Finding Aid for Robert Wykes Music and Papers, ca. 1940-2018 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Sandy Kroeker

Service Location	Boxes
Archives Research Center, 1707 S. Orchard Street	Box 01-05

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Collection Overview

Title: Robert Wykes Music and Papers, ca. 1940-2018

ID: 26/20/260

Primary Creator: Robert Wykes (1926-2021)

Extent: 1.5 cubic feet

Arrangement: Unarranged, being processed

Date Acquired: 05/22/2024

Subjects: Alumni, Composers, Music, School of

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Consists of scores of original compositions, music notes and sketches, correspondence, and essays documenting Robert Wykes' education and career as a composer; in addition to books, music, and programs related to his students and associates.

Biographical Note

Robert Wykes was an American composer and flutist born May 19, 1926 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. He began playing the flute at age 9 and appeared with the Pittsburgh Little Symphony as a teenager. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, Wykes attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York to study music theory, earning his Master's degree in 1950. From 1950-1952, he was on faculty at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and played flute with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. From 1952-1955, he continued his studies at the Univeristy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning hist Doctor of Musical Arts in 1955. In adddition to studying music composition with Burrill Phillips and music theory with Hubert Kessler, Wykes also taught music theory during his time at UIUC.

In 1955, he joined the music faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he taught until his retirement in 1988. Some of his students included Oliver Nelson, Jocy de Oliveira, Rhian Samuel, and Olly Wilson. From 1963-1967, Wykes played flute with the St. Louis Symphony and with the Studio for New Music from 1966-1969. From 1990-1991, he undertook research as a visiting scholar at Stanford Univerisity. Additional achievements of Wykes' include having his orchestral works performed throughout the country, scoring several films, and recieving awards and honors including the Distinguished Faculty Award from Washington University in 1976. Wykes died in St. Louis, Missouri on June 29, 2021.

Subject/Index Terms

Alumni
Composers
Music, School of

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Acquisition Source: MPAL

Acquisition Method: Transfer

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Original Music Compositions],
[Series 2: Education and Personal Papers],
[Series 3: Student and Associate Papers and Music],
[All]

Series 1: Original Music Compositions

Box 1

Folder 1: "Four Portraits" (Miniatures for Four C Flutes) (FS), 2001

Movements 1. Mr. Saudek's Pavane, 2. Preludio for Joseph Mariano, 3. A Ballad for Henry, 4. Tipton's Rondo

Folder 2: Musical Scenes. A new concert arrangment of selected music from the film Time of the West (FS, P), 2018

Writer Director: Richard T. Heffron

Narrator: Richard Boone

Cinematography/Editor: Robert Pierce

Music and Orchestration: Robert Wykes

Musical Scenes 1. Title Music, 2. The Santa Fe Trail, 3. The Oregon Trail, 4. For Other Americans It Was a Different Time of Day, 5. The 49ers: Gold!, 6. The U.S. Army, 7. Steel Rails -- Final Connection; Reprise and Finale

Box 2

Folder 1: "Adequate Earth" (FS), 1975

Music by Robert Wykes

Poems by Donald Finkel

Folder 2: Composer's Manuscript Folio Sketches, Undated

Folder 3: "Divertimento" for Chamber Orchestra (FS), 1949

Movements I, II, III, IV, and V

Folder 4: Double Quintet Sketches, Undated

Movements I, II, and III

Folder 5: "Duet" Clapping Orchestra Sketch, Undated

Folder 6: "Horizons" (FS), 1964

Folder 7: Quintet Sketches Unfinished, Undated

Folder 8: "Sonata" Flute and Piano (FS), 1982

Folder 9: Spiral Manuscript Book No. 99 Sketches, Undated

Folder 10: Spiral Manuscript Book Number 2 Sketches, 1944

Folder 11: "String Sextet in [one movement]" 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos (FS)

Box 3

Folder 1: "Towards Time's Receding" (FS), 1972
Folder 2: Trio Sketches - Flute, Cello, Piano - Unfinished, Undated
Folder 3: "Wave Forms and Pulses" (FS), Undated

Box 4

Folder 1: Double Woodwind Quintet Unfinished Sketch, Undated

Oversize Portfolio Case 1

Folder 1: "Now Therefore Let It Be" Sketches, Undated
Folder 2: "Resonances" (FS), 1971
Folder 3: The Shape of Time Robert Wykes (FS), 1965
Folder 4: Untitled Sketches and Notebook, Undated

Series 2: Education and Personal Papers

Box 4

Folder 2: "A Memorial Review of his life and works" by Bela Bartok, 1950

Folder 3: Assignments for Music 442 - Robert Wykes, 1953-1954

Folder 4: "Compose: Discover the Feeling", 1976

Book

Folder 5: "Critique of Judgement" by Immanuel Kent, 1953

Book

Folder 6: Electronic Music Photograph and Program, 1963

Folder 7: "Kristen Johnson University of Illinois" correspondence, programs, and photograph, 1952-1965

