Cecil Burleigh Collection

Biography

Burleigh was born in 1885 in Wyoming, NY. He attended the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin from 1903–1905, where he studied violin with Anton Witek and composition with Hugo Leichtentritt. Returning to the U.S., he attended the Chicago Music College studying composition with Felix Borowski. He enjoyed a brief career as a concert violinist from 1907–1909 then taught at a series of colleges before going to New York in 1919 to study violin with Leopold Auer and composition with Ernst Bloch. From 1921–1955 he taught violin, theory and composition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He died in Madison in 1980.

Description of the collection

The collection was donated circa 1976. It is unclear whether all the items came directly from Burleigh and his wife or if some were later added to the collection by library staff.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of twelve bound volumes of published compositions and numerous individual titles, some containing revisions.

One miscellaneous folder containing Burleigh’s arrangement for violin and piano of Schubert’s Serenade; biographical information in typescript; 2 letters; newspaper article; program booklet of the Burleigh Festival 1954–55; an article about Burleigh in the December 1942 Demcourier; Composers’ Music Corp. catalog.

Recordings: Two cassettes and two 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes of Triology of Symphonies; two cassettes and one 7-inch reel-to-reel tape of Nature Impressions and From the Muses; one 10-inch reel-to-reel tape from WHA Radio, entitled Honoring Cecil Burleigh; one 12-inch glass disc 78 rpm recording marked on the jacket as “Cecil Burleigh [Songs]” (PM308, track 1)

List of published compositions in the collection

A ballad of early New England, for piano, op. 58. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1924. The wilderness; Hymn; Into forest depths; War cry; The conqueror. 74602-16

Boyhood recollections, for violin and piano, op. 28. New York: Composers’ Music Corp., 1925. Hushed woods; Pirating; Sweet romance; In haunted shadows; Jim. 895-899

Coasting, two pianos, four hands op. 9. Philadelphia: Theodore Presser Co., 1936. 26349-6 2

Coasting, for piano, op. 9. Philadelphia: Theodore Presser, 1917. 14701-4

Concerto, for violin and piano, op. 25. Chicago: Clayton F. Summy, 1915. 1633-26

Dancing at twilight, for piano, op. 51. New York: G. Schirmer, 1927. 33400

Elfin lore, for piano, op. 57. New York: G. Schirmer, 1923. In dewy Dells; Elves; On crystal wave; Moonlight revelry. 31957

Fairyland, song-cycle for voice and piano, op. 52. New York: Composers’ Music Corp., 1922. Water-lilies; Song of the water sprite; Elf of the woodlands; The fairy nurse; Robin Good-Fellow

Five characteristic pieces, for violin and piano, op. 24. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1911. An old sweet melody; Through the snow; From the hearth; Hallowe’en; By moonlight. 5-78-68668-4

Five Indian sketches, for violin and piano, op. 40. New York: G. Schirmer, 1913. Legend; Over laughing waters; To the warriors; From a wigwam; Sun dance. 24372-24376

Five sketches, for violin and piano, op. 14. New York: G. Schirmer, 1918. At twilight; On the schoolgrounds; An Indian village; The meadow; Mazurka. 28328-32

Four concert pieces, for violin and piano, op. 38. New York: G. Schirmer, 1920. By the wayside; Fairies dancing; Tints; Spray. 29553-29556

Four concert studies, for violin and piano, op. 19. New York: Composers’ Music Corp., 1921. Prelude and Etude; Novelette; Valse brillante; Impromptu. C.M.C. 304

Four prairie sketches, for violin and piano, op. 13. New York: G. Schirmer, 1916. To the prairie; Gophers; To a cactus-flower; Rough riding. 25042-45.

Four Rocky Mountain sketches, for violin and piano, op. 11. New York: G. Schirmer, 1914. At sunset; The rapids; Up the canon; The avalanche. 24367-70

Four small concert pieces, for violin and piano, op. 21. New York: G. Schirmer, 1914. Valse burlesque; Summer idyl; Ghost dance; Moto perpetuo. 25023-25025

In playland, for violin and piano, op. 69. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1929. Trot! Trot!; Flower maidens; About frogs; Chic-a-dee; Little shepherdess. 75632-10&5

Indian snake-dance, for violin and piano, op. 6, no. 4. Boston: B. F. Wood, 1910. B.F.W.3703-6

Lament of a rose, for violin and piano, op. 6, no. 3. Boston: B. F. Wood, 1910. B.F.W.3702-4

Lilt, for piano, op. 9, no. 2. n.p.: Theodore Presser, 1923. [Page from the Etude magazine, October 1923: “Prize composition Etude Contest.”]

