Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
A CHRONOLOGY
Herman Perlet's Delightful Studio
Scope and Content
Descriptive Summary
Title: Herman Perlet Papers
Date (inclusive): 1881-1914
Collection number: ARCHIVES PERLET 1
Creator:
Perlet, Herman, 1862-1916
Extent: Number of containers: 10 boxes (151 items)
Repository: The
Music Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Shelf location: For current information on the location of
these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Donors:
Mrs. Mildred B. Perlet Carey, daughter of Herman and Belle Perlet, and Mrs. Carey's son,
Professor Grant S. Carey, both of Sacramento, California. Presented to the Music
Library August 21, 1978.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in
writing to the Head of the Music Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Herman Perlet papers, ARCHIVES PERLET 1, The Music Library,
University of California, Berkeley.
A CHRONOLOGY
Jan 24, 1862 |
Perlet born, probably in Erie, PA |
1881 |
"Come Unto Me and I Will Refresh You" (song) published |
1891 |
"I Love Him" (song) published |
1892-1893 |
Music director/conductor for various opera companies |
1893 |
"The Beggar Maid" (song) published |
1893 |
"My Little Star" (Song) published |
1894 |
Two orchestral suites performed in Leipzig, produced by Hartmann |
1894 |
"I Doubt It" (song) published |
1894 |
"I Wonder" (song) published |
1894 |
"Thou Hast a Heart, I Know!" (song) published |
1894-1895 |
The Dragoon's Daughter produced
|
Oct 8,1894 |
Fiorella, a tragic opera in four acts, compiled in New York
|
1895 |
A Stag Party, or
A Hero in Spite of Himself produced
|
1895 |
"Darling, I Love You!" (song) published |
1895 |
"I Sat at my Latticed Window" (song) published |
1895 |
"Love, Sweet Love" (song) published |
1895 |
Vocal Gems from
The Dragoon's Daughter (piano-vocal selections) published
|
1896 |
Perlet marries Belle Thorne (b. 1871) |
1896? |
Miss Philadelphia produced
|
1896 |
"The Old Dream" (song) published |
1896 |
"When Baby Boy's Ship Comes In" (song) published |
1897 |
First Mass, Opus 5 published
|
Mar 1897 |
The Isle of Gold, or
The Star Spangled Dollar produced
|
1897 |
"If Only in Thy Heart I Dwell" (song) published |
1897 |
"It Needs But That" (song) published |
1897 |
"Susie Smith from Troy" (song from The Isle of Gold) published |
1900 |
Mam'selle 'Awkins produced
|
1900 |
"The Brave Days of Old" (song) published |
1900 |
"You'll Never Know" (song) published |
1900 |
Ma Petite, Opus 6 No.1 for piano published
Abendlied, Opus6 No. 2 for piano published
Valse Fantaisie, Opus 6 No. 3 for piano published
|
1901 |
In Crakow for piano published
|
1901 |
Moonlight in Venice for piano published
|
Mar 1902 |
Specialty Dances
A Dream of the Dance Produced
|
Apr 1902 |
When Reuben Comes to Town produced
|
Mar 1905 |
The Little Devil's Half completed in New York
|
Sep 1906 |
Those Primrose Girls produced (copyright date 1903)
|
1906 |
The Maiden's Lament for contralto solo and chorus published
|
Oct-Nov 1906 |
Painting the Town produced
|
1907 |
The Festive Evening, a chorus for male voices published
|
(early) 1908 |
Perlet moves to Oakland, California |
1908 |
"If King Were Clown and Clown Were King" (song) published (copyright 1897) |
1909 |
Mine is a Song and Two Kisses (arrangements by Perlet) published
|
1909 |
The Three Graces: Suite for Piano published. Includes Dorothy, Julia and Mildred
|
Oct 1909 |
The Singing Bandits produced
|
Dec 1909 |
Christmas Jinks for the Bohemian Club, San Francisco written |
1910 |
"Sing a Song of Gladness" (chorus for women's voices) published |
1910 |
"Sing a Song of Gladness" (song) published |
1910 |
"Ave Maria" (song) published |
1910 |
"I Ask Not" (song) published |
Apr 15, 1910 |
Serenade for String Orchestra, Opus 9 completed
|
Jun 20, 1910 |
Mt. Tamalpais, Symphonic Tone Picture for Grand Orchestra, completed in San Francisco
|
Nov 1910 |
Perlet conducts the Seattle Symphony |
1911 |
"Whispers" for piano published |
1911 |
Valse-Fantasie, Opus 15 No. 1 for piano published
Ballade, Opus 15 No. 2 for piano published
Dance Grace, Opus 15 No. 3 for piano published
Staccato Etude, Opus 15 No. 4 for piano published
|
Apr 18, 1911 |
Quintette, Opus 13 completed in San Francisco
|
Jul 1911 |
Music Teachers' Association of California State Convention--Perlet speaks on chamber music and his Quintette premiered |
Sep 20, 1911 |
Trio in F, Opus 16a completed in San Francisco
|
Nov 19, 1911 |
The Maiden's Lament (contralto solo) completed in San Francisco
|
May 1912 |
