"The Well-Tempered Collection: Music Resources at Cornell University," an exhibition showcasing the holdings of Cornell's Music Library, will be on display at the gallery of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in the Carl A. Kroch Library, Oct. 18 through Jan. 10. Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. when classes are in session. A brochure accompanies the exhibit and provides additional background on the history of the collection as well as that of the Department of Music.
Among the materials exhibited are a 14th century gradual (a book containing the choral portions of a Mass), archival materials pertaining to 19th and 20th century composers and manuscripts of current Cornell composers. Also on view will be important sources for the study of world and popular musics as well as for opera and liturgical music, including a first edition of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem. Current publications by Department of Music faculty also will be shown.
Cornell's Music Library has a rich and varied history, one that is closely linked with the Department of Music, which it serves. Over the years, the interests of the faculty and visiting scholars, as well as graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in the department programs and the broader Cornell community, have helped to shape the collection. Despite its modest beginnings in the 1930s, the Music Library collection today ranks among the nation's finest. The exhibition provides an opportunity for the community to experience the depth and breadth of the music resources available at the university.
For more information on the exhibition, contact the Music Library at 255-7126.