A music librarian brought Stephen Sondheim to tears — and got him to bequeath his life’s work

Stephen Sondheim, the legendary composer and lyricist, has left behind a vast collection of manuscripts, sheet music, recordings, notebooks, and more to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Mark Horowitz, a senior music specialist at the Library, played a crucial role in convincing Sondheim to bequeath his life’s work to the institution.

Horowitz’s journey to acquire Sondheim’s collection began in 1993 when he invited the musical theatre icon to view a curated collection of musical ephemera at the Library. The personalized tour included original manuscripts from composers such as Béla Bartók, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, and Johannes Brahms. However, it was George Gershwin’s manuscript for the opera Porgy and Bess that moved Sondheim to tears and ultimately led to him changing his will to leave his papers to the Library.

The collection, which will be available to the public on July 1, includes over 5,000 items ranging from drafts of songs that never made it to the stage to unknown compositions and personal notebooks from Sondheim’s time as a student. Horowitz was surprised to discover compositions he had never known about, including marginalia in the lyrics of “A Little Priest” from Sweeney Todd, showcasing Sondheim’s meticulous process of refining his work.

Despite a fire in 1995 that threatened to destroy the manuscripts, they miraculously survived with minimal damage. Horowitz believes that the acquisition of Sondheim’s collection is not only a testament to the composer’s genius but also a stroke of luck and perhaps even a higher power at work.

Sondheim’s work, according to Horowitz, goes beyond mere entertainment and has the power to transform lives. He cites the lyrics from “Move On” from Sunday In The Park With George as an example of Sondheim’s ability to inspire and empower listeners to make life-changing decisions. Horowitz hopes that the collection will not only attract academics and musicians but also inspire a new generation of songwriters to learn from the master.

In conclusion, Stephen Sondheim’s collection at the Library of Congress is a treasure trove of musical history that will continue to influence and inspire generations of artists and music lovers for years to come.