© The contents of this finding aid are the copyright of the University of Chicago Library
© 2008 University of Chicago Library
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Meyer, Leonard B. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Leonard B. Meyer was a prolific composer, author, and philosopher. Meyer studied at Columbia University, graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Music in 1948. He continued at the University of Chicago, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in the History of Culture in 1954, and served as a professor from 1946 until 1975. A composer, he studied under Stefan Wolpe, Otto Luening, and Aaron Copland. In 1975 was appointed professor of music and the humanities at the University of Pennsylvania and became professor emeritus at Pennsylvania in 1988.
His published works include Emotion and Meaning in Music (1957), which paved the way for cognitive psychological research into music and was influential for theorists in music as well as other fields. Other major written works include The Rhythmic Structure of Music (with Grosvenor Cooper, 1960), "Some Remarks on Value and Greatness in Music" (1959), Music, the Arts, and Ideas (1967), and Explaining Music (1973).
The Leonard B. Meyer collection contains correspondence between Meyer and his colleagues, students, and publishers from the 1950s to 1970s, drafts and notes for book publications as well as shorter essays, and materials from Meyer’s participation in professional conferences and organizations. The collection also contains awards, some personal items, and a set of recordings of Meyer’s original compositions. Series I consists of personal and biographical materials, including datebooks, notebooks, and photographs. Series II contains correspondence. Series III contains academic writings and a wide range of notes related to these subjects. Series IV includes materials from conferences, lectures, and other professional activities. Series V contains artifacts, audio visual materials, and oversized items.