Perlet conducts concert to benefit the widows and children of the bandsmen on theTitanic |
Aug 1912 |
Allein, Reverie for Orchestra completed in San Francisco
|
Nov 1912 |
Preliminary concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Recreation League,conducted and organized by Perlet |
1913 |
"A Question: Is Love a Dream?" (song) published |
Apr 1913 |
First Official concert of the People's Philharmonic Orchestra (originally the recreationLeague Orchestra), conducted by Perlet |
Aug 1913 |
The Fall of Ug, Eleventh Grove Play of the Bohemian Club, presented
|
Oct 18, 1913 |
"Autumn" (song) completed in San Francisco |
Dec 24, 1913 |
Quartette, Opus 20, completed in San Francisco
|
May 1914 |
People's Philharmonic Orchestra beings its second season of concerts |
Sep 1914 |
Perlet discusses his new "Third" Sympony |
Jan7, 1916 |
Perlet dies of heart failure in Oakland, California at age 54 |
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Herman Perlet was born on January 24, 1862, in Erie, Pennysylvania. His parents were
James P. Perlet, who worked for the Treasury Department for forty years, and Lydia A.
Baker Perlet. He had two brothers, Frank L. Perley, a theather manager and producer, and
Morrison W. Perley.
A newspaper article contained in one of the scrapbooks describes the evolution of the
name "Perlet," probably because of prominence of Herman and Frank, and because each of
the two brothers spelled the name differently. Evidently the family, of French-Huguenot
descent, originally wrote the name Per Let. One member of the family used Per Lee. When
the family came to the United States, they spelled it Perley to make it American. But
when Herman decide to go into the theater, as a courtesy to his parents who were
scandalized, he dissassociated himself from them through the form Perlet. When Frank took
up the theater as a career, the parents must have adjusted to the horror of the idea, for
he kept the name Perley.
Herman's start in music was evidently at an early age, though sources conflict as to his
teachers and his progress. He is variously listed as studying with Conrad Kremb, a pupil
and intimate friend of Moscheles, or with an unnamed friend and fellow student of
Mendelssohn, or with Ambroise Thomas.
It is agreed that Perlet's profesional start was as a concert pianist. One newspaper
clipping from a scrapbook states Under the tutelage of Thomas, young Perlet became a
concert pianist at the age of 16 years, appearing at the Capitals of Europe and the
principal cities of the United States.
Up to this time, the primary area of Perlet's theatrical activity was the northeastern
seaboard. In early 1908, however, his doctor suggested that for health reasons he move to
the West Coast, and Perlet and his wife Belle Thorne (1871-1937), a famous
prima donna whom he had married in 1896, settled in Oakland. One
daughter, Mildred, had been born to them. In California, Perlet's musical activity did
not slacken.
The Singing Bandits, a romanitic operatic comedy, was
produced in October 1909, but then Perlet's attention turned to other genres. He
continued to publish songs, but also showed more interest in orchestral and chamber
music.
An area of personal enthusiasm for Perlet was the Bohemian Club of San Francisco. In 1909
he wrote the Christmas Jinks for that club, and in 1913, he wrote the music for their
annual summer Grove Play. The allegorical Grove Play was the highlight of the summer High
Jinks, and was held in a desolate redwood grove in Sonoma visited by the club only once a
year. The main idea of the High Jinks of the Bohemian Club is that year by year the
grim specter of care shall be driven away by this holiday gathering of men of the
world... Perlet's contribution to the Eleventh Grove Play, 1913, was the music to
T
he Fall of Ug, a highly acclaimed success.
In addition to his comopositional talents, Perlet contributed to the cutltural
development of the Bay area as a conductor. He directed the Oratorio Society of San
Rafael, the San Rafael Choral Society, and the Columbia Boys' Park Band. In November 1912
he founded the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Recreation League, with the purpose of
providing low-cost concerts for the general public. This orchestra turned into the
People's Philharmonic Orchestra, which played a full season in 1913 and in 1914. A
People's Philharmonic Choral Society was also formed by Perlet. Several sources say that
it was Sir Arthur Sullivan who persuaded Perlet to give up the piano for a conducting
career.
