Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Polah, Andre, 1892-1949. |
| Title: | Andre Polah Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1915-1949 |
| Quantity: | 3 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Papers of the American conductor, violinist. Born in The Hague, Holland. Correspondence (1918-1949); musical programs (1918-1949); clippings about Polah, some relating to his tenure as concertmaster and conductor of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra; and sheet music. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Andre Polah (1892-1949) was a Dutch musician. Born in Holland, he began studying music at age six, at The Hague in his home country. Later he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music, then at Liege University and finally the Paris Conservatoire. At sixteen he began playing violin in concert. In 1917, at the end of World War I, Polah was released from a German prison camp and came with his Belgian teacher, Eugene Ysaye, to the United States. That year he began touring with John McCormack and later conducted and played in concert with symphony orchestras worldwide. He eventually secured a position as head of the violin department at Syracuse University in the late 1920s, conducting their orchestra as well. In 1935 he was invited to be concertmaster of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for four years. His music was well received throughout his career.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Andre Polah Papers consists of correspondence, music, and news clippings.
Correspondence contains letters from Arthur Hartmann (Hungarian-born American violinist, composer and friend of Claude Debussy) and Rose O'Neill (illustrator, sculptor, designer, artist, writer), as well as a few miscellaneous items. Music includes both sheet music and material related to musical performances, such as programs and a sketch of a set for Gluck's Orpheus. News clippings contains clippings about Polah, spanning more than thirty years.
Arrangement of the Collection
Correspondence is alphabetical by name. Music-related material is alphabetical by type. News clippings are arranged chronologically.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Subject Headings
Persons
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Andre Polah Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Finding Aid Information
Created by: DMW
Date: Oct 1979
Revision history: 28 Mar 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC);
16 Nov 2017 - rehoused, additions (MS)
Inventory
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Hartmann, Arthur 1931-1939, 1949 - includes undated photograph of Hartmann | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | O'Neill, Rose 1925, 1930-1940 - includes undated photograph of Hartmann | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Music | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Blueprint, Gluck's Orpheus, Crouse College, Syracuse University 1929 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Programs, Andre Polah 1918-1949 (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Sketch, Gluck's Orpheus, Provincetown Playhouse 1926 | ||||||||||
| Sheet music by Polah | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Ballet of the Flowers by Henry Hadley, transcriptions for violin and piano by Andre Polah | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Chaconne from the Fourth Sonate of Joh. Seb. Bach, Transcription for Orchestra (and Chorus lib.) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Chorale-Prelude ("I Call to Thee, Oh Lord") / Bach-Polah | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Reverie | ||||||||||
| Sheet music by others | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Shawnee Indian Hunting Dance, by Charles Sanford Skilton | ||||||||||
| News clippings | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Clippings 1915-1941 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Clippings 1941-1949 | ||||||||||