Aston Magna Foundation for Music records1972-1979

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Creator

Aston Magna Foundation for Music.

Location

Music Division

Extent

• 2. 17 linear feet (2 boxes )

Scope/Contents Note

The Aston Magna Foundation for Music Records consist of office files and other materials that document the first years of this pioneering American organization for the study and promotion of early music. The bulk of these files were called board meeting files and primarily contain various types of meeting announcements, agendas, and minutes, as well as related correspondence and background reports, filed chronologically. These administrative and financial records mainly reflect the fundraising, legal, and structural challenges faced by theFoundation from its inception. Neither educational nor artistic concerns are covered in any great detail. The collection, however, does include some material (such as oversized display panels) relating to the exhibition that was held at the Berkshire Community College in conjunctionwith the 1978 Academy, "Music and Art in the Rome of QueenChristina of Sweden and Cardinal Ottoboni."

Biographical/Historical Note

Established in 1972 by Albert Fuller and Lee Elman, the Aston Magna Foundation for Music was created to serve as acenter for the study and performance of seventeenth and eighteenth century music. The original site of the Foundation in Great Barrington, Massachusetts was the former summer home of the violinist Albert Spalding. Although the Foundation faced some initial problems with the local community over turning the property, which was located in a primarily residential area, into an educational and performance facility, the group eventuallyprevailed in its plans and soon would expand its offeringsto additional venues in Great Barrington and elsewhere in the region. Primary summer activities include educational programs (called the Academy after 1978) that bring together scholars, artists, and students to study the music of the period using a cross-disciplinary approach. The other main component of the summer program is the annual Aston Magna Festival. This series of concerts features public performances of music of the period by specialists and program participants using original or authentic replica instruments in a historically accurate manner. Recordings of several festival concerts have been released commercially. Now known officially as the Aston Magna Foundation for Music and the Humanities, the Foundation continues to build upon its original mission asit engages with a wider public through enhanced educational programs, as well as additional performances offered throughout the year.

Controlled Access Terms

• Aston Magna Foundation for Music.
• Arts -- Management.
• Early-music groups -- Massachusetts -- Great Barrington.
• Early-music specialists -- Massachusetts -- Great Barrington.
• Fund raising.
• Agendas (administrative records)
• Correspondence.
• Financial records.
• Minutes.

Additional Creator Names

• Elman, Lee M.
• Fuller, Albert.
• American Music Collection.