This collection documents the activities of Conrad Saskowski, a composer of operettas, sacred works, and musicals in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) from 1934 to 1984. The papers are arranged in four series, COMPOSITIONS, PUBLICITY, CORRESPONDENCE, and PHOTOGRAPHS, with the bulk of the documents consisting mainly of musical scores from the mid-1930s to the late-1940s. The remainder is made up of correspondence, copies of newsprint, performance programs, and photographs.
The COMPOSITIONS series, 1934-1978 (primarily 1934-1949), is arranged by genre (Operettas, Sacred Works, Musicals, and Incomplete Scores). Within each genre, compositions are arranged chronologically. Compositions consist of sheet music and musical scores handwritten in pen on onion paper or photocopied from originals on standard and oversize score sheets. In some cases, multiple copies of a score indicate the varying musical notation edits that have occurred and have been preserved for informational value. In order to show a broader picture of Saskowski and his creative output, some subseries contain compositional drafts that include materials which have been identified, through the original order of the collection, as related to the compositions. In cases where the original order of the collection did not allow for identification, materials were placed within the Incomplete Scores subseries.
The Operettas subseries include Yours to Command (1934), Polonaise (1939), Blond Squaw (1949), and the revival of Blond Squaw entitled Spring Song (1978). Also included are the Compositional drafts to Yours to Command, Polonaise and Blond Squaw. Yours to Command (1934) contains the individual instrument scores, vocal parts, and a script. The operetta Polonaise, in addition to scores, vocal parts, and a script, contains a synopsis that succinctly outlines this work. There is a version of Polonaise written in Polish (entitled “Polenez”), but there is no indication that the operetta was performed using this script and there are no musical scores written in Polish. Outside of the information in some newspaper Clippings and Programs (found in the PUBLICITY series), there is little information regarding Yours to Command. In contrast, Polonaise is well represented and there are two photographs of the production showing the fully costumed performers at its Pabst Theatre premiere in 1939. The Polish-born conductor Jerzy Bojanowski conducted this premiere.
The operetta Blond Squaw (1948-1949) is represented by the individual instrument scores, a conductor's score, scripts, music cue sheets, a synopsis, and an audio recording log. Blond Squaw was originally performed as part of the Wisconsin Centennial (1948) celebration at State Fair Park in Milwaukee. The following year, Blond Squaw was performed in a few Milwaukee venues. Though practically identical, there are separate folders for Piano and vocals of the 1948 and 1949 performances. There are also two folders of Music cue sheets arranged in a similar manner.
This collection also contains a typed Audio recording log of songs from Blond Squaw (1949) with handwritten notes of recording length and song order. The collection does not contain any other mention of these recordings, but a Program for a 1951 talk Saskowski gave to a local women's organization reveals that he was to allow attendees to listen to performances from Blond Squaw. Though the collection contains no musical recordings, this log shows that Saskowski chose to pursue another avenue of publicizing his work through the tape recording medium.
The Musicals subseries also relate to Saskowski's tenure producing musicals at South Division High School and comedies with the Polish Fine Arts Club. Most of these musicals are represented in the collection by scripts. The exception is Happy Daze (1942) which also includes the piano and vocal parts of performers. This musical, with lyrics co-written by Saskowski and Francis Meurer for the Polish Fine Arts Club, is the sole composition in this collection written by Saskowski for the Polish Fine Arts Club. A copy of the Financial Report (1942) of this musical is included in the PUBLICITY series in order to highlight Saskowski's role as both creator and producer. (He was the president of the Polish Fine Arts Club at this time.)
The subseries Incomplete Scores include an unfinished operetta “Charleston” (circa 1940) and a variety of handwritten musical scores and sheet music (undated) with little or no identification of title or year of creation. It is assumed that Saskowski kept these papers as reference for his compositions, but did not organize them according to any structure.
The PUBLICITY series, 1938-1984 (primarily 1938-1949), includes Clippings, Address Lists, and Programs arranged chronologically by composition. As a result of his activities as president of the Polish Fine Arts Club, Saskowski was very involved in promoting his compositions through correspondence with patrons and newspapers. The newspaper Clippings are arranged chronologically according to compositional genre and, in some cases, by language (most are in English, but some appear in Polish-language newspapers). The majority of clippings in this collection are from Milwaukee newspapers, in particular from the Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel, The Bay Viewer, Cudahy-St. Francis Free Press, and South Side Times; the South Division High School newspaper The Cardinal; and also from the Polish-language press--Nowiny Polskie (Milwaukee) and the Chicago Daily Zgoda. The Clippings show favorable reviews of Saskowski's works. Where the newspaper contains both Polish and English language articles, the clippings are included under the Polish language newspaper. Saskowski's compositions can be further understood by using the Clippings from the school newspaper, The Cardinal. His involvement with the students' productions shows Saskowski balancing a semi-professional composing career with that of being a full-time teacher. It is important to note that the dissolution of the Polish Fine Arts Club occurs at this very time (1949).
The Address Lists subseries is not in the form of traditional address lists but rather document those outlets where Saskowski could advertise his works in the hope that they would review or promote his compositions.
The CORRESPONDENCE series, 1939-1979 (primarily 1975-1979), is arranged chronologically by composition. The correspondence provides a glimpse of Saskowski as both promoter and artist. Included in this collection is excellent documentation of Saskowski's correspondence with local Milwaukee leaders (both cultural and city council members) and newspaper clippings from various newspapers reviewing performances of Saskowski's compositions. Also included are copies of his letters that were sent to promote performances of his compositions.
The PHOTOGRAPHS, 1937-1978, document the cast in performances of Saskowski's works. Four productions are documented in black and white photographs of cast members in dramatic poses and are chronologically arranged by production. Saskowski appears in the photographs of Millicent, The Innocent Seamstress or Puppets of a Purple Passion (1937) as a character and is included in the entire cast photograph of Polonaise (1939). The photographs are chronologically arranged by composition. This collection contains one photomontage that contains five photographs, possibly of Spring Song (1978), pasted to a paper board.
