Patrice Munsel:
A Preliminary Inventory of Her Collection at the Harry Ransom Center
| Creator: | Munsel, Patrice, 1925-2016 | |
| Title: | Patrice Munsel Collection | |
| Dates: | circa 1940-1969 | |
| Extent: | 81 boxes, 5 record storage cartons, 1 oversize box (43.07 linear feet) | |
| Abstract: | This collection consists primarily of musical works (orchestral parts, vocal scores, piano/conductor scores) used by Munsel for her performances in opera, concert, musical comedy, and television productions. The scores range from grand opera arias to popular ballads of musical comedy. The orchestral arrangements for the most part are the workof the award-winning composer, conductor, and orchestrator Irwin Kostal. Also present are music, scripts, and other materials related to her television show, The Patrice Munsel Show, 1957-1958. | |
| Call Number: | Performing Arts Collection PA-00141 | |
| Language: | English |
| Access: | Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials. Part or all of this collection is housed off-site and may require up to three business days’ notice for access in the Ransom Center’s Reading and Viewing Room. Please contact the Center before requesting this material: reference@hrc.utexas.edu | |
| Use Policies: | Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility. | |
| Restrictions on Use: | Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Center's Open Access and Use Policies. |
Administrative Information
| Preferred Citation | Patrice Munsel Collection (Performing Arts Collection PA-00141). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. | |
| Acquisition: | Gift, 1986 (G2980) | |
| Processed by: | Valerie Burns, 2002; Kevin O’Sullivan, 2010 |
| Repository: |
Biographical Sketch
| American soprano Patrice Munsel (born Spokane, Washington, 14 May 1925), studied in New York and made her debut as Philine in Mignon at the Metropolitan in 1943. The youngest singer ever to be engaged by the company, she appeared in the principal roles of the coloratura repertory -- Lucia, Rosina, Gilda, Olympia and the Queen of Shemakha (The Golden Cockerel). Rudolf Bing presented her in soubrette roles including Zerlina, Despina, Strauss's Adele and, particularly, Offenbach's Perichole, in which she was extremely popular. Following her many successful concerts and recordings, her European tour, and her own radio show, she hosted a weekly musical variety series, The Patrice Munsel Show, for one season on ABC Television, 1957-1958. In 1953 she starred in Melba, a British film biography of the Australian singer. By 1960 she had virtually retired from opera. | ||
Scope and Contents
| This collection consists primarily of musical works (orchestral parts, vocal scores, piano/conductor scores) used by Munsel for her performances in opera, concert, musical comedy, and television productions. The scores range from grand opera arias to popular ballads of musical comedy. The orchestral arrangements for the most part are the workof the award-winning composer, conductor, and orchestrator Irwin Kostal. Also present are music, scripts, and other materials related to her television show, The Patrice Munsel Show, 1957-1958. | ||
| A more detailed description of the music (whether vocal, piano-conductor, or full score, parts present, number of pages) is available in the repository for items with “PM” or “M” numbers in the box list for the collection. | ||
Related Material
| For additional materials related to Patrice Munsel at the Harry Ransom Center, see the Music Manuscripts Collection, and the Sheet Music Collection. | ||