Edward Benjamin Scheve (1865–1924)

[jerfilm]

 While surfing Youtube for UC's, I came across a reference to Scheve, German born American composer.  Came to this country and was Professor of Music at Grinnell Collge in Grinnell, Iowa.  His most major work appears to have been a large oratorio "The Death and Resurrection of Christ" published in 1908.   There is a video of the final 11 minute of this lovely work in Russia several years ago and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0or0mEV6PdU.

Apparently he wrote a symphony, 2 concertos and other works.

I suspect that the entire Moscow performance must have been taped but can find no trace, at least on youtube.

Can anyone shed some light on this composer/work?

Jerry

[Gareth Vaughan]

Wish I could. What splendid music! Will hunt around...

[Alan Howe]

Wikipedia has a link to this information:

The Grinnell (IA) Herald

THE SUDDEN DEATH OF PROFESSOR SCHEVE

The community of Grinnell was shocked immeasurably at the news which came Thursday morning, June 19, of the death the night before, in the hospital at Longmont, Colorado, of Professor Edward B. Scheve, our "beloved musician." Mr. and Mrs. Scheve had been in Grinnell for several days late in May, on the way to their cottage in the Colorado mountains, after two years spent in travel and rest in the east. Mr. Scheve was in the best of health and high spirits; he played at senior chapel in his inimitable way, and his return to his work in September seemed to be anticipated as much by himself, as by his hosts of friends. After reaching their cottage, where he seemed to enjoy himself more than usual, he over-exerted himself battling deep snowdrifts that had piled up late in the season; an old ailment, but not a serious one, took him to the hospital, where an operation was decided upon; following complications were severe, and after several days of suffering he succumbed, with not one of this thousands of friends near him, but only his devoted wife. Funeral services were held at the First Congregational church of Grinnell Saturday afternoon, June 21; he is buried in Hazelwood.

Professor Scheve was born at Herford, Germany, in 1865. He came to America about 1890, first to Rochester, N.Y., where through the friendship between his father and the elder Rauschenbusch he found a welcome. After a number of years of highly successful musical work in Chicago, Professor Scheve came to Grinnell in 1906. He found an immediate place in the heart of all Grinnell--students, faculty, and townspeople--not only because of his musicianship, which was a revelation, but because of the rare charm of his character and the distinction of his personality.

The attachment which Grinnell felt for the Scheves was happily reciprocated. Many calls to positions in metropolitan centers came to him, but he loved Grinnell. Twice with Mrs. Scheve, he took leaves of absence abroad; at the time of his death they were nearing the end of a two years' leave spent most happily in renewing their associations of former years in the east.

The magnitude of his genius is greater than any of us who were associated with him yet realize. He was a great teacher, a great organist, and a great composer. He made Grinnell musical, and any future history of the college and the town will number him among the real founders of Grinnell.

Mrs. Scheve for the present will make her home in Grinnell, among the neighbors who, with thousand of friends all over the world, join in one common tribute to the greatness and lovableness of the departed master.
http://iagenweb.org/boards/poweshiek/obituaries/index.cgi?read=439848

[Alan Howe]

More:

Education

Came to America, 1883. Educated Kullaks Academy of Music, Berlin, 1885-1888. Organ under F. Grunicke.

Piano, A. Konig, and composition, Alb. Becker; honorary Doctor of Music, Grinnell College, Iowa.

Career

Instructor Kullaks Academy of Music, 1886-1888. Organist and teacher, Rochester, New York, 1888-1892. Concert organist and director of a conservatory of music, Chicago, 1892-1906.

Professor theory and composition and instructor in organ and piano, Grinnell College School of Music, since 1906.

Works:

Author: Death and Resurrection of Christ (oratorio), 1906. Requiem, 1909

Festival March (orchestra, organ and chorus), 1909. Conzerto for Piano and Orchestra, 1913.

Sonata for Violin and Piano, 1913. Suite, In Trying Times, for orchestra, 1914. Suite religioso for organ and orchestra, 1915.

Sonata for organ, 1915. Symphony in D-minor, for Orchestra, 1917. Meditations on Quotations from the Psalms, for piano and violin, 1917.

