1960s) [Duke/Kaderavek]. Fair copy in pencil; with corrections or clarifications in ink and red phrase markings. Score (11 pages of music). No documentation of first performance is extant.
Folder 22	Holiday for Strings: arranged for Cello Octet (late 1970s-early 80s) [Rose/Kaderavek]. Fair copy in pencil. Score (7 pages of music). No documentation of first performance is extant.
Folder 23	My Funny Valentine: arranged for Cello Octet (late 1970s-early 80s) [Rodgers and Hart/Kaderavek]. Fair copy in pencil. Score (3 pages of music).
Folder 24	You Must Believe in Spring: arranged for Big Band with Vocal (not dated) [Michel Legrand/Kaderavek]. Fair copy in pencil. Score (10 pages of music).

 

Series 4: Photographs, Programs, Publicity and Personal Documents

Box 3

Folder 1	Two photographs of MK, taken prior to a guest-conducting appearance with the Drake Symphony, 28 February 1990 (3×5 inch color).
Folder 2	Printed programs, for performances other than premieres.
Folder 3	Printed programs, for premiere performances.
Folder 4	Publicity and personal documents.
Folder 5	Radio script from Tokyo – 97th Division Band, 1945.
Folder 6	Correspondence between MK and Leo Sowerby, 1954-1965.
Folder 7	Correspondence regarding publication of MK works, 1957, 1959 & 1976.
Folder 8	Correspondence regarding performances and recording of Introduction and Allegro, 1964-1965.
Folder 9	Correspondence with Gordon Binkerd, 1974, 1975 & 1987.
Folder 10	Correspondence regarding Fantasy and Toccata for Organ, 1984-1987.
Folder 11	Correspondence, additional. 1983, 1986, 1988 and 1995.
Folder 12	Biography [i.e., Autobiography] of Milan Kaderavek. — June, 2003. 9 pages.

 

Series 5: Oversized Items

Box 4

Folder 1	Music for Orchestra (1969-70). Ms. repro. Score (77 pages of music); with pencilled bowing marks and approximate performance duration of composition. First performed December 14, 1971.
Folder 2	Music for a Celebration: for Orchestra (1980). Ms. repro. Score (86 pages of music). First performed November 9, 1980.
Folder 3	Symphonic Images: for Orchestra (1988-9). Ms. repro. Score (118 pages of music). First performed: January 27, 1990.
Folder 4	Prelude and Dance: for Concert Band (1990). Ms. repro. Score (27 pages of music). First performed January 5, 1991.
Folder 5	Of Nature, Visions and Ironies: for large Chorus and Wind Ensemble (1987) [text by Thomas Hardy]. Ms. repro. Full score (111 pages of music). First performed March 19, 1988.