The sad story behind the destruction of the full scores to many MGM classics, including BEN HUR, the WIZARD OF OZ, SINGIN IN THE RAIN, and too many others to mention here. A sad end for a music library second in size only to the Library of Congress's Music Library.
The sad story behind the destruction of the full scores to many MGM classics, including BEN HUR, the WIZARD OF OZ, SINGIN IN THE RAIN, and too many others to mention here. A sad end for a music library second in size only to the Library of Congress's Music Library.
Which begs the question: Why didn't they donate it to the Library of Congress? Would the latter have wanted it?
A considerable number of MGM scores dating back to at least 1956 (and up to around 1986) are stored at the US Copyright Office & Library of Congress. When the scores were registered for copyright the music department deposited copies and these copies become property of either the Copyright Office or Library of Congress where they have been safely archived. Most of the music deposits prior to the Xerox era are likely piano-conductor scores rather than the fully orchestrated scores, but I can confirm that some scores thought to be lost do exist as full score.
The LC scores, from what I've seen (e.g., Ben-Hur), are more than piano reductions but less than full score. They appear to be reduced versions with some orchestrational instructions penciled in. Evidently they were made after the creation of the full score. It always struck me as odd that somebody would go to the trouble of creating this extra version once the main job had been completed. Copyright registration was one reason. Perhaps it was also for the benefit of the less talented musicians, (e.g., the notorious Georgie Stoll) who could not be trusted to conduct from a full score?
