Berger Musical Travelogues

              BERGER MUSICAL TRAVELOGUES
No. 1

Figure

THE AMERICAN INDIAN - THE PUEBLOS



CORN DANCE



From “Morning Journal,” Santa Fe July 30, 1916
Isidor Berger, the Chicago composer, who is making fine progress with his grand opera, of which the Pueblo revolution of 1680 is to be the main theme and Santa Fe and surrounding country in Spanish colonial days the background, will also go to Santa Clara to make notes of Indian motives for his music.  He was also at the Cochiti and Santo Domingo Dances and today went to Picuris for the fiesta of San Lorenzo and the Indian Dance.



THE BERGER TRAVELOGUES
Are not Illustrated Lectures.  The entertainment offered is similarly educational, but with all the charm of the personal and intimate relation enjoyed by the artist in his travels and research, with the feature of a recital that is enjoyable and instructive, with the opportunity for meeting and hearing Wynemah Tseneubia when she renders the songs of her people.  It is the purpose of BERGER to continue these travelogues, and already arrangements have been effected for tours in Hawaii and the Philippines.  By all means see this first BERGER Musical Travelogue.  Hear the artist tell of his wonderful experiences as a hunter (for music)—how he scouted outside the reservations at times of rehearsal, when it was inviting death to listen to the music and to watch the ceremonies, how he followed the ceremonial dances and captured the elusive melodies; how all the government officials enthusiastically donated their resources, including official records made of the music, and how finally he persuaded the charming princess to take the music of the Pueblos to the music lovers of America.  It is fascinating, picturesque and compelling, a revelation of aboriginal and primitive music illustrated by an artist who is recognized everywhere as a virtuoso.  The program consists of these brief and unconventional talks, the playing of music on the violin, and the illustrations offered by Wynemah Tseneubia, who gives her songs and dances at every recital.  Mr. Berger can accept only a limited number of engagements during the season, consequently it is advisable to give the matter of his appearance in your city immediate attention.



An Endorsement from the Recognized Authority on the History of the Indians of the Southwest.
Music lovers and the public generally are greatly indebted to Mr. Isador Berger for his untiring effort in acquiring and reproducing in a popular enjoyable form, the songs, music and ceremonials of the Pueblo Indians.  Primitive music like primitive art, has in it, that which appeals to the human mind and heart.

We should rejoice in any and every effort made to secure this valuable material before it is too late.  Mr. Berger quickly won his way into the good graces of the Pueblo people at San Juan, Paos, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Pesuque, Laguno and Asama and they were not only willing but eager to give him their best.

We congratulate him on his success.

(Signed) GEO. LAMONT COLE.

Los Angeles, Cal., June 28th, 1917.




Department of the Interior United States Indian Service
Santa Fe Indian School,
August 23, 1916.

To whom it may concern:

This is to certify that Mr. Isador Berger has been given permission to interview the pupils of this school with a view of having them sing some of their native songs to him.

Some of this Indian music I understand Mr. Berger may desire to use in some compositions he is working on.

FREDERIC SNYDER, Supt.


DANCE OF THE RABBIT HUNT




OUTLINE OF PROGRAM
Before going into the program it is necessary to make some explanations regarding the Pueblo tribes.

The word Pueblo means towns or villages, a term applied by the Spaniards and adopted by the English speaking people to designate all the Indians who lived or are living in permanent stone or adobe houses built into compact villages.

The Pueblo people of history comprise the Tanoan, Keresean (Queres), and Zunian linguistic families of New Mexico, and the Hopi, of Shoshonean affinity, in N. E. Arizona.  This makes nine distinct groups which divide themselves into 28 tribes or villages, not counting the outlying villages, in Zuni, with a population from 16 Indians, as in Pojoaque, to 1667, in Zuni.

From practically all of these BERGER has obtained their songs, dances and ceremonies and will offer programs somewhat after the following.


Program No. 1
(New Mexico)

1.
Songs, Dances and Ceremonies of the Tanoan Linguistic stock WYNEMAH TSENEUBIA In the costume of the Tanoan stock
2.
BERGER in violin compositions
3.
Songs, Dances and Ceremonies of the Queres in costume by WYNEMAH TSENEUBIA
4.
BERGER in violin compositions
5.
Songs, Dances and Ceremonies of the Zunian stock in costume by WYNEMAH TSENEUBIA



Program No. 2
(The Hopis of Arizona)
Program in detail will be sent upon request



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Indian Affairs
WASHINGTON
September 2, 1916.

