This is a notable music collection formed by Everett Helm, an American composer and musicologist. Comprising 1,163 books, 675 serial pieces, 172 libretti, 115 pieces of sheet music and some manuscripts, the collection represents a broad basis for the study and appraisal of European music from the time of Mozart and Haydn to the latter part of the nineteenth century, with an emphasis on the first half of the century.
The books constitute a working library covering all fields of music, many of them out of print and some extremely scarce. The music material consists of:
Dr Helm described the collection in the following terms:
"a thesaurus of the most varied categories and forms of music of the century roughly 1780-1880. It includes quadrilles, waltzes and romances - the "pop" music of the time; fantasies and parodies on operatic themes - the theme equivalent of "light" music; methods, instructors, etudes and other pedagogical works for the instruction of genteel amateurs, and others for conservatory and professional use; transcriptions for piano solo, four hands and other arrangements of symphonic and other concert works - the LP of the 19th century, bringing larger works into the home. And, finally, "serious" music of all shades and varieties, from "elevated" salon pieces to the great master-pieces. The extensive collection of piano and vocal scores is especially rich in French opera ... supplemented by a large group of separate numbers from 19th century operas, including many rare works that were apparently never published in their entirety, and by a large number of libretti".
A second collection was purchased from Dr Helm in 1979. This collection contains nineteenth century British music, and is especially valuable for the understanding of Australian musical life of the time. This part of the collection contains over 700 items including re-editions of old music, and a complete set of the publications of the Musical Antiquarian Society, established in 1840 for the publication of scarce and valuable works by early English composers. There are a number of song books, chiefly of the period before 1850, eg The Nightingale: a Choice Selection of the Most Admired Popular Songs; Heroic, Plaintive, Sentimental, Humourous and Bacchanalian (c. 1830). There are also folk and traditional songs in the melodies of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There is a good deal of church music and a large quantity of sheet music, roughly 1800-1860, being piano music and songs, many with fine pictorial titles. Items of special interest include two handsomely bound volumes of music from the library of Princess Beatrice, youngest child of Queen Victoria and an ardent pianist.
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