Libraries Collection on Perfect Pitch with Musicians

Life Magazine once called Thomas Schippers one of the 100 most important men in the United States. Now University of Cincinnati Libraries owns Schippers' papers and other materials reflecting the life's work of this brilliant conductor who dazzled the world with his talent, yet suffered great tragedy in his personal life and left the world in mourning.

Schippers was conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) from 1970 until his death in 1977. Internationally, he was hailed as one of the memorable conductors of our time. The University Libraries Thomas Schippers papers include musical performance scores with specific performance cuts marked by Schippers. In addition, there are scores with handwritten personal notes to Schippers from some of the great contemporary composers of our day. The collection holds recordings, professional journals, programs of performances and Schippers' personal papers.

Although the Libraries have been storing these materials since shortly after Schippers' death in 1977, the collection was first under ownership of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which received more than $500,000 from Schippers' estate. University Libraries acquired the collection after reaching an agreement with the symphony during the spring. Gerald L. Newman, assistant dean for collection development, University Libraries, says the agreement paves the way for the collection to be sorted and catalogued for future reference and research.

"Here's a big handwritten score, (Tchaikovsky's) The Queen of Spades," says Newman, as he looks through the collection. "The Queen of Spades has his cuts from the Metropolitan Opera."

"This score has an inscription from Ned Rorem, a major big name in contemporary music. It reads, 'To Tommy Schippers in admiring friendship.'" Schippers commissioned Ned Rorem's Air Music, which eventually won a Pulitzer Prize. Rorem also wrote Double Concerto in memory of Schippers.

"Look at this, The Siege of Corinth (Rossini), with the exact cuts right inside, including the recording schedule," continues Newman. "He conducted this with Beverly Sills at her premiere at the Metropolitan. It was a very big event, because she had performed all over the world, but had not performed across the plaza at the Met. This was her first performance (at the Met) and Schippers conducted it. Earlier, Schippers had been chosen to open the Metropolitan Opera's new house in Lincoln Center with the premiere of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra with Leontyne Price, a new American work led by a major American conductor"

Schippers reportedly began studying piano at the age of four. At age 21, he was the youngest conductor to appear at the New York City Opera, and he became the second youngest conductor at age 25 to debut at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1958, he conducted the first open air concerts at the famed Spoletto festival in Italy. Newman says the University Libraries' collection reflects Schippers' friendship with festival founder and famed composer Gian Carlo-Menotti. Schippers conducted Menotti's The Consul at its 1950 New York premier. It was Schippers' debut as a professional conductor on Broadway.

Schippers' spectacular talent, his sense of style and his youthful, handsome looks were the subject of music lovers and writers around the world, but this private man also suffered personal loss, beginning with the death of his wife of eight years, Elaine Lane Phipps ("Nonie") Schippers to cancer in 1973. She was 34 years old. Thomas Schippers died of lung cancer just four years later in December 1977 at the age of 47.

"He had impeccable musicianship and a demeanor and elegance that reminded you of JFK," says Earl Rivers, head of the Division of Ensembles and Conducting for the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Rivers was a new CCM doctoral student in 1970 when he first met Schippers while performing with Schippers in the Verdi Requiem that opened the CSO's 1970-71 concert series. "He had a combination of fine technique, musicianship and understanding of style. His approach to Rossini and the music of French composers was outstanding. Also, he was American, and at that time in 1970, an American holding a major orchestra position was a real rarity. So, the orchestra took a risk and stretched themselves." The CSO was the first permanent conducting position Schippers held in the United States and the orchestra enjoyed a packed house under his direction.

Schippers was appointed Distinguished Professor of Music and was a member of the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) faculty from 1972-1977. In addition to willing his estate to the symphony, he contributed his honorarium from the university to a pension fund for the symphony, at one time saying that because he made his money from music, it should go back to music. Now, musicians who were not even born at the time of his fame will be able to explore Schippers' notes and markings in his collections, his interpretations of music that brought him worldwide admiration.