UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ The Indian Character Piece for Solo Piano (ca. 1890–1920): A Historical Review of Composers and Their Works D.M.A. Document submitted to the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance August 2005 by Stephanie Bruning B.M. Drake University, Des Moines, IA, 1999 M.M. College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, 2001 1844 Foxdale Court Crofton, MD 21114 410-721-0272 [email protected] ABSTRACT The Indianist Movement is a title many music historians use to define the surge of compositions related to or based on the music of Native Americans that took place from around 1890 to 1920. Hundreds of compositions written during this time incorporated various aspects of Indian folklore and music into Western art music. This movement resulted from many factors in our nation’s political and social history as well as a quest for a compositional voice that was uniquely American. At the same time, a wave of ethnologists began researching and studying Native Americans in an effort to document their culture. In music, the character piece was a very successful genre for composers to express themselves. It became a natural genre for composers of the Indianist Movement to explore for portraying musical themes and folklore of Native-American tribes. Although there were some common procedures for incorporating Indian themes, many composers had different philosophies about how to create their Indian character pieces. Eventually the enthusiasm for using Native-American material died out and left a large body of piano literature collecting dust, out of print, and virtually unrecognized. Through a perspective of cultural relativism, this study reviews and provides information on every known Indian character piece for solo piano and their composers from the Indianist Movement. The purpose of this study is to revive the Indian character piece and promote the Indianist Movement as an important part of America’s musical past, which undoubtedly impacted the direction of twentieth-century music. ii iii To Heather and David iv A special thanks to all of my family, friends, colleagues, and teachers who have helped me along this journey. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Dedication iv Acknowledgments v Table of Contents vi List of Examples viii CHAPTER I: The Creation of the Indian Character Piece 1 Background of American Perceptions 2 Collecting Native-American Folklore and Music 6 Early Adaptations of Native-American Melodies and the 11 Development of the Indian Character Piece Edward MacDowell 12 CHAPTER II: The Era of the Wa-Wan Press 18 The Music of Arthur Farwell 23 Other Composers Published in the Wa-Wan Press 37 Harvey Worthington Loomis 37 Carlos Troyer 42 Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert 44 CHAPTER III: Beyond the Wa-Wan Press 48 Amy Marcy Cheney Beach 48 Charles Wakefield Cadman 52 Homer Grunn 56 Horace Alden Miller 60 Charles Sanford Skilton 62 Experimental Indianists 66 Preston Ware Orem 66 (George) Templeton Strong 67 vi Ferruccio Busoni 69 CHAPTER IV: The Decline of the Indianist Movement 73 Summary and Conclusion 76 APPENDIX: List of Indian Character Pieces from the Indianist Movement 78 BIBLIOGRAPHY 80 vii LIST OF EXAMPLES Example 1.1. Edward MacDowell, “From an Indian Lodge,” 14 in Ten Woodland Sketches, op. 51, mm. 1–13. Example 1.2. Edward MacDowell, “Indian Idyl,” 16 from New England Idyls, op. 62, mm. 17–27. Example 2.1. Title page to early issues of the Wa-Wan Press. 20 Example 2.2. Arthur Farwell, “The Mother’s Vow,” from American 25 Indian Melodies, op. 11, mm. 1–13. Example 2.3. Arthur Farwell, Dawn, op. 12, mm. 11–9. 28 Example 2.4. Arthur Farwell, Domain of Hurakan, op. 15, mm. 51–6. 30 Example 2.5. Arthur Farwell, “Navajo War Dance,” in 32 From Mesa and Plain: Indian, Cowboy, and Negro Sketches for Pianoforte, op. 20, mm. 36–46. Example 2.6. Arthur Farwell, “Laying Down the Peace Pipes,” from 34 Impressions of the Wa-Wan Ceremony of the Omahas, op. 21, mm. 8–13. Example 2.7a, b. Harvey Worthington Loomis, “Song of Sorrow” from 39 Lyrics of the Red Man, op. 76, Book 1, mm. 1–10 and mm. 20–6. Example 2.8a, b. Harvey Worthington Loomis, “The Thunder God and the 41–2 Rainbow,” from Lyrics of the Red Man, op. 76, Book 2, mm. 21–7 and mm. 36–8. Example 2.9. Carlos Troyer, Ghost Dance of the Zunis, mm. 104–8. 44 Example 2.10. Henry F. Gilbert, “In the Kutenai Country,” from 46 Indian Scenes: Five Pieces for the Pianoforte, mm. 1–4. Example 3.1. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach, “Arctic Night,” from 51 Eskimos: Four Characteristic Pieces for the Pianoforte, op. 64, mm. 1–16. Example 3.2. Charles Wakefield Cadman, “Return of the Braves: March 55 Fantastique,” from Idealized Indian Themes, op. 54, mm. 75–86. Example 3.3. Homer Grunn, “Mirage,” from Desert Suite: Five Tone 58 Pictures for the Piano, op. 7, mm. 1–7. viii Example 3.4. Homer Grunn, “The Flute-God,” from Zuni Impressions: Indian 60 Suite for the Pianoforte, op. 27, mm. 48–57. Example 3.5. Horace Alden Miller, “From Winnebago Land,” in 62 Four Indian Themes, mm. 25–35. Example 3.6. Charles Sanford Skilton, “Kickapoo Social Dance,” from 64 Three Indian Sketches for Piano, mm. 49–54. Example 3.7. Preston Ware Orem, American Indian Rhapsody, mm. 165–80. 67 Example 3.8. (George) Templeton Strong, “Un jeune guerrier,” [A Young Warrior] 69 from Au pays des peaux-rouges: Suite for Piano [The Country of the Red Skins], mm. 76–86. Example 3.9. Ferruccio Busoni, from Indianisches Tagebuch: Erstes Buch 71 [The Indian’s Diary: Book 1], mm. 59–71. ix Chapter I The Creation of the Indian Character Piece The Indianist Movement is a title many music historians use to define the surge of compositions related to or based on the music of Native Americans that took place from around 1890 to 1920. Hundreds of compositions written during this time incorporated various aspects of Indian folklore and music into Western art music. This movement resulted from many factors in our nation’s political and social history as well as a quest for a compositional voice that was uniquely American. At the same time a wave of ethnologists began researching and studying Native Americans in an effort to document their culture. In music, the character piece was a very successful genre for composers to express themselves. Branching from this idiom, Romantic composer Edward MacDowell wrote the first Indian character pieces, which 1 influenced future Indianist composers. 1 It should be noted that many of the terms used to describe Native Americans during the Indianist Movement are contextual and may not be politically correct by today’s standards. 1 Background of American Perceptions In order to understand the creation, progression, and dissemination of the Indian character piece as a genre, it is essential to discuss political and social events that were going on in the United States at the time. These events had a direct impact on the attitudes of composers and audiences regarding Native Americans and their music. Native Americans were not granted voting rights until 1924. Prior to that, Americans were divided as to whether or not Native Americans should be considered Americans at all. In the preceding decades, many factors led to this divide. Michael Pisani’s article “The Indian Music Debate and ‘American’ Music in the Progressive Era” evaluates the impact progressivist ideas had on almost every aspect of American life from 1890 to 1920. Progressivism is a term used to describe the encouragement of progressive change such as from rural to urbanized culture. Pisani attributes American views toward Native Americans partially to Theodore Roosevelt’s fourteen-volume “Winning of the West” (1885–94) where he described how American character was defined not only by “victory over adversity, but victory at the expense of the Indian.”2 Political and social progressivism was a sign of advancement in science, economy, and civilization, but also created racial tension and was detrimental to the Native- American population.3 Pisani cites Henry Longfellow’s book-length poem “Song of Hiawatha” (1855) as another highly influential contribution to general perceptions of Native Americans. 2 Michael V. Pisani, “The Indian Music Debate and ‘American’ Music in the Progressive Era,” College Music Symposium 37 (1997): 84. 3 Ibid., 83. 2 This very popular poem stirred feelings of empathy as well as superiority by romanticizing the image of the Native American as a noble, exotic savage that was bound for extinction.4 In 1887 the Allotment Act created the reservation system for Native Americans, and later that year the Dawes Act put restrictions on the performance of traditional ceremonies. As a reaction to government restrictions, people increasingly sympathized with the “plight of the Indian.”5 In a humanist effort to document and preserve Indian folklore before it became completely westernized, there was a burst of collecting and mapping. Anthropologists and ethnologists moved quickly. By January 1888 the American Folklore Society was established and began collecting lore of the North American Indian.6 Developments in technology, such as the 1877 Edison phonograph, made it possible to record and conduct the first scientific studies of this music. Because of years of German domination in Western art music, many American concertgoers expected to hear music of German or Austrian composers.