Symphonic poem for orchestra, A Day in Elkanah Valley, 1920. Song of Triumph, intermezzo for orchestra, 1921. Also numerous compositions for piano, organ, voice and religious service.
https://prabook.com/web/edward_benjamin.scheve/1095360

[Alan Howe]

Further link to an excerpt from the same oratorio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jilfiq3x9_4

The performance details are as follows:
The premiere of the oratorio "Death and resurrection of Christ" by E. Scheve took place in the Rachmaninov Concert Hall of the Moscow State Conservatoire, featuring the choir of Bezchitsa Baptist Church ('Revival Temple') from Bryansk. It is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the translation of the Bible into Russian. Scheve, the composer of the oratorio, was an American composer. This is the first performance in Russia of its full version. The manuscript, which has not been published so far, was found in the US, in Iowa. It has recently been revised and translated into Russian.

[Alan Howe]

More detailed list of works:

Sinfonie in D-Moll, Op. 38 (ca. 1917)
Festmarsch für Orchester, Chor und Orgel ad. lib., Op. 12 (ca. 1909)
Klavierkonzert, Op. 20 (ca. 1913)
Violinkonzert in Es-Dur, Op. 35
Violinsonate in C-Moll
Four Sketches für Violine, Cello und Klavier
Oratorium The Death and Resurrection of Christ, Op. 11 (ca. 1906)
Kantate A Song of Penitence (dt. Bußgesang) für Soli, Chor und Orchester, Op. 17 (ca. 1917)
Klavier-Suite Twilight-Pictures, Op. 29
Meditations on Psalms für Klavier und Violine ad.lib., Op. 31
Orgelsonate in Es-Dur
Suite Religioso für Orgel, Op. 18
24 Preludes and Postludes für Orgel, Op. 9
http://deacademic.com/dic.nsf/dewiki/2339033

[Gareth Vaughan]

A quick search through the archive at Grinnell shows there is quite a lot of his music preserved, including score and parts for the piano concerto and what I assume to be the symphony, although it is catalogued as "Sonata" in D minor - but what Sonata has complete set of orchestral parts including brass and percussion? Cannot find the violin concerto, however, but will keep looking.

[johnrommereim]

I haven't known about this site until now.  What a great resource.  I'm a professor at Grinnell College where Scheve taught.  Here's an article about Scheve that was just posted on Iowa Public Radio's Site:
http://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/find-grinnell-resonates-over-oceans-eras-rediscovering-iowa-composer-edward-scheve#stream/2
If you're interested in obtaining scores of Scheve's works, I'd be glad to help you.  For _Der Tod und Auferstehung Christi_ , I have pdf files and finale files of the complete work.
My email is rommer@grinnell.edu

John Rommereim

[Mark Thomas]

Welcome to UC, John, and many thanks. It's a fascinating article and I'm sure that your offer will be greatly appreciated.

[Alan Howe]

Yes, what a fascinating and heartwarming story. Thank you!

[tpaloj]

I was very glad to receive scans of the Piano Concerto from John. Any enterprising pianist should be encouraged to look into this work given that the partitura MS is very tidy and legible, and the College also has a full set of parts available for performance in mind. From what I can tell just browsing the pages the piece appears ambitious and even has an extensive Organ part in the Finale...


As a small tribute to the composer, I took a few pieces from a selection of miscellaneous MS piano pieces scanned by John, and typeset them. These range from light waltzes to literally more lyrical pieces. Sorry if any mistakes in these scores (pick download as PDF from the right).

https://musescore.com/user/29480707/scores/5313804 "In my native land" (Waltz)
https://musescore.com/user/29480707/scores/5313809 "Choral-Praeludiumi"
https://musescore.com/user/29480707/scores/5313813 "Two Lyric-Pieces for Pianoforte"

Hopefully Grinnell can eventually make more manuscript scans available; there's a Symphony and whatnot still out there.

[semloh]

Oh for some recordings! 

[eschiss1]

Well, aside from individual songs in limited distribution song recitals. Which is a start on a start but only that...