State Theatre Collection during Covid part 1

The Covid lockdown has provided me with the opportunity to explore the State Theatre Collection of Scores and Parts for Cinema Use, which contains a staggering 13,548 charts, all of which are available online. This has allowed me to delve into the details of the music and search for PDF copies worldwide. Additionally, I’ve been able to find recordings of the music being played during the era, mostly from 78s that are over 90 years old. As I continue to roam through this wonderful collection, I am struck by how amazing it is, particularly when used for its intended purpose of creating silent movie shows. I am extremely grateful to the internet, as without it, I would not have been able to access this collection even five years ago. I want to express my gratitude to The Petrucci Music Library, The Silent Film Sound and Music Archive, and university collections online such as The Ohio State University Silent Film Sheet Music Collection. These individuals and organizations have taken public domain music, scanned it, and made it available online. The Petrucci Music Library is enormous, and combined with all of these resources, I have been able to search for scores owned by the Sydney collection and download copies. I now have clean copies of some precious music that was missing parts or had torn pages in the Sydney collection. Thanks to a fast computer and ample time during the lockdown, I have been able to download massive orchestral scores from the NLA, which would not have been possible during a visit to Canberra. I have also been able to explore interesting pieces that would have been difficult to access without the help of librarians. I am truly grateful to Australia for collating the entire State Theatre Collection of Scores and Parts for Cinema Use, rather than disposing of it like so many other collections, or storing it away in boxes like the New York Library collection. This collection is a treasure trove and warrants a full Ph.D. thesis on its historical significance. I wish I were younger and inspired to write such a thesis. I also want to thank Rick Altman, professor of Cinema at the University of Iowa, for his invaluable research on the development of musical accompaniment to films. His work has been invaluable, and I feel privileged to be part of this whole scene. I have even made a real friend by talking to some of his colleagues. In summary, the Covid lockdown has provided me with a unique opportunity to explore the State Theatre Collection of Scores and Parts for Cinema Use, and I am truly grateful for the resources that have made this possible.