Helen Hopekirk 1856-1945

[giles.enders]

Helen Hopekirk   Born 20 May1856  Edinburgh - Died 19 November1945  Cambridge, Massachusetts

She initially studied music in Edinburgh under George Lichtenstein and Alexander Mackenzie where she proved to be a very fine pianist and a promising composer.  Her father determined that she should further her studies in Leipzig (1876-78) under Carl Reinecke and Solomon Jadassohn. This is where she met George Chadwick who was a fellow student. In 1882 she married a Scottish music critic, William Wilson, who later became her manager.  They went to the USA in 1883 where she toured as a pianist.  She returned to Europe in 1887 and spent five years principally in Vienna having further studies under Theodor Leschetizky.  In 1892 She and her husband moved to Paris where she taught, gave concerts and continued to compose. Following her husbands bad accident in 1897,  Chadwick invited her to The New England Conservatory.  She settled in The USA remaining there until her death.


Orchestral

Piano concerto in D major  1900
Concertino in D minor  1894
Rhapsody for piano and orchestra
Pastorale 1899
Legende 1910

Chamber

Sonata for violin and piano  in E minor  1892
Sonata for violin and piano in D 1893
Romance for violin and piano  1919  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Melody for violin and piano  in G   pub. by O Ditson & Co. Boston
Romance for cello and piano

Piano solo

Bourree  pub. by Cary
Gavotte  in B minor  1884  pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Iona Memories - Four pieces: 1.Wandering, 2.Cronan-a hushing Song, 3.In The Ruins, 4.A Twilight Tale  pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Lento and Allegro  pub. by Cary
The Norland Eve  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Reveil- Fantasie  pub. by Cary
Prelude, Reverie and Dance  1915  pub. by G Schirmer & Co
Robin Good-fellow  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Romance  1885  pub. by Pond
Serenade for piano  pub. by Paterson & Sons, London
Serenata - suite  1905  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Shadows and Brocade  1924  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Suite for piano  1917  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Sundown  1909  pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Tone Pictures
Five Portraits for the piano  pub. by Boston Music Co.
Five Scottish folk songs transcribed for piano  pub. by Boston Music Co.


Songs

Blows the Wind Today  words by R L Stevenson   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Bonnie wee thing  words by R Burns 1897   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Das meer hat seine perlen  words by Heinrich Heine
Eilidh, my Fawn  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Es war ein alter Konig  words by Heinrich Heine
From the Hills of Dream  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Highland Baloo  words by R Burns   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Hushing song words by Fiona Macleod 1905   pub. by G Schirmer & Co
Jackie's ta'en the parting kiss  words by R Burns 1897   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
A Lament  words by G S Craig   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
The Minuet  words by M M Dodge 1907   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Mo-lennav-a-chree  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
My Lady of Sleep  1885   pub. by Pond
My Heart is in the Highlands   pub. by Thompson
O can ye sew cushions ?  words by R Burns   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Oh bonny Birdeen  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Out over the Forth
O, whistle and I'll come to you, my lad  words by R Burns  1897   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Put thine arms about my neck  words by V R G1899   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Requiescat text by Matthew Arnold
Sigh, my lute  words by L Nova  1880
Sweet, my Babe  words by E McAdam  1899   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Reconciliation  words by Walt Whitman 1915
St. Bride's lullaby  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
The Bandruidh, song of Spring   words by Fiona Macleod 1904  pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
The Bird of Christ  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Sag'ich liess' sie grussen  words by Heinrich Heine
The sea hath its pearls text by Longfellow after Heinrich Heine
The Song of Glen Dun  words by M O'Neill  1907   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
The Lonely Hunter  words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
The voice of the Mountains words by B Richie    pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
There was an ancient monarch  text after Heinrich Heine
Thy dark eyes to mine  words by Fiona Macleod    pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Under the still white stars - with violin obligato  words by R M Wheeler  1899   pub. by O Ditson & Co.
When the dew is falling words by Fiona Macleod   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.
Slumber song for 4 part chorus of women's voices  1925   pub. by G Schirmer & Co.

