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From a 1909 magazine

Carlos Troyer, (January 12, 1837 – July 26, 1920) born Charles Troyer, was an American composer known for his musical arrangements of traditional Native American melodies.

Biography

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Troyer settled in San Francisco sometime before 1871, where he became known alternatively as a violinist, pianist and teacher of music. He began using the name Carlos around 1885.

In 1886, his publication of a transcription/adaptation of Apache Chief Geronimo's Own Medicine Song marked the beginning of a long professional interest in Native American music. Throughout the 1880s he published several transcriptions and arrangements of Native American songs. Eventually, his works became further romanticized and amerindian, culminating in his final published piece, Midnight Visit to the Sacred Shrines, a Zuñian Ritual. A brief autobiography, provided with his 1913 published lecture notes on Native American music, indicates he spent time "in the field" with the Zunis and Apaches recording and transcribing their music, possibly while employed for the government. [1] [2]

He is frequently included in the list of the Indianist composers; Farwell's Wa-Wan Press published many of his transcriptions/harmonizations. [3] Many of his earlier compositions were published by A. Waldteufel in San Francisco; later in his life Theodore Presser Co published many of his Native American transcriptions and songs.

Several of Troyer's transcriptions have been identified as likely sources of musical borrowing by Puccini for themes in La Fanciulla del West. [4]

He taught at Mills College. He died in Berkeley, California at the age of 83. His wife Virginia died shortly after. [2]

Selected Compositions

  • I Dreamed We Two Were Friends Again (1856)
  • The Spider and the Fly (1882) [5] for two voices, dedicated to Lena Hamilton and Lottie Calsing.
  • Songs of the Sunset Land (Published in San Francisco in 1884 by A. Waldteufel) [6] Includes the following musical settings:
    1. Song of the Sunset Land
    2. Lead Thy Mother Tenderly
    3. The Funny Old Man in the Moon
    4. Swing Song (text by W. N. Lockington)
    5. Song of the Little People
    6. Baby Bye
    7. 'Tis Time I Should Forget
    8. The Raftman's Song
    9. Slumber Song
    10. I Love the Old Songs Most
    11. Mooley Cow
    12. Fortune's Wheel
  • Apache Chief Geronimo's Own Medicine Song (1886) (This was later arranged for chorus by Albert Israel Elkus [7])
  • Two Zuñi Songs (1893) (Lover's Wooing or Blanket Song, Zunian Lullaby)
  • Invocation to the Sun God [1]
  • Apache medicine-chant
  • Kiowa-Apache War Dance [8]
  • Ghost dance of the Zuñis [9]
  • Traditional Songs of the Zuni Indians (Published in 1904 by Theodore Presser Co) [10]
    1. The Sunrise Call, or Echo Song
    2. Incantation upon a Sleeping Infant
    3. Invocation to the Sun-God
    4. Zuni Lover's Wooing, or Blanket Song
    5. The Coming of Montezuma
    6. The Festive Sun Dance of the Zunis
    7. The Great Rain Dance of the Zunis
    8. Indian Fire Drill Song
    9. Hymn to the Sun
    10. Sunset Song
    11. Ghost Dance of the Zunis, with ad lib
  • Dreamland, a lullaby (1907)
  • Song of the Plains; The Cry of the Cowboy (1908)
  • Hymn to the Sun: An Ancient Jubilee Song of the Sun-Worshippers, with Historical Account of the Ceremony and the Derivation of Music from the Sun's Rays (1909, published by Wa-Wan)
  • Lebensfreude (1910)
  • Midnight Visit to the Sacred Shrines, a Zuñian Ritual: a Monody for Two Flute-trumpets of High and Low Pitch (Clarinet and Oboe); a Traditional Chant of Melodic Beauty, and Parting Song on Leaving the Shrines, with English and Indian Texts … the Accompaniment may be played on the Piano.
  • In the Silence: a psychic tone-picture
  • Traditional Songs of the Zuni Indians (Published in 1914 by Theodore Presser Co):
    1. Kiowa Apache War Dance (instrumental)
    2. Zuñian "Kor-Kok-Shi" clown dance
    3. Hunting song of the Cliff-dwellers
    4. Apache medicine chant
    5. Awakening at dawn (a processional chant)
    6. Recall of the tribal hunters
  • Columbus (1915), setting of the Joaquin Miller poem, dedicated to Dr. George Wharton James of Pasadena, California. [11]
  • Zuniana (1916) A music drama in three acts based on his Native American songs and on his music lectures. [12]

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Callam, Katie (2020). "To Look After and Preserve": Curating the American Musical Past, 1905-1945. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. p. 101.
  2. ^ a b "Carlos Troyer, Composer, Passes Away". Musical Courier. LXXXI (9): 34. August 26, 1920.
  3. ^ "Two pianoforte compositions". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  4. ^ Burton, Deborah (2012). Recondite Harmony. Essays on Puccini's Operas. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press. pp. 214–215. ISBN  978-1576472125.
  5. ^ Troyer, Carlos; Hamilton, Lena; Calsing, Lottie, eds. (1882). The spider and the fly: character song for two voices / words arranged and music composed by Carlos Troyer. M. Gray: San Francisco.
  6. ^ Troyer, Carlos, ed. (1884). Lead thy mother tenderly: song or quartette for mixed voices /ccomposed by Carlos Troyer. A. Waldteufel: San Francisco (737 Market St.; First St., San Jose).
  7. ^ "Inventory of the Albert Israel Elkus Papers, 1893-1993". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  8. ^ Various, Dario Müller - The American Indianists Vol. 2, 1996, retrieved 2023-12-12
  9. ^ George Templeton Strong, Carlos Troyer, Harvey Worthington Loomis, Arthur Farwell, Edward MacDowell, Charles Wakefield Cadman - Indian Music, retrieved 2023-12-12
  10. ^ Troyer, Carlos (1904). The Coming of Montezuma. Theodore Presser Company.
  11. ^ "Columbus | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  12. ^ "LC Catalog - No Connections Available". catalog.loc.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-12.

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