Robert Owens Music Collection
Title: Robert Owens Music
Collection
Collector: Reimer, Jamie
Dates: 1947-2013
Quantity: 11 boxes
Collection Number: MS 0414 (Music Library)
Language: English, German, French
Restrictions: None
Access and Use: For information on access or copyright, please see our guidelines
or email archives@unl.edu.
Historical Records Statement: Please see our statement on historical records and materials.
Preferred Citation: Robert Owens Music Collection, (MS 0414). Archives & Special Collections,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries.
Biography:
Robert Owens III (1925-2017), born in Denison, Texas, and raised in Berkeley,
California, was an African-American composer and performer. Following World War II,
Owens studied music on a GI bill in Paris and Vienna beginning in 1946. He returned
to the U.S. during 1957-1959, and then moved to Hamburg, Germany, and later Munich,
for the rest of his career as a composer, pianist, and actor. He set songs to lyrics
by Langston Hughes, Emily Bronte, and Sara Teasdale, among others. He also wrote
operas and chamber music.
Scope and Content:
The Owens collections contains materials and compositions. The collection includes
published and unpublished scores and original manuscripts of the composer. The
collection also contains personal items such as books, newspaper clippings, play
scripts, and photographs that belonged to Owens.
Subjects:
Owens, Robert, 1925-2017
Operas
Incidental music
Songs
Monologs with music
Choral music
Chamber music
Instrumental music
Series Description:
Series 1: Music ManuscriptsContains bound and unbound original manuscripts by Robert Owens and written
in copies of solo vocal music. Those written in were completed by Owens.
Included are English, German, and French vocal works, stage music,
spirituals, choral and vocal ensemble music, and two monologues with piano
accompaniment. Also included is instrumental solo and ensemble music and an
opera titled "Kultur-Kultur." Sections are organized into bound and unbound
scores, then alphabetically by title.
Series 2: Publications and BooksThis series contains a variety of items owned by Robert Owens. It includes
play scripts, newspaper clippings, music of other composers, unknown or
unfinished works by Robert Owens, letters from Robert Owens, and collected
manuscripts of the poems of Rumi. Also included is a book of poetry by Sarah
Teasdale and a 1959 Albany State College yearbook.
Container List:
Box 1. Bound scores, A-Z English Vocal Music, original or written
in
Box 2. Folder 1. Unbound manuscripts, A-D English vocal music, original or written in
Box 2. Folder 2. Unbound manuscripts, E-F English vocal music, original or written in
Box 3. Folder 1. Unbound manuscripts, G-I English vocal music, original or written in
Box 3. Folder 2. Unboard manuscripts, J-Q English vocal music, original or written in
Box 3. Folder 3. Unbound manuscripts, R-S English vocal music, original or written in
Box 3. Folder 4. Unboard manuscripts, T-Z English vocal music, original or written in
Box 4. Bound scores, A-Z German vocal music, bound scores, original or
written in
Box 4. Folder 1. Unbound manuscripts, A-N German vocal music, original or written in
Box 4. Folder 2. Unbound manuscript, O-Z German vocal music, original or written in
Box 5. Bound scores, A-Z Spirituals, original or written in
Box 5. Folder 1. Unbound manuscripts, A-Z Spirituals, original or written in
Box 5. Folder 2. Unbound manuscripts, A- Z French vocal music, bound scores, original
or written in
Box 5. Folder 3. Unbound manuscripts, A-Z choral or vocal ensemble music, original or
written in
Box 6. Original manuscripts, “Rumi: Die Musik, die wir sind.”
Box 6. Printed work, "The Collected Poems of Sarah Teasdale"
Box 6. Yearbook, Albany State College, 1959
Box 7. Folder 1. Bound scores, A-Z stage music, original or written
Box 7. Folder 2. Unbound manuscript, instrumental parts, “Süden Bühnenmusik,” (Stage
music for “Süden), original or written in
Box 8. Bound scores, solo and ensemble instrumental music, original or
written in
Box 8. Folder 1. Unbound, instrumental ensemble, original or written in
(copies)
Box 8. Folder 2. Unbound, A-Z solo cello, original or written in (copies)
Box 8. Folder 3. Unbound, A-Z solo flute original or written in (copies)
Box 8. Folder 4. Unbound, A-Z solo piano, original or written in (copies)
Box 8. Folder 5. Unbound, A-Z solo violin, original or written in (copies)
Box 9. Bound scores, “Kultur, Kultur”
Box 10. Unbound, original or written scores, “Kultur, Kultur.”
Box 11. Play scripts, written in
Box 11. Folder 1. Newspaper clippings, music of other composers, programs,
certificates, copyright paperwork, catalogue of Robert Owens vocal works,
miscellaneous paperwork
Box 11. Folder 2. Unknown or unfinished works
Box 11. Letters, attached manuscripts, from Robert Owens
Box 11. Collected manuscripts, poems by Rumi
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