{"id":764,"date":"2009-07-28T12:07:43","date_gmt":"2009-07-28T17:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/specialcollections.wordpress.com\/?p=764"},"modified":"2011-12-02T16:41:01","modified_gmt":"2011-12-02T21:41:01","slug":"newly-recovered-music-and-voice-recordings-from-the-1950s-arts-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=764","title":{"rendered":"Newly Recovered Music and Voice Recordings from the 1950s Arts Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 1950s the United States and Russia not only competed in terms of military might, they also vied against each other for world influence. Though America may have been on the leading edge of manufacturing, technology, and popular culture; the Soviet Union and its satellite countries in eastern Europe were the generally accepted leaders in high culture and art.<\/p>\n

\"Robert

Robert Breen, opening night of Porgy and Bess, 1952. From the Robert S. Breen Papers.<\/p><\/div>\n

Enter Robert Breen. Breen was a World War II vet, theater actor, and producer who had participated in the New Deal’s Federal Theatre Project in the 1930s. After the war Breen started up the American National Theater and Academy (ANTA). ANTA, chartered in 1935 but dormant during the Depression, was an organized, non-commercial but self-supporting national theatre program. It’s intent was “to bring to the people throughout the country the great drama of the past and the best of the present.”<\/p>\n

By 1949, ANTA and its Secretary Breen, had begun a series of cultural exchange tours, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, that would span the next decade. Beginning with a European tour of Hamlet<\/em>, which culminated in a performance at Elsinore Castle in Denmark, the actual setting of the play, ANTA produced such projects as the American National Ballet Theatre’s tour of Europe, and American participation in the Berlin Arts Festival in 1951. Productions showing different sides of life in America were played to European audiences. Among the many were the musicals Oklahoma<\/em> and George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Original

Original tape box from a recording of a Porgy and Bess performance, 1955. From the Robert S. Breen Papers. Photo by the author.<\/p><\/div>\n

Later in the decade ANTA would produce the extremely short-lived Blues Opera<\/em>, with music by Harold Arlen, the composer of the soundtrack to The Wizard of Oz and other recognizable standards, such as [That Old] Black Magic<\/em>, Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive<\/em>, It’s Only A Paper Moon<\/em>, Stormy Weather<\/em>, I’ve Got the World on A String<\/em>, Get Happy<\/em>, and about 400 others.<\/span>Recently, SC&A had the content from sixty-eight 1950s vintage open reel tapes in the Robert Breen<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Original<\/a>

Original tape reel from Porgy and Bess performance, 1956. From the Robert S. Breen Papers. Photo by the author.<\/p><\/div>\n

Papers<\/a> converted\u00a0 into digital format (96 KHz sampling rate and 24 bits\/channel) as a preservation and access measure. The content of the tapes includes both performances and rehearsal sessions of Porgy and Bess<\/em> and Blues Opera<\/em>, as well as other interesting material recorded by Breen, such as an informal personal performance by Arlen in his home and a 1954 appearance by Arlen on The Ed Sullivan Show<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 More will be written here on what we’ve discovered on the recordings as we listen to them closer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the 1950s the United States and Russia not only competed in terms of military might, they also vied against each other for world influence. Though America may have been on the leading edge of manufacturing, technology, and popular culture; the Soviet Union and its satellite countries in eastern Europe were the generally accepted leaders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[84,85,87,88,89],"class_list":["post-764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-scrc-interest","tag-blues-opera","tag-ed-sullivan-show","tag-harold-arlen","tag-porgy-and-bess","tag-robert-breen"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-ck","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7487,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7487","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":0},"title":"Jewish American Heritage Month – George and Ira Gershwin","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"May 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that the month of May in the United States would officially be known as Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) - a month to celebrate the significant and varied contributions of Jewish Americans to American culture. The proclamation of JAHM was the long-awaited success\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "SCRC interest"","block_context":{"text":"SCRC interest","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/porgyandbess3.jpg?fit=781%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/porgyandbess3.jpg?fit=781%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/porgyandbess3.jpg?fit=781%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/porgyandbess3.jpg?fit=781%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7061,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7061","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":1},"title":"Reprocessing the Robert Breen Papers – Part I","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"November 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello all! Amanda here again on Vault 217. Today I will be writing about something that I feel is not often discussed in the archival world - reprocessing! If you\u2019ve read any of my previous blog entries (such as the C-SPAN chronicles, where I discussed archival processing at length) you\u2019ll\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GMU Fairfax Campus"","block_context":{"text":"GMU Fairfax Campus","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=272"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/breen_002.jpg?fit=835%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/breen_002.jpg?fit=835%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/breen_002.jpg?fit=835%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/breen_002.jpg?fit=835%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7711,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7711","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":2},"title":"Reprocessing the Robert Breen Papers – Part III","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"July 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello again! Amanda here to chat with you about reprocessing the Robert Breen papers, which is nearing completion! Over the past few months, I have had my hands on most of the Robert Breen papers and seen many records that I found interesting and exciting. As an archivist, one of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/breenblog001-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C899&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/breenblog001-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C899&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/breenblog001-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C899&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/breenblog001-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C899&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/breenblog001-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C899&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7084,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7084","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":3},"title":"Reprocessing the Robert Breen Papers – Part II","author":"Amanda Menjivar","date":"December 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello all! Amanda here again to chat with you about the Robert Breen papers. As reprocessing continues, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite records from this collection (my most favorites being the Gloria Swanson and Joan Crawford letters, which you can see here.) Because the majority\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digitization"","block_context":{"text":"Digitization","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=558"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/breen_001.jpg?fit=891%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/breen_001.jpg?fit=891%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/breen_001.jpg?fit=891%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/breen_001.jpg?fit=891%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11172,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11172","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":4},"title":"New Exhibit: “The Change We Want To See”: Artists and Social Transformation","author":"Stephanie Grimm","date":"September 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"The Change We Want to See\": Artists and Social Transformation Selections from Mason's Special Collections Research Center On view September 5\u2013December 20, 2024 Art is more than a reflection of society: it takes an active role in shaping ideas and beliefs, often with reverberations beyond the artists\u2019 intentions. \u201cThe Change\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"A collage of posters, photographs, and art objects showing theater scenes, protest signs, and artists' books.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/poster-web.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/poster-web.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/poster-web.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/poster-web.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2503,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=2503","url_meta":{"origin":764,"position":5},"title":"Notes from a Photograph Collection","author":"admin","date":"July 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Although the Oliver F. Atkins Photograph Collection contains tens of thousands of prints, negatives, and slides, there is also a small amount of papers that consist of handwritten notes, correspondence, and caption guidance forms.\u00a0 These documents assist with identification, such as the Ku Klux Klan photographs from December 1965 for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Klavern.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=764"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3104,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions\/3104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}