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Arnold Weinstein papers, 1956-2013

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Restrictions:
In making this deposit of Works to the Bentley, it is the intention of the Arnold Weinstein Intellectual Property Trust (AWIPT) that scholars, researchers and other third parties who meet the...

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Summary

Creator:
Weinstein, Arnold.
Abstract:
Papers of Arnold Weinstein, American poet, playwright, librettist, and translator. Material in both paper and digital formats includes manuscript drafts and final versions of libretti, music scores with Weinstein's lyrics, manuscript and published literary works; research and background material related to individual works and projects, as well as programs, publicity material and reviews of shows. Also commercially produced and non-commercial audio and video recordings.
Extent:
12.3 linear feet (in 13 boxes including oversize)
1 oversize volume
18.3 GB (online)
Language:
English
Italian
German
Latin
Call Number:
2013066 Aa 2
Authors:
Finding aid created by Olga Virakhovskaya, July-August 2013; Michael Shallcross, February 2014

Background

Scope and Content:

The Papers of Arnold Weinstein collection documents the work of the American librettist, playwright and poet between the late 1950s through the 2000s.

Biographical / Historical:

Arnold Weinstein was born in New York on June 10, 1927, to English-born parents Ada and Samuel Weinstein. During the World War II, at the age of 16, Weinstein enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on a destroyer as a fireman. Instead of writing letters, he often wrote poems to his friends back at home.

After the War Weinstein studied Latin and Greek, and entered Hunter College (now Hunter College of the City University of New York) and graduated with a B.A. in 1951. As an undergraduate he also attended the University of London (1949-50). Weinstein then studied at Harvard University, earning a Rhodes scholarship and graduating with an M.A. in 1953. As a Fulbright fellow Weinstein continued his studies at University of Florence in 1958-1960. While in Florence, Weinstein met with William Bolcom, who was student of the French composer Darius Milhaud. Weinstein and Bolcom's decades-long friendship and artistic collaboration resulted in a great body of work.

In the 1950s-1960 Weinstein became affiliated with a group of poets, painters and musicians known as the New York School of Poets. Among his notable works of this period were The Red Eye of Love, a satire about an all-meat department store that had a long Off Broadway run in 1961, and an adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses (music by Tony Greco), which went to Broadway in 1971.

Weinstein started working on a play The Red Eye of Love before going to Florence in 1958. The play first saw the stage after Weinstein's return to the U.S. in 1960. In June 1961 The Red Eye of Love opened with music by William Bolcom and was well-received. The following year Weinstein's musical Fortuna, Francis Thorne composer, was opened. Weinstein returned to collaboration with Bolcom in 1963, creating Dynamite Tonite, which was produced by the Actor's Studio Theater, starring Barbara Harris and Alvin Epstein, Bolcom conducting. Dynamite Tonite was also produced by the Yale University School of Drama, and Weinstein was appointed Chair of the Yale Drama School Playwright Department in 1965-1969.

Weinstein's collaboration with Bolcom resulted in the operas McTeague (1991, premiered 1992); A View from the Bridge (with Arthur Miller, premiered 1999); A Wedding (with Robert Altman, premiered 2004). The operas have been commissioned by and premiered at the Chicago Lyric Opera. Their one-woman opera Medusa written for Catherine Malfitano was performed in 2003 at the Carnegie Hall. Weinstein and Bolcom also created four volumes of cabaret songs (Volumes I-II in 1978, and Volumes III-IV in 1997), musical theater works Greatshot (1968); Barnyard Boogaloo (1980); Casino Paradise (1986-1990); choral Maha Sonnet (1990); Miracle, madrigals for male chorus after Giovanni Pascoli (1999), The Wind in the Willows, with Paul Sills (1991-2001); Ancient Cabaret (2001); Idiot's Delight (2004); among other works.

Weinstein has worked with a number of important composers throughout his career, notably with composer Philip Glass; contemporary classical composer Francis Thorne; composer, arranger, and conductor for theater, television and film Laurence Rosenthal; the University of Michigan faculty member, composer, conductor, and pianist Bright Sheng; composer, conductor, performer and author David Amram; director and composer Tony Greco; the founder of Chicago's Second City Theater Paul Sills; painters Andy Warhol, Marisol, Larry Rivers, Howard Kanovitz; scenic designer Robin Wagner; among other performing and visual artists.

