The Julius Schloss Collection consists of Julius Schloss’s complete portfolio of published and unpublished compositions, sketches, studies and analyses. In addition, it contains documentary artefacts, including correspondence, newspaper, magazine and journal clippings, concert and competition programs, media reviews, and photographs, that chronicle both the early life of this German-Jewish composer in Europe and his later days in exile in Shanghai and the United States.
The content of the collection pertains to several lines of historical research: First, Schloss’s close relationship with Alban Berg as a personal assistant and chief copy editor, as well as his interaction with other contemporaries in Vienna during the 1920s, may offer new insight in studies of the Second Viennese School. The items of Bergiana, including a handwritten Baudelaire poem by Berg which served as a “secret program” to the Lyric Suite and a selection of correspondence surrounding Berg’s last wishes for the Lyric Suite score, are particularly valuable. Second, Schloss’s ten-year exile in Shanghai, documented in assorted correspondence, programs, reviews and miscellaneous artefacts, may provide a new account of the Shanghai generation. Finally, the continuation of Schloss’s life in the United States as a struggling composer and teacher bears witness to the difficult conditions for the American émigré population after World War II.

The fonds includes a letter from Lex [i.e. Alexander Silbiger] to [Professor] Donald [Mackay] of the McGill Faculty of Music [now, Schulich School of Music], and a typed curriculum vitae [undated, but probably from 1974] detailing personal data, degrees and diplomas, performing experience, recordings, teaching experience, and compositional output. Also included is a printed concert program for a performance given by the Department of Music, Brandeis University in Slosberg Recital Hall on Sunday, April 27, 1975. In addition, the fonds comprises copies of scores of Gian Lyman’s compositions, including [Sonata for Organ?], Three Bagatelles for Piano (first performance, Montreal, 1959), Pieces for Oboe and Viola (first performance, Montreal, 1959), String quartet (first performance, Montreal, 1960), Essay for three Viols (first performance, Hartford, 1966), Trio for Violin, Viola, and Piano, Quaternions (flute, violin, viola da gamba, and harpsichord), and miscellaneous pieces for choir and organ.

The Donald Mackey Collection consists of the Donald Mackey and Renaissance Singers of Montreal complete portfolio of CBC broadcast programmes and scripts. In addition, the fond contains documentary artifacts including correspondence, concert programmes, photographs, audio recordings and special projects that chronicle Mackey’s career as conductor of the Renaissance Singers of Montreal and his life in Montreal. This includes information about his professorship at the faculty of music of McGill University, his active involvement in Montreal’s vibrant church music scene as organist and conductor, his appointment as University Organist Emeritus, etc.

The Charles Reiner Collection consists of correspondence, newspaper reviews and clippings, performance programmes, personal documents including legal material, photographs, writings, published and unpublished music by Reiner and other composers, audio and visual recordings of Reiner and other performers, books, and awards. Of particular interest is correspondence from Rudolf Serkin, Alfred Cortot, and Kurt Waldheim; legal documents from both before and after Reiner’s immigration to Canada; and the extensive collection of programmes and newspaper clippings that document Reiner’s extensive performance career.

The collections including here were orginally donated to the Phonothèque québécoise by Michel Décarie, Maryvonne Kendergian (Kendergi), Réal La Rochelle, Robert Daudelin, Raymond Gervais, Nicole Guilleret and Philippe Trolliet.

A history of the collections and information about the donors can be viewed here: https://web.archive.org/web/20191203205045/http://www.phonotheque.org/Inventaires/CollectionsPhono-Inv.html