To Mr. P. T. Lonergan, Supt., Pueblos Day School,
and To The Governors of the Pueblos:

 This will introduce Mr. Isador Berger, of Chicago, who desires to visit among the Pueblos Indians for the purpose of studying Indian music.

You are requested to extend to him all proper courtesies and to aid him in the furtherance of his work insofar as it may be practicable.

Very truly yours,
E. B. MERITT, Assistant Commissioner.





Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 21, 1916.

 DEAR, MR. BERGER:—On the eve of your departure for the pueblos of Laguna and Acoma, I desire to thank you for the pleasant evinings you have given us.  It is a real pleasure to know that in your efforts to secure the real Indian ideas as interpreted in their songs and ceremonies you have visited all the public villages and personally taken notes of their various ceremonial performances, songs and dances.  There ought to be more than ordinary value to the work you have in mind.  Mrs. Twitchell joins me in wishing you a pleasant journey and abundant success, hoping that it may be our good fortune to see you with us in Santa Fe again next year.

Truly yours,
R. E. TWITCHELL.



SCHOOL OF AMERICAN ARCHAELOGY, MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 21, 1916.

 To Whom It May Concern:—Mr. Isador Berger of Chicago spent the past few weeks at the Museum of New Mexico and in its Library in research work and gathering material for an opera he proposes to compose.  He visited various Indian pueblos, attended the Indian dances and transcribed the Indian music and songs while there and also while in Santa Fe, when a number of Indians came to the Museum and sang, hummed and whistled their melodies for him.

PAUL A. F. WALTER. Secretary.





GENIUS

If, as someone has defined genius, it consists in mastery plus creative ability, BERGER is a genius.  His whole effort is the creation of ideas which have incited philosophers to argument, artists to labor and musicians to wonder.
KENNETH M. ELLIS. From The Searchlight, May 1917

On Sunday, July 9th, 1916, in the Chicago Herald appeared a full page in four colors with the daring heading, Setting President Wilson to Music, his personality, his voice, his characteristics, by BERGER.



Musical Miracle
From the Chicago Tribune, July 8th, 1914.  Ester Magid, ninety years of age, stood in the gallery and danced, while the audience looked on and cheered as BERGER played the violin.


Of his gift there can be no doubt.
FELIX BOROWSKI, Music Critic Chicago Herald.


Clever and commendably accurate of fingering and quick of bow-arm, BERGER turned many a neat rhetorical flourish in the course of the Lalo Symphony.
ERIC DELMARTER, Music Critic Chicago Tribune and Inter Ocean.


He is exponent of modern music.—
Grand Rapids Press, March 16, 1916.



BERGER

Figure




A young man who has won all honors within reaching distance as a violinist, a thinker who has received the support of teachers, schools and universities, and a genius who has followed the pioneer paths of research in music and allied arts—BERGER.

Before he was seventeen, he had astounded Chicago critics, had won gold medals and other honors, and then followed studies in Europe with Emile Sauret, in Geneva, Switzerland; with August Wilhelmj, in London, England, and with Cesar Thomson, in Brussells, Belgium, where he took first prize for violin playing at the Royal Conservatory, and where he was engaged as first violinist in King Albert's Royal Court Orchestra.  Later he held the same position in Queen's Hall, London, and in Chicago with the Chicago Grand Opera Orchestra.  As a composer his works have a range from the children's compositions featured in the Chicago Daily News to the symphonies which have been used by the American Symphony Orchestra, and which have attracted as much attention from the press as the revolutionary work accomplished by the artist in setting modern paintings to music, at the Blackstone Theatre, Chicago.

One of the works accomplished by the artist was the composition and production of a pantomime dance where color, music and motion were combined, working on the theory that every emotion has its counterpart in color, motion and music.  Recently BERGER appeared as a conductor of the Symphony Orchestra which he organized for the National Music Show, given at the Coliseum in Chicago.