Two sacred songs - 1. The Lord is my Shepherd, 2. God is a spirit.  1917   pub. by Boston Music Co.
Sacred song - I will lift up mine eyes. 1919  pub. by Boston Music Co.


There are over 100 songs including many Scottish folk songs.

George Whitfield Chadwick  1854-1931

[eschiss1]

She was also an editor, the Library of Congress having scanned in one of her arrangements/editions of one of Johann Schobert's works for Prohaska's Elite Edition in New York (see here...)

[semloh]

A similar biog. note appears at Arizona Archives Online, which holds some 250 of her letters and  other items:

Helen Hopekirk (May 20, 1856-November 19, 1945) was a concert pianist, composer and teacher who was born in Scotland. She studied with many well-known artists, including Karl Muck, who later conducted the Boston Symphony, as well as American composer George Whitefield Chadwick. In 1882 Hopekirk married William A. Wilson, who became her manager. Hopekirk traveled throughout Europe, and made her American debut in 1883 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. One of Hopekirk's most notable works is her edition of Seventy Scottish Songs (1905), which reflects her interest in folk material. She became an American citizen in 1918, and made her last public appearance in 1939 in Boston.

The "Women of Note: website - http://oboeclassics.com/~oboe3583/ambache/wHopekirk.htm - has an interesting entry for her, footnoted with:

I am indebted to Dana Muller for the information, quotations and musical illustration. They come from her dissertation "Helen Hopekirk (1856-1945): Pianist, Composer, Pedagogue: A Biographical study; A Thematic Catalogue of her works for Piano; A Critical Edition of her Concertstuck in D minor for Piano and Orchestra." published as a Doctor of Musical Arts essay at the Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, in May 1995.

There's a charming performance of her short piano work "Sundown" on YT at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrEIp3tUO28 

On that basis, I'd love to hear her orchestral work - and especially her piano concerto! 

[Gareth Vaughan]

See: http://copac.ac.uk/search?author=Hopekirk%2C%20Helen&sort-order=ti%2C-date&rn=10

Also: http://www.ambache.co.uk/wHopekirk.htm

[giles.enders]

Just a small bonus for Semloh, he wanted to hear her piano concerto, the good news is that it has been recorded and is due for release later this year. No questions please!

[Rob H]

Not a question but I'll allow myself a gentle "yehhh" if that's ok and inwardly hope the Concertino and Rhapsody are there as well.

[eschiss1]

I've only seen those small-scale items and arrangements of hers at IMSLP (a few others of which are also on YouTube, I think), but I'm really curious about the concerto... and about Constance Hall's book? monograph? thesis? about her from 1954.

I see that the Library of Congress has in its catalog some autographs and "Helen Hopekirk papers, 1885-1894." with 17 items, and that a recording of songs did include one of hers so that she is not entirely, anyway, commercially unrecorded (I should look into that, too, at some point...)

Also: Helen Hopekirk Papers at U Arizona, 1880 to 1945, description page (not, alas, one of those detailed finding aids I enjoy browsing with lists on lists of manuscripts.)

[thalbergmad]

This is indeed excellent news and long overdue. This work has one of the great concerto openings.

No easing you in with an orchestral intro, the piano is straight in there from the opening bar with a bang.

Hopefully, the pianist who recorded this is up to the task.

Thal

[eschiss1]

there're good reasons for that orchestral tutti that have nothing to do with easing a restless audience in and a lot to do with structure and interesting questions about "concerto", but- erm.

[semloh]

Thanks, Giles. Yes, good news indeed. 

[edurban]

The Hopekirk Fantasiestuck (is this the Rhapsody?), Chaminade Concertino and Beach Concerto project for the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series will go into the studio this coming August.  Danny Driver is the pianist, with Rebecca Miller conducting the BBC Scottish symphony.  Info from the conductor's website...

David