Perlet succeeded Alfred Cellier as the conductor in America of the D'Oyly Carte Opera
Company, and at varoius times conducted most of the major opera companies in the United
States: the Strakosch English Opera Company, the Duff Comic Opera, McCaul, Agnes
Huntington, Whitney, Lillian Russell, Robin Hood and others.
Even in the early stages of his career, Perlet compsed songs, several of which attained
great popularity. Two orchestral suites of his were produced by Hartmann in Leipzig in
1894, and about the same time he began composing in earnest for the stage.
While the extent of his collaborative effort in earlier productions has yet ot be
ascertained, his first independent work to be produced probably was
The Dragoon's
Daughter,
a comic opera in three acts presented in 1894-95. Other stage works by
Perlet produced during the ensuing years included A Sta
g Party (1895),
Miss Philadelphia (1896?),
The Isle of Gold (1897),
Mam'selle 'Awkins (1900),
When Reuben Comes to Town (1902),
Those Primrose Girls (1906) and
Painting the Town (1906).
There are other theatrical works in the collection for which no composition or
performance dates are known.
Perlet died very unexpectedly on January 7, 1916 at the age of fifty-three from heart
failure, at the home of his sister-in-law on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. A concert in
his memory was held in March 1916 to benefit his widow and daughter. His "immense library
of music" soon afterwards was placed on the market by his widow.
The Perlet Collection was a gift to the Music Library from the composer's daughter, Mrs.
Mildred B. Perlet Carey of Sacramento, and her son, Grant S. Carey. The presentation was
made in three stages. In mid-August 1978, Mrs. Carey made a gift of the manuscripts and
published works of her father. Three scrapbooks were also loaned to the Library for
microfilimning, and were returned to Mrs. Carey in January 1979. That microfilm is
availbale, however, the scrapbooks themselves were donated to the Library in August of
1979. Finally, in February 1981 further additions were made to the Perlet Collection,
consisting primarily of such other documentary items as photographs, another scrapbook,
mounted clippings, programs, and some librettos and scores.
Later, on Wedensday, May 19, 1982, Mildred and Grant Carey presented the Music Library
with a collection of photographs of Belle Thorne.
Herman Perlet's Delightful Studio
Some time ago Herman Perlet, the distinguished teacher of singing and orchestral
director, moved his studio from Franklin Dtreet to within two doors on the other side of
Sutter Street from its former location, also on Franklin Street. The present Perlet
studio is located at 1350 Sutter Street, in the same building in which the well known
Bendix Conservatory of Music was situated previous to the earthquake. Mr Perlet occupies
the spacious music room which the will be gratefully remebered by those who had the good
fortune to attend some of the pupil recitals given in this historic hall. It is one of
the largest and prettiest studios in this city and its well polisched, hardwood floor,
together with the artistically frescoed ceiling, give it quite a distinguished
appearance. Mr. Perlet has left nothing undone to give this spendid studio an homelike
appearance, and on the walls may be seen an array of portaits of someof the world's most
distinguished artists and composers, all of whom are or were Mr. Perlet's personal
friends, as may be easily gathered from the affectionate autographs which each of these
pictures bear. It is one of the largest and most interesting collections of autographed
portraits of celebrities we have ever seen. Those in Mr. Perlet's studio are only a few
of the collection and among them are: Edward German, Frederick Stock, the director of the
Thomas orchestra, Reignald de Koven, Davis Bispham, Harry Rowe-Shelly, the famous
organist and composer, Gustav Becker, the well known New York pianist, Henry Hadley,
leader of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, L. Mancinelli, E. Bevignani, Julian Edwards,
Nahan Franko, John asnd Zoe Cheshire, the distinguished harpists, Alice Nielson,
Marguerite Sylva, Henry W. Savage, Madison Corey, general business manger for Mr. Savage,
and Victor Herbert. Among the real pictorial treasures in Mr. Perlet's studio is a full
length colored portrait of Verdi, of which only a very few are in the United States. Mr.
Perlet is to be congratualted upon his tasteful arrangement of the studio.
article from the
Pacific Coast Musical Review
(Saturday, May 6, 1911, p. 8)
Scope and Content
Collection includes manuscript and published scores of Perlet's songs, light operas and
theatrical works, and orchestral and chamber music, as well as librettos, 4 scrapbooks,
news articles, programs, brochures, and photographs. Also included is a small collection
of photographs of Belle Thorne Perlet.