Folder 8: List of Recorded Performances with Notes - Robert Wykes, Undated

Folder 9: "The Musical Quarterly" by Paul Henry Lang, 1949

Book

Folder 10: "New Choral Noation (A Handbook)" by Frank Pooler and Brent Pierce, 1971

Folder 11: Programs, 1982-2011

Folder 12: "The Technique of my Musical Language" by Olivier Messiaen, 1956

Book by Olivier Messiaen

Translated by John Satterfield

Series 3: Student and Associate Papers and Music

Box 1

Folder 3: "Agrupamento Em 10" (FS), 1966

Music by Claudio Santoro

Para Ayres de Andrade

Folder 4: "An Avalanche for Pitchman, Prima Donna, Player Piano, Percussionist and Prerecorded Playback" (FS, P) and Scripts, 1968

Music by Lejaren Hiller

Text by Frank Parman

Folder 5: "Musica Su Due Dimensioni" per flauto e registrazione stereofonica (P), 1960

Music by Bruno Maderna

Box 3

Folder 4: "A Game of Chance" Comic Opera in One Act (FS), Undated

Music by Seymour Barab

Libretto by Evelyn Manacher

Folder 5: "Canzona IV" (FS), 1966

Words by Alberta Phillips

Music by Burrill Phillips

Folder 6: "Chanson de Florian" (FS) and "The Light That is Felt" (FS), 1950

Pieces by Charles Ives

Folder 7: Cover Page of "Suite Concertante" for Tuba and Woodwind Quintet (piano reduction), Undated

Music by Armand Russell

Folder 8: "Echoes" (FS, P), Undated

Music by A. Giron

Folder 9: "Forever and Sunsmell" song with Percussion Duet (FS) and a John Cage Edition Peters, 1940

Words From a Poem by E. E. Cummings

Music by John Cage

Folder 10: "Honeyreves" per Flauto E Pianofore (P), 1963

Music by Bruno Maderna

Folder 11: "Improvisations" pour batterie et piano (FS), 1961

Music by Marcel Mihalovici

Folder 12: "Music for the Double Bass Alone" (FS) with letter, 1963

Music by Thomas Fredrickson

Folder 13: "Song in a Winter Night" (FS), 1957

Music by Burrill Phillips

Words by Bink Noll

Folder 14: "Suite Pour Contrebasse" Six Pieces Pour Contrebasse ou Violoncelle et Piano (P), 1949

Music by Valerie Soudere

Movements I Discorde, II Serenade, III Fughetta, IV Ombres, V Lunaire, VI. Gire

Folder 15: "Two Songs for Soprano Voice" from "The Ivory Campus" (FS), 1953

Music by Burrill Philllips

Movements 1. Tostissimamente il canto, 2. Seguendo in palco

Folder 16: Unidentified Composition (FS), Undated

Music by John MacEnulty

Movements I Capriccio, II Ballade, III Scherzo, IV Burlesca

Folder 17: "Vertical Thoughts 5" (FS) with Morton Feldman Edition Peters, 1963

Music by Morton Feldman

Box 4

Folder 13: "American Music Teacher" Magazine Featuring Burrill Philips, 1953

Folder 14: "Days and Routes Through Maps and Scores, Dias E Caminhos Seus Mapas E Partituras", 1983

Book by Jocy De Oliviera

Folder 15: "Four Figures In Time" for Flute and Piano (FS, P), 1953

Music by Burrill Phillips

Movements 1. Pantomime, 2. A Quiet Field, 3. Stilit March, 4. Racing Rhyme

Folder 16: "O'Connell Bridge" 3 Serial Pieces for Piano (PS), Undated

Music by David M. Jones

Movements 1. O'Connell Bridge, 2., and 3. Waltz

Folder 17: "Six Pieces for Solo Voice" (P), 1966

Music by Paul Arma

Movements 1. Quasi improvisando, 2. Moderato, 3. Comodo, 4. Ad libitum, 5. Parlando, 6. Molto quieto

Box 5

Item 1: Burril Phillips Music LP, Undated
Item 2: Contemporary Songs Magnetic Audiotape, Undated
Item 3: "Music Aus Dem Studio der fruhen Musik" LP, 1969
Item 4: "Music by Guillaume de Machaut performed by Collegium Musicaum" LP, Undated
Item 5: "String Quartet, Elliot Carter, The Walden Quartet" LP (1 of 3), Undated
Item 6: "String Quartet, Elliot Carter, The Walden Quartet" LP (2 of 3), Undated
Item 7: "String Quartet, Elliot Carter, The Walden Quartet" LP (3 of 3), Undated

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Original Music Compositions],
[Series 2: Education and Personal Papers],
[Series 3: Student and Associate Papers and Music],
[All]