A Gift of Music for His People

Transcription

1 A Gift of Music for His People Patronage, Cultural Identity, and the Royal Hawaiian Band Prepared for MUS 478B, Fall 2014, by David W. Bandy

2 Kamehameha V: Lot Kapuāiwa King of the Hawaiian Islands Opposed annexation to the U.S. Favored Britain & the Episcopalian Church. Founded the first Honolulu Fire Department. Alarmed by the decimation of the native population by 60%. January 6, 1866: Kalaupapa. A compassionate king: ; 800 cases & helped all. Appealed to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Prussia to send a Bandmaster to the Hawaiian Islands.

3 Heinrich Wilhelm Berger Arrived at Honolulu June 2, 1872 Born in Potsdam, Prussia - now located in (East) Germany, on August 4, A\ended local schools for his general education. At 14 he was apprenticed to the music master in Breslau, Poland for three years. At 17 he entered the Prussian army as a musician (tuba and double bass), also entering the Conservatory of Military Music in Berlin, where he remained between the ages of 17 and 20. Credit: Heinrich Berger, Hawaiʻi State Archives

4 Heinrich Wilhelm Berger Arrived at Honolulu June 2, 1872 Upon leaving the Conservatory, he played with orchestras led by the younger Johann Strauss (the "ʺWal` King"ʺ) in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin. 1871: Appointed the leader of the band of the 2nd Life Guards of Kaiser Wilhelm. At the request of King Kamehameha V to Kaiser Wilhelm for someone to teach and conduct His Hawaiian Majesty'ʹs Band, Berger was chosen to go to Honolulu in 1872, officially on leave from the Prussian army. Credit: Heinrich Berger, Hawaiʻi State Archives

5 Heinrich (Henry) Berger Arrived June 2, 1872 Berger s first concert with his new band was presented on the first Kamehameha Day: June 11, Credit: Hawaiʻi State Archives

6 December 11, At approximately 10:20 a.m., the king takes his last breath. Credit:

7 ~ h\p:// webster.com/dictionary/patronage Question: So what happened before 1872? Was there a Royal Hawaiian Band?

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9 King Kamehameha III, through a royal decree, began what we now recognize as the Royal Hawaiian Band In the beginning it was known as The King s Band. Its first docu- mented leader was a man known only as Oliver.

10 George Washington Hya\ Credit: Hawaiʻi State Archives contract of employment

11 William Merseburgh Five Year Contract Family- chain influence, including Kumu John Kahaʻi Topolinski Credit:

12 William Northco\ New Zealander Reform School Boys

13 Frank Medina 1871 Born in Portugal Was a Singer Shortest Term as Bandmaster Of course, Medina was then followed by...

14 Henry Berger The longest tenure in the history of the band. Credit: Hawaiʻi State Archives Why?, and What made Berger so successful?

15 A Cultural Identity... Berger was important to the development and growth of much of Hawaiʻi'ʹs musical life. In the 1870s, he organized the Industrial School Band, which later became known as the Waialeʻe Reform School Band, and conducted this group until the early 1920s. In 1893, the Kamehameha Schools employed Berger to enlarge their music department.

16 A Cultural Identity... He remained with the Schools until 1903, during which time he began a band for the Boys School and also supervised the singing teachers in the Girls School. He also accepted duties at Kawaiahaʻo Girls'ʹ Seminary and at the former Territorial Normal School.

17 A Cultural Identity... Berger was also the organist at Kawaiahaʻo Church for 14 years, often alternating Sundays with Queen Liliʻuokalani who was a fine organist. Berger was the original conductor of the small ensemble which would eventually become the Honolulu Symphony, as well as conductor of the orchestras of both the Methodist Church and the Korean Christian Church in the 1920s.

18 A Cultural Identity... Berger was one of the first, other than the missionaries, who printed himeni to have published collections of secular Hawaiian songs with notation, producing more than 100 "ʺoriginal"ʺ compositions and arrangements, many being Native Hawaiian tunes Berger heard sung by the local population. Many of these arrangements were for piano and voice, but some were for bands and orchestras.

19 A Cultural Identity... Berger published a number of series and collections of songs, including Mele Hawaii and the Royal Collection of Hawaiian Songs.

20 A Cultural Identity... There have been few individuals who have had more impact on Hawaiian music than Henry Berger, so much so that on Berger s 70th birthday in 1914, Queen Liliʻuokalani bestowed upon him the title of "ʺFather of Hawaiian Music and asked the people of Hawaiʻi always to remember and celebrate Berger'ʹs birthday.

21 A Cultural Identity... August 4, 1844

22 A Cultural Identity... Berger survived the fall of the Monarchy and the annexation to the United States, becoming a naturalized Hawaiian subject himself in 1879 and eventually an American citizen. During his tenure as the Royal Hawaiian Bandmaster, he conducted more than 32,000 band concerts.

23 Other Notable Events... February 12, 1879: Presented by her Majesty the Queen to Henry Berger. 1883: Aloha ʻOe introduced to the world in San Francisco, CA.

24 Other Notable Events... The events of the overthrow and the Hawaiian National Band.

25 The Hawaiian National Band and Johnny Wilson, a 23- year old Hawaiian student at Stanford.

26 Kansas City San Francisco Troubles soon began... Chicago

27 While back at home...

28 The tours of 1905 & 1906 University of California at Berkeley Louisville, Kentucky

29 Into the Territory... Berger Leading Honolulu Parade, 1918 Berger Conducting the San Francisco Golden Gate Park Band, 1921

30 The end of an era Berger s final resting place at Kawaiahaʻo Church

31 The secret meeting

32 Beyond Berger Kalani Peters: Born Honolulu February 14, 1876 Joined the Hawaiian National Band Robert H. Baker: Another relative of Kumu Topolinski Mekia Kealakai: and Henry Berger s favorite student John Philip Sousa

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34 John Amasiu: Charles E. King: and Frank J. Vierra: Domenico Moro: William L. Baptiste: Earle Christoph:

35 Lloyd Krause: Kenneth Kawashima: First time to tour the Mainland since the 1906 tour of Henry Berger.

36 Aaron David Mahi: The second longest- running tenure of all bandmasters 1988 Carnegie Hall

37 Michael Nakasone: Clarke K. Bright: 2011 Present

38 In Closing...