Nature studies, for violin and piano, op. 23. New York: Carl Fischer, 1915. Fragrance; Clouds; Maying; Fairyland; Hour of nine; Heave ho. 18998-19003

Nature’s voices, for violin and piano, op. 44. New York: Composers’ Music Corp., 1922. Winding stream; Giant hills; O’er the meadow; The reapers. 13-310-1

North wind, concert etude for violin and piano, op. 39. New York: G. Schirmer, 1913. 24371

Plantation sketches, for violin and piano, op. 36. New York: Carl Fischer, 1916. In cotton fields; Pickaninnies; A log cabin; Uncle Rastus; Mammy’s lullaby; Minstrel. 19525-19530

Reflections, for piano, op. 37. New York: Composers’ Music Corp., 1922. Through my window; Whisperings; Twilight musings; Nature is singing; Among flowers. 14-587-1

Reminiscences, two sketches for piano, op. 35. New York: G. Schirmer, 1923. Sunlight through leaves; Merriment. 31374-31375

Scherzando fantastique, for violin and piano, op. 12. New York: Carl Fischer, 1914. 17856-9

Second violin concerto, for violin and piano, op. 43. New York: Carl Fischer, 1919. 21300-30

Seven songs, for voice and piano, op. 33. New York: Carl Fischer, 1918. The corn song; Daisey’s song; O mountains of the North; Rain in summer; Song of the brook; A summer’s night; What does little birdie say. (Texts by Whittier, Keats, Longfellow, Tennyson and Drake). 21170-5

Six fancies, for violin and piano, op. 31. Boston: Boston Music Co., 1917. Early morning; Fairy sailing; Dew; Coloring; Woodbine; Yule-tide. 5401-5407

Six pictures, for violin and piano, op. 30. New York: Carl Fischer, 1914. Distance; Rocks; Ripples; Hills; A mirage; Murmurings. 17857-17861. (Collection lacks no. 6)

Six winter evening tales, for violin and piano, op. 16. New York: G. Schirmer, 1914. Eventide; Old Bruin; The village dance; A ghost story; In field and wood; What the swallows told. 25026-25031.

Snow-bound, a winter idle for violin and piano, op. 15. New York: G. Schirmer, 1915. 25041C

Sonata, from The life of St. Paul, for violin and piano, op. 29. New York: Carl Fischer, 1926. 23776-35

Sonata, ascension, for violin and piano, op. 22. New York: G. Schirmer, 1914. 25040

Songs, for voice and piano, op. 49, no.1-3. Philadelphia: John Church Co., 1920. Sunrise; To a cloud; The birch tree. 30700-3

Songs, for voice and piano, op. 47. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1920. Awake, it is the day; Break, break, break; A sail on the clouds. 73142; 73382; 73141

Songs, for voice and piano, op. 32. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1917. Philomel; The sea hath its pearls; Ye voices, that arose; I heard the trailing garments of the night; The lighthouse

Songs of nature, for voice and piano, op. 50. New York: Carl Fischer, 1921. Whither away, Robin?; Mist; The snow-bird

Sonnets of autumn, seven sketches for piano, op. 27. Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1916. Stern November; Quiet woodland; Fluttering leaves; Indian Summer; Golden-rod; Birds of passage; Pensive thoughts. 5-128-71048

Spanish dance, for piano. Chicago: Clayton F. Summy, 1934. C.F.S.Co2934

Spanish dance, for violin and piano. Chicago: Clayton F. Summy, 1909. C.F.S.Co1158

Third violin concerto, for violin and piano, op. 60. New York: Carl Fischer, 1928. 24624-44

Three concert pieces, for piano, op. 26. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1919. A ballad; Winged winds; Snowbirds. 72997-72999

Three mood pictures, for piano, op. 56. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1926. Pondering; Drifting; Tempest-tossed. 74604-8

Tone poems, for violin and piano, op. 17. New York: G. Schirmer, 1914. A deserted house; The meadow lark; “Jim” Scarecrow; The bees; April. 25032-36

Twelve short poems, for violin and piano, op. 18. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1914. Fernside Farm; The bare-foot boy; Sweet fern; At the brookside; At sundown; By the fireside; The oak; Mid-summer; Autumn; The huskers; In harvest fields; The fishermen. 5-105-69972

Two childhood fancies, for piano, op. 10. New York: G. Schirmer, 1919. Cottontails; In clover fields. 28676 -77

Two sketches from the Orient, for piano, op. 55. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1926. 74603-5

Two sketches from the Orient, for band, op. 55. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1928. 76121-15

Two songs, for voice and piano, op. 46. Cincinnati: John Church, 1919. The hag; The cowboy. 18102-5

Two songs after Lowell, for voice and piano, op. 45. New York: G. Schirmer, 1920. To the past; To the future. 29317. [One copy of “To the Past” contains composer’s revisions.]

Waltz fantasie, for violin and piano. Bloomington, IL.: L. E. Hersey, 1909

Westward, for voice and piano, op. 62. New York: G. Schirmer, 1928

Wing foo, for piano duet, op. 1, no. 1. Philadelphia: Theodore Presser Co., 1937. 26536-4

Wings, for voice and piano, op. 54, no. 1. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co., 1927. 75554-3