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Addition from Sarah Robb 2016, 1915-2001

 Series

Scope and Content

From the Collection: The multi-faceted Robb Collection is arranged in six series: Personal and Professional Papers; Folk Music; Compositions of John Donald Robb; Oversize; Sarah Robb Addition, Robb Diaries, and Ellen Robb Addition.

The Personal and Professional Papers relate to Robb's work as an educator, author, lecturer, and composer. The series includes the following subseries: Biographical Materials; UNM Teaching Materials; Writings; Lectures; Composition Materials; Miscellaneous Concerts and Compositions; Programs of Robb Compositions; Correspondence; Transcriptions of Robb Reminiscences; Oversize Works/Recordings Indexes; Miscellaneous Music Scores (Other than Robb). Correspondence related to Robb's work as a composer is interfiled with general and musical correspondence.

The Folk Music series relates to Robb's work as a collector of folk music. Subseries include General Research; Collected Notebooks; Oversize Folk Music Materials; Project Materials; UNM Teaching Materials; Lectures; Folk Music Archive; Hispanic Folk Music of New Mexico and the Southwest; Robb Folk Music Collection; Indexes, Ephemera; Vicente Mendoza; Miscellaneous Folk Music Materials.

The third series, Compositions of John Donald Robb, includes music manuscripts and recordings on compact disk. The manuscripts are original compositions dating from 1917-1989. The series includes the following subseries: Piano/Organ Solos, Unaccompanied Solos, Piano Duets, Solo Instrument with Accompaniment, Instrumental Duos, Instrumental Trios, Instrumental Quartets, Instrumental Quintets, Chamber Music with at Least Six Instruments, Orchestral Works, Concertos, Chamber Orchestra Works, Marching Band Music, Operas, Chorus and Accompaniment, Vocal Solo and Piano, Trios with Voice, Requiem, Musical Plays/Comedies, Chamber Ensembles with Electronic Instruments, Electronic Music, Computer Music, and Unfinished Music Projects.

Each piece is identified by one of four numbers: an opus number (Op.), a works without opus number (WWO), no opus number (NON), or a posthumous number (PTH). There are three PTH numbers and there is no sheet music for these pieces, but they are recorded onto CD 64. Each piece is catalogued by genre and then by number. Information on each piece includes instrumentation, dates, notes, and type of copy (onion skins, printed part, pencil sketch). For the pieces that had many versions and copies, the performance copy is marked.

Compact disk recordings of Robb's compositions are at the end of this series. An index to Robb's compositions and recordings by opus number follows the contents list, as does an alphabetical listing of performers/conductors with the corresponding cd's on which they appear. 17 CDs were added to the collection in June 2011 (CDs 66-81). They were reformatted from LPs produced by the Opus One Record Company (CDs 66-77) and Folkway Records (CDs 78-81) on which labels Robb and other contemporary composers had a number of recordings made between the 1960s and 1980s.

Robb collected a series of field recordings, 1944-1979. They contain over 2500 songs representing a variety of traditional Southwestern and South American music. The recordings, song text and melodies are scanned on the New Mexico Digital Collection.

Material is in English and Spanish.

Addition to collection made by Sarah Celeste Robb in August 2016. These are items that John Donald Robb, Sr. gave as family keepsakes to his son JDR, Jr. and that were later passed down to his grandson Bradford Robb. They were found in the home by Bradford’s daughter Sarah, who donated them to the CSWR.

Addition to collection of personal diaries of John Donald Robb made in April 2017, transferred from the Robb Trust Collection. They cover the years from 1911 to 1958, with a few years missing. The early years have more detail and the later ones much less. John Donald Robb said in the diaries that for some years he did not have time to keep a diary or to write much, and he had lost a couple of them. The early diaries contain some copies of letters and studies he had written. Among other topics are life at home, his parents and siblings, college days, travels, military training and service in France during World War I, including training in Douglas, Arizona, and comments on Pancho Villa. Others show his experiences and views of working in business and law in New York City, with comments on banking, Wall Street, capitalism, imbalance of wealth, commerce, need for fairness in America, the needs of farmers, workers, union rights of workers, Washington, D.C. and state politics, the progressive movement, the League of Nations, world peace efforts, Russia, Europe, Asia, China, international affairs, the depression and World War II. He also writes about his idealism, faith, religion, meaning of life, philosophy, self struggles, dreams, meaning of life and his personal goals to become an effective political leader to help the problems of the world. Included are some of his poems, sketches of buildings he saw, preliminary music scores, and comments on musical studies, love of music and culture, and need for education. Includes some business cards of associates, golf score cards, concert programs, receipts and expense lists. He also writes about personal feelings on marriage, family, children, career, the importance of his visits to Shelter Island, sailing, sports teams he played on, travels abroad, comments on people he had known, and some references to the University of New Mexico, teaching and folklore research.

Ellen Robb made an addition to the collection in March 2018. Among the items are thirty of John Donald Robb’s personal planning calendars, an address book, four sets of sheet music, a 1973 Albuquerque Choral concert program, his 1962 reports on teaching in San Salvador, and a book printed in London in 1852.

Dates

  • 1915-2001

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 157 boxes + 2 oversize folders

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451