Collections : [Yale University -Irving S. Gilmore Music Library]

The Betsy Jolas Papers include music, correspondence, writings, teaching materials, programs, clippings, journals, calendars, photographs, sound recordings, awards and other materials by and about the composer Betsy Jolas. The first series in the collection contains manuscript and printed scores by Jolas and by other composers (1958-2006). Some of Jolas' scores are accompanied by production notes, scenarios, and libretti, and many of the scores she collected contain annotations. The second series contains correspondence (1937-2010), both personal and institutional. Jolas corresponded with notable figures from the American and French Avant-Garde, such as Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter, Henri Dutilleux, and Darius Milhaud, all of whom are represented in this series. The third series contains teaching materials that Jolas used in her lengthy career as a university instructor. The fourth series, Writings (1963-2009), contains similar material, and also includes a "lesson in poetics" given to a young Jolas in 1940 by James Joyce. Series five (1943-2010) consists of programs for concerts, festivals, and award ceremonies, and Series six (1949-2009) contains related publicity materials and press releases. Series seven contains pocket calendars and personal journals; the latter are restricted until the death of Betsy Jolas. Series eight (1926-2006) includes both professional and personal photos of Jolas and others. Series nine is comprised of degrees earned by Jolas, and awards given to her, including the Legion d'Honneur (1996), and the Ordre National du Mérite (2001). The final series includes sound recordings and media in a variety of formats: test pressings, reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, CDs, and DVDs. The recordings include a number of performances of Jolas' compositions, as well as interviews and lectures. Note that this series is organized by format.