Henri Berger

Heinrich August Wilhelm Berger (* August 4, 1844 in Berlin, † October 14, 1929 in Honolulu, Henry / Henri Berger ) was a German military musician and longtime bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Marching Band ( Royal Hawaiian Band ). He combined traditional music from Hawaii with modern influences of jazz and contributed significantly to the spread of music from the island in the United States and Europe.

Life

Heinrich Berger grew up in Coswig (Anhalt) and served an apprenticeship as a military musician in the 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards at Friedrichstrasse 107, Berlin.

When the King of the Kingdom of Hawaii Kamehameha V. Prussian King asked for a bandmaster, Berger was sent to Hawaii in 1872. Within a short time he formed the Royal Hawaiian Band, founded in 1836 as a highly respected and popular ensemble. Some of the best and most famous musicians of Hawaii were trained in the chapel and the trips to the mainland (1883, 1905, 1906 ) contributed to the spread Hawaiian music at. Berger was their conductor until 1915.

With the royal family of the Kalākaua Dynasty, he was on friendly terms. Many compositions of the musically talented Queen Liliuokalani he arranged for the Royal Hawaiian Band. On August 4, 1881 King Kalākaua reported during his world trip in a letter from Berlin to his sister, the regent Liliuokalani that he had met his mother and sister of Henry Berger and announced the sending of a program whose pieces Berger on his return with the Royal Hawaiian Band should play.

The final resting place of Henry Bergers is located in the cemetery of Kawaiahao Church in Honolulu. The poet Robert Louis Stevenson has also put it in his novel The Bottle Imp a monument.

The Royal Hawaiian Band after the fall of the monarchy

The Royal Hawaiian Band remained after the fall of the queen made ​​, although other symbols of the Kingdom of Hawaii during the brief period of " Republic of Hawaii" were eliminated, such as the Schell tree, King David Kalākaua as a reminder of his visit to Berlin by Kaiser Wilhelm I had been given.

The formal annexation on August 12, 1898 was a particularly difficult moment for the Hawaiians in the chapel. With the permission of Heinrich Berger they left the ceremony early.

Since 1905, the city of Honolulu is the carrier of the Royal Hawaiian Band.

"Father of Hawaiian Music "

The bandleader, composer and arranger Henry Berger was named by Queen Liliuokalani "Father of Hawaiian Music ". The originally called Hymn of Kamehameha I by him ( 1874) was composed melody with the words David Kalākaua as " Hawaii Ponoi " the anthem of the Kingdom and is now state song of the state of Hawaii.

In his compositions Berger joined the Prussian, Austrian and Hawaiian traditions to his own style, which contributed much to his popularity. The recording of historical songs, his arrangements for Hawaiian music and their publication in print are an important part of the musical history of Hawaii. Among the numerous traces of his work include the extension of the musical education at the Kamehameha Schools (1893-1903) and the musical director of the Honolulu Amateur Dramatic Club, who made outstanding contributions to the performance of operas. Berger was also conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Honolulu later.

The memory of the Prussians remained alive in Hawaii to the present day. For 130th anniversary of the arrival Berger appeared a series of stamps in his honor.

Works

To Heinrich Berger -known compositions include:

  • Hawaii Ponoi
  • The Hula March
  • Hilo March
  • Kohala March
  • Nuuanu Valley Polka
  • Sweet Lei Lehua

Sweet Lei Lehua wrote the march Berger for his daughter Leilehua Berger Billam Walker, who died in 2001 at the age of 93 years.

Turkish crescent Integrated Authority File
382012
de