Translation was important area of Weinstein's theater work. Weinstein created a new translation of Berthold Brecht-Kurt Weill's 1931 Mahagonny for the United States premiere in 1970. He also translated works of classical poets for Ancient Cabaret and Metamorphoses; from Federico Garcia Lorca for Gypsy New York (music by Tony Greco, 1974); and others.

Weinstein taught English, creative writing, and playwriting at New York University, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Rutgers University, Yale University and Columbia University. He also served as Director of the drama workshop at Wagner College, summer writers conference, beginning in 1963.

Arnold Weinstein died in New York on September 4, 2005.

Acquisition Information:
Collection was deposited by the Arnold Weinstein Intellectual Property Trust, Lisa Hamm and Stephen Hamm, Trustees (Donor no. 10951 ) in 2013. Additional material was donated by William Bolcom (Donor no. 8877 ) in 2013.
Processing information:

In preparing digital material for long-term preservation and access, the Bentley Historical Library adheres to professional best practices and standards to ensure that content will retain its authenticity and integrity. For more information on procedures for the ingest and processing of digital materials, please see Bentley Historical Library Digital Processing Note. Access to digital material may be provided either as a direct link to an individual file or as a downloadable package of files bundled in a zip file.

Arrangement:

The collection contains paper, analog, and digital materials and is organized into four series: Personal/Biographical, Theater, Writing, and Audio-Visual Materials.

Accruals:

No further additions to the records are expected.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

In making this deposit of Works to the Bentley, it is the intention of the Arnold Weinstein Intellectual Property Trust (AWIPT) that scholars, researchers and other third parties who meet the requirements of access set forth by the Bentley and other conditions in this Agreement shall have full access to the Works. However, the Bentley and/or users of the Works at the Bentley shall be subject to the following additional specific restrictions or other conditions:

The Works and underlying copyrights belong to the AWIPT and/or other third parties.

Uses of the deposited Works hereunder shall be for scholarship and research. The Bentley is not authorized to use or permit any commercial usage of the Works. All commercial usage of the Works shall be handled exclusively by the AWIPT. The Bentley will not use or authorize use of the Works for any commercial purposes, including but not limited to sale or license of Works, fee-for-service use of the Works, bulk reproduction or distribution of the Works or other services involving special charges to authorized users of the Works beyond reasonable administrative costs.

The Works are protected by copyright and permissions to use the Works must be obtained from the copyright owner for any uses of the Works other than for educational or research purposes. Users of the Works may not (i) remove, obscure or modify any copyright notices or other notices included in the Works, or (ii) use, or authorize the use of, Works in any manner that would infringe the copyright thereon.

All requests for permission to utilize the Works (utilize in any manner other than scholarship and/or research uses) shall be forwarded to and managed exclusively by the Trustees or the designers of the AWIPT or to any third party copyright holder of a Work(s). In the case of a request related to a Work with a copyright owned by a third, party, the Trustees will forward such request to the copyright owner of that Work.

Any use of Works for scholarship and/or research purposes must include standard academic attribution as follows: Arnold Weinstein Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.

Born digital and digitized material stored on University of Michigan servers is accessible for use only in the Bentley Library reading room.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyrights have not been transferred to the Regents of the University of Michigan. Copyright is held by the Arnold Weinstein Intellectual Property Trust or other third parties. The Works are protected by copyright and permissions to use the Works must be obtained from the copyright owner for any uses of the Works other than for educational or research purposes. Users of the Works may not (i) remove, obscure or modify any copyright notices or other notices included in the Works, or (ii) use, or authorize the use of, Works in any manner that would infringe the copyright thereon.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[item], folder, box, Arnold Weinstein papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan

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Collection

Arnold Weinstein papers, 1956-2013
Call Number 2013066 Aa 2
Total components 564
Items available online Online 74
Last indexed 2024-01-11