Lullaby (Cheyenne) - Natalie Curtis/J.M. van Bronkhorst (1/4)

Lullaby from the Cheyenne, written down by Natalie Curtis around 1904. I found this song in her "The Indians' Book" (1907) I arranged this for:

1. voice and piano (1996)
2. strings and piano (the up-loaded version) (1996)
3. two soli, choir, strings and piano (2001)

Natalie Curtis (also cited by her married name, Natalie Curtis Burlin) (born April 26, 1875, in New York City-died October 23, 1921 Paris, France) was an American ethnomusicologist. Curtis, along with Alice Cunningham Fletