Salvatore Martirano Music, Personal Papers, and Sal-Mar Construction

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Music

Correspondence

Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac

Publicity, Lectures, and Performances

Photographs

Family and Personal Papers

Sound Recordings

L's GA Props



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Finding Aid for Salvatore Martirano Music, Personal Papers, and Sal-Mar Construction, 1927-1999 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Elizabeth Surles and Hannah Jellen

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Collection Overview

Title: Salvatore Martirano Music, Personal Papers, and Sal-Mar Construction, 1927-1999Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 12/5/42

Primary Creator: Martirano, Salvatore (1927-1995)

Extent: 55.0 cubic feet

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into eight series and seven sub-series. Series 1: Music, ca. 1947-1995, is organized alphabetically by title. Whenever possible an identification of the format of the music for each title (i.e., full score, condensed score, piano score, and parts) has been noted with the corresponding abbreviations, FS, CS, PS, P. Series 2: Correspondence, ca. 1932-1999, is organized into two sub-series. Sub-series 1: Contracts, Publishing, and Royalties, 1959-1995, is arranged chronogically. Sub-series 2: Personal and Professional, 1932-1999, is arranged alphabetically and then chronologically. Correspondence from 1990-1999 is organized chronologically. Business correspondence is arranged alphabetically according to institution name, while correspondence from colleagues, family, and friends is ordered alphabetically according to the letter writer's last name. Series 3: Instruments and Technology, ca. 1967-2000, is arranged in two subseries. Sub-series 1: Sal-Mar Construction, 1967-1984, is arranged according to document type. Sub-series 2: YahaSALmaMac, 1986-1993, is arranged according to document type. Series 4: Publicity and Performance, ca. 1950-1995, is arranged into three sub-series. Sub-Series 1: Publicity, Marketing, Media Coverage, and Interviews, is arranged according to document type and then chronologically. Sub-series 2: Performances, Lectures, and Panels, is arranged according to document type and then chronologically. Sub-series 3: Published and Unpublished Research, is arranged alphabetically by author. Series 5: Photographs, ca. 1927-2004, is organized by type of image, subject matter, and then chronologically. Series 6: Family and Personal Papers, ca. 1927-1952, is organized by document type and then chronologically. Series 7, Sound Recordings, 1956-1993, is organized by recording number. Series 8, L's GA Props, 1960-1999, is organized by item type.

The collection was received in annotated and numbered envelopes and folders. To retain the original order and annotation, the numbering system and information on the folders and envelopes have either been photocopied and retained with the original records or transcribed on the folders in which the collection has been rehoused. Additional documentation of the original order and annotation is located in the collection's control file.

Date Acquired: 06/06/2008. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Electronic Music, Music, School of, Music Composition, Photographs

Formats/Genres: Architectural drawings, Financial Records, Newspaper Clippings, Papers, Photocopies, Sheet music

Languages: English, French, Korean, Italian, Japanese, German, Romanian, Dutch;Flemish

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of correspondence between Martirano and colleagues, friends, and family, including Milton Babbit, John Cage, Elliot Carter, Gilbert Chase, Aaron Copland, Luigi Dallapicolla, Paul Fromm, Loren Maazel, Morton Subotnik, and Igor Stravinsky; recording and publishing contracts; royalty statements; published and unpublished music scores, drafts, manuscripts, and studies; grant proposals, applications, and reports; address book and lists; Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac circuit diagrams, transparencies, and negatives; Sal-Mar Construction wiring lists; circuit boards; books; news clippings; photographs; negatives; slides; posters; concert programs and program notes; mailers; brochures; fliers; articles; theses; concert ticket; scrapbooks; invitations; birth certificate; autograph book; military records; poems by MC Halloway; architectural drawings; technical riders; lecture notes and transparencies; interviews; awards; and degrees. In addition, the Sal-Mar Construction, publicly unveiled in 1970 as the first musical instrument to generate dynamic improvisatory electronic music using analog and digital circuits designed with help from engineers who worked on the University's of Illinois' early Illiac supercomputer, was also included as part of this donation to the University. The papers, music, and Sal-Mar Construction document Martirano's activities as an award-winning composer, performer, and leader in the field of computer generated music.

See also record series number 35/3/68.

Biographical Note

Born in Yonkers, Salvatore Martirano (1927-1995) grew up in New Rochelle, New York where he graduated from high school in 1945.  While there he was the leader of "The Sonny Martin Band," the name of which came from Martirano's childhood nickname "Sonny."  After graduating, Martirano served as a Marine for fourteen months in 1945 and 1946, during which time he performed with the Parris Island Marine Band and a touring USO show.

Martirano received his undergraduate degree in 1951 from Oberlin College, where he studied composition with Herbert Elwell.  A year later he completed his master's degree in composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Bernard Rogers.  During the same year, Martirano received a Fulbright to study composition in Italy with Luigi Dallapiccola from 1952 to 1954.  Martirano continued to work in Italy from 1956 to 1959, when he was a resident fellow at the American Academy.  Between 1959 and 1964, Martirano received commissions, awards, and fellowships from the Guggenheim, Ford, Koussevitzky, and Fromm Foundations, as well as from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and Brandeis University.  In 1963, Martirano joined the Theory and Composition Department at the University of Illinois, where he remained on the faculty until his retirement and death in 1995.  He was also a resident composer at the NSW Conservatorium of Music in Sydney (1979), IRCAM in Paris (1982) and the California Institute of the Arts (1993).  Composers including Phil Winsor, Mark Zanter, Thorsteinn Hauksson, Stuart Saunders Smith, Maggi Payne, and Yehuda Yannay studied with Martirano while students at the University of Illinois.

Many of Martirano's early works incorporate twelve-tone compositional techniques as well as jazz, vernacular, and multimedia idioms.  His best-known composition, "L's GA" (Lincoln's Gettysburg Address), was widely performed in the late 1960s and early 1970s and became associated with the anti-war movement.  In the early 1960s, Martirano became interested in electronic music, and this interest guided much of his work from the 1960s on.  Martirano was among the very first composers in the United States to utilize and invent new computer technology for composition.  Martirano created a series of electronic music systems, including the Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac, which enabled him to write and perform music that mixed human and computer-generated sounds and composition.

Subject/Index Terms

Electronic Music
Music, School of
Music Composition
Photographs

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: June 6, 2008, September 20, 2008, April 11, 2011, and December 7, 2017.

Access Restrictions: Box 17, Folder 16 restricted until November 17, 2034.

Acquisition Method: The music, papers, and Sal-Mar Construction were donated to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by the Martirano family on June 6, 2008. The Sal-Mar Construction was received by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from the Martirano family on September 20, 2008. Audio-visual materials were received by the Martirano family on April 11, 2011. An addition of two sound recordings and oversized notebooks with music parts were acquired on December 7, 2017 by way of the University of Illinois' Music and Performing Arts Library, which received them from the Martirano family through Stephen Taylor in the School of Music.

Processing Information: Papers, Music, and Sal-Mar Construction processed in 2008-2009.


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Music, ca. 1945-1995],
[Series 2: Correspondence, ca. 1932-1999],
[Series 3: Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac, ca. 1967-2000],
[Series 4: Publicity, Lectures, and Performances, ca. 1950-1995],
[Series 5: Photographs, ca. 1927-2004],
[Series 6: Family and Personal Papers, ca. 1927-1952],
[Series 7: Sound Recordings, 1956-1995],
[Series 8: L's GA Props],
[All]

Series 3: Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac, ca. 1967-2000Add to your cart.
Sub-Series 1: Sal-Mar Construction, 1967-1984Add to your cart.
Box 21Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Progress Report #1, ca. 1972Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Wiring Lists and Notes, ca. 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Wiring Lists and Notes, ca. 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Patch Bay Diagrams, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Circuit Diagrams and Notes, Wiring Lists, and Component Specifications, ca. 1970-1976Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Circuit Diagrams and Notes, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Electronics Newsletter Photocopies, ca. 1972-1974Add to your cart.
Box 22Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Circuit Diagrams, Wiring Lists, Notes, and Component Specifications, ca. 1967-1971Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Circuit Diagrams, 1971Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Wiring Lists for Individual Wire-Wrap Cards, ca. 1972Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Wiring Lists, ca. 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Microsal Notes, Information, and Diagrams, ca. 1978Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Block Diagrams Copies, ca. 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Digital Electronics for Scientists, 1969Add to your cart.
Box 23Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Equipment Vouchers, Invoices, and Notes, ca. 1978-1981Add to your cart.
Folder 2: International Festival of Electronic Music, Video, and Computer Art Proposals, Correspondence, Address Lists, and Forms, 1981-1982Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Sal-Mar Construction Grant Proposals and Correspondence, 1976-1977Add to your cart.
Folder 4: Sal-Mar Construction Grant Correspondence and Proposals, 1974-1979Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Martirano, Salvatore Sabbatical Proposals, Reports, and Correspondence, 1981-1984Add to your cart.
Box 24Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Block Diagrams, 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Block Diagrams, 1972-1973Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 5: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 6: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 7: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 8: Circuit Board and Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 9: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 10: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 11: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Circuit Diagram Negatives and Transparencies, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Box 25Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Oversized Sal-Mar Construction Diagrams and Notes, ca. 1970sAdd to your cart.
Folder 2: Piano Action Diagram, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Box 32Add to your cart.
Item 1: Sal-Mar Construction Circuit Prototype, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Audio amplifier circuit to drive twenty-four speakers
MapCabinet 3Add to your cart.
MapDrawer 1Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Posters, Performance Schematics, Panoramic Photographs, Sal-Mar Construction Diagrams, and vinyl LP copy of "Salvatore Martirano: The SalMar Construction," on Sub Rosa records (containing the spring 1983 performance at IRCAM).Add to your cart.
MapDrawer 6Add to your cart.
Item 1: 2008.120542.002 MARVIL Test Prototype, ca. 1975Add to your cart.
Item 1: Sal-Mar Construction, 1967-1970Add to your cart.
The Sal-Mar Construction is a unique electronic instrument that enables the simultaneous composition and performance of a piece of music through live improvisation. Sound is produced based on the interaction of the performer and the digital and analog circuitry of the Sal-Mar Construction.
Accession number: 2008.120542.001
Item 2: Sal-Mar Construction Bubble SpeakerAdd to your cart.
Accession number: 2011.120542.001
Item 3: Sal-Mar Construction Bubble SpeakerAdd to your cart.
Accession Number: 2011.120542.002
Item 4: Sal-Mar Construction Bubble SpeakerAdd to your cart.
Accession number: 2011.120542.003
Item 5: Sal-Mar Construction Bubble SpeakerAdd to your cart.
Accession number: 2011.120542.004
Box 36Add to your cart.
Item 1: Pencil rubbing Sal-Mar Construction control panel, ca. 1969Add to your cart.
Item is contained in a cardboard roll.
Box 65Add to your cart.
Item 1: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.001
Item 2: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.002
Item 3: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.003
Item 4: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.004
Item 5: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.005
Item 6: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.006
Item 7: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.007
Item 8: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.008
Item 9: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.009
Item 10: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.010
Box 66Add to your cart.
Item 1: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 100 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.011

Item 2: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 100 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.012

Item 3: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 100 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.013

Item 4: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 102 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.014

Item 5: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 101 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.015

Item 6: Sal-Mar Construction Touch Sensor Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Assembled on an MU 100 printed circuit

Accession number: 2014.120542.016

Item 7: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.017
Item 8: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.018
Item 9: Printed Circuit Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.

Circuit board with no components attached. Same type used to create the audio amplifier and sound distribution boards for the Sal-Mar Construction.

Accession number: 2014.120542.019

Item 10: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.021
Item 11: Sal-Mar Construction Audio Amplifier and Sound Distribution Board, c. 1970Add to your cart.
Accession number: 2014.120542.022
Box 67Add to your cart.
Item 1: Circuit Board Test Fixture, circa 1970Add to your cart.

Test fixture constructed to test the MU 100 circuit boards that serve the touch sensors on the Sal-Mar Construction control panel.

Accession number: 2014.120542.020

Box 68Add to your cart.
Item 1: Illiac II control panel, Circa 1962Add to your cart.

ILLIAC II Control Module. ILLIAC II was a supercomputer that the University of Illinois built in 1962. It was the first transistorized computer.

Accession number: 2011.120542.027

Sub-Series 2: YahaSALmaMac, 1986-1993Add to your cart.
Box 23Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Correspondence and Research Board Proposal, 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Research Board Proposal, 1987Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Research Board Proposal, 1988Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Research Board Proposal and Sabbatical Request, 1988-1989Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Research Board Proposals and Correspondence, ca. 1991-1993Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Research Board Memo and Computer Print-out, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 12: Sal's Notes, UndatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 13: Notebook, 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Notebooks, 1988Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Equipment Invoices, Receipts, and Correspondence, 1984-1985Add to your cart.
Box 25Add to your cart.
Folder 3: Oversized YahaSALmaMac Diagrams and Notes, ca. 1970s-1980sAdd to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Music, ca. 1945-1995],
[Series 2: Correspondence, ca. 1932-1999],
[Series 3: Sal-Mar Construction and YahaSALmaMac, ca. 1967-2000],
[Series 4: Publicity, Lectures, and Performances, ca. 1950-1995],
[Series 5: Photographs, ca. 1927-2004],
[Series 6: Family and Personal Papers, ca. 1927-1952],
[Series 7: Sound Recordings, 1956-1995],
[Series 8: L's GA Props],
[All]

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