![Arthur Nevin and Francesca Peralta, 1917 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Arthur_Nevin_and_Francesca_Peralta%2C_1917_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Arthur Finley Nevin (April 27, 1871 – July 10, 1943) was an American composer, conductor, teacher and musicologist. Along with
Charles Wakefield Cadman
Charles Wakefield Cadman (December 24, 1881 – December 30, 1946) was an American composer. For 40 years he worked closely with Nelle Richmond Eberhart, who wrote most of the texts to his songs, including ''Four American Indian Songs''. She also ...
,
Blair Fairchild
J. Blair Fairchild (June 23, 1877 – April 23, 1933) was an American composer and diplomat. Along with Charles Wakefield Cadman, Charles Sanford Skilton, Arthur Nevin, and Arthur Farwell, among others, he is sometimes grouped among the Indian ...
,
Charles Sanford Skilton, and
Arthur Farwell
Arthur Farwell (April 23, 1872 – January 20, 1952) was an American composer, conductor, educationalist, lithographer, esoteric savant, and music publisher. Interested in American Indian music, he became associated with the Indianist movement ...
, among others, he was one of the leading
Indianist composers of the early twentieth century.
Biography
Born in
Edgeworth, Pennsylvania
Edgeworth is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 1,680 at the 2010 census. Edgeworth is the wealthiest town in Pennsylvania.
History
E ...
, Nevin was the younger brother of composer
Ethelbert Nevin
Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (November 25, 1862February 17, 1901) was an American pianist and composer.
Early life
Nevin was born on November 25, 1862, at Vineacre, on the banks of the Ohio River, in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania.Mulkearn, Lois, p. 62 ...
, and a cousin of
George Balch Nevin and his son,
Gordon
Gordon may refer to:
People
* Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters
* Gordon (surname), the surname
* Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War
* Clan Gordon, ...
, both of whom were also composers.
He received his first musical instruction from his father before enrolling in the
New England Conservatory in 1889, studying piano with
Otto Bendix and
music theory with
Percy Goetschius
Percy Goetschius (August 10, 1853 – October 29, 1943) was an American music theorist and teacher who won international fame in the teaching of composition.
Career
Goetschius was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was encouraged by Ureli Corell ...
.
Completing his work there, in 1893 he traveled to Europe, there receiving instruction in piano from
Karl Klindworth
Karl Klindworth (25 September 183027 July 1916) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, violinist and music publisher. He was one of Franz Liszt's pupils and later one of his closest disciples and friends, being also on friendly terms ...
and
Ernst Jedliczka, and studying composition with
Otis Boise and
Engelbert Humperdinck.
In 1897 Nevin returned to the United States, and spent time teaching and conducting as well as writing music; some of his early pieces were published under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
"Arthur Dale".
In 1903 and 1904, he spent the summers living with the
Blackfeet
The Blackfeet Nation ( bla, Aamsskáápipikani, script=Latn, ), officially named the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, is a federally recognized tribe of Siksikaitsitapi people with an Indian reservation in Mon ...
tribe in
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, using the opportunity to study their
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
and
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
.
He soon became recognized as an expert on Indian culture, and his interest in the Blackfeet led to the composition of an opera, ''Poia'', on the subject of their Scarface legend.
Between 1911 and 1914, Nevin worked in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, also spending time in
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
conducting at the
MacDowell Colony
MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire, United States, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDowel ...
.
At the start of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he took a teaching post at the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
, but gave it up when the United States entered the war in order to direct the army band and choirs at
Camp Grant in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. Post-war, he moved to
New York after spending time in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
; he suffered from poor health in the last two decades of his life. During this time he also traveled to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. He was elected an honorary member of the Alpha chapter of
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...
fraternity, the national fraternity for men in music, at the New England Conservatory c. 1916-1917. Nevin died in
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Sewickley is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, west northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. It is a residential suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,827 according to the 2010 census. The Sewickley Bridge crosses the Ohio ...
, in 1943.
He was married to the novelist
Reita Lambert and had two children, Arthur Jr. and Martha Jane.
His great-grandchildren are Frances and Mark Quinlan of the band
Hop Along
Hop Along is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formerly known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis.
History
Hop Along began as an acoustic freak folk solo project known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis in 2004, during Frances Qu ...
.
Music
Nevin is best known for his three-act opera ''Poia'', based on the Blackfeet legend describing the origin of the Sun Dance.
The opera was commissioned in 1903 by
Walter McClintock. In June of that year, Nevin and McClintock traveled to the
Blackfeet Indian Reservation
The Blackfeet Nation ( bla, Aamsskáápipikani, script=Latn, ), officially named the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, is a federally recognized tribe of Siksikaitsitapi people with an Indian reservation in Mon ...
where Nevin listened to "hundreds of songs, dirges, and ceremonial hymns" and transcribed the musical notes of the ones that most interested him.
He was most inspired by the song sang by the people as they raised the center pole of the Blackfeet Medicine Lodge. On his last day on the reservation, Nevin heard the story of Scarface, a poor man with a disfiguring scar across his cheek. According to the legend, Scarface goes in search of the Sun after being rejected by the woman he loves. He eventually makes it to the lodge of the Sun, who is impressed by his bravery and heals his scar.
After returning home to Pittsburgh, Nevin used the Scarface legend as inspiration to compose ''Poia'' on a
libretto provided by
Randolph Hartley. ''Poia'' was first heard in concert in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
in 1907, and received good reviews.
That same year,
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
invited Nevin to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
to give an illustrated talk on his work, but further interest from the American musical establishment was not forthcoming. Instead, ''Poia'' was given its highly controversial stage premiere on April 23, 1910, at the Royal Opera House in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, in a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
translation crafted in part by the composer's former teacher, Humperdinck.
From there it fell into obscurity; it was only given again in the United States by the
Great Falls
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
Symphony Orchestra in 2005.
Nevin composed numerous other works besides ''Poia''. A one-act opera, initially titled ''Twilight'', was said to have been accepted for performance at the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...
, but never saw the stage there. It was given as ''A Daughter of the Forest'' in Chicago in 1918.
Nevin's other output includes a number of other dramatic works, some pieces for
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, and some
chamber music, as well as four works for
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
.
Recordings
Little of Nevin's music has been committed to disc. Excerpts of his orchestral suite ''From Edgeworth Hills'' of 1903 may be found on an
Altarus Records release, as may a complete version of his ''Toccatella''.
Notes and references
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevin, Arthur
1871 births
1943 deaths
American male classical composers
American musicologists
New England Conservatory alumni
People from Edgeworth, Pennsylvania
Pupils of Percy Goetschius
University of Kansas faculty
American classical composers
19th-century American composers
19th-century classical composers
20th-century classical composers
20th-century American composers
Classical musicians from Pennsylvania
20th-century American male musicians
19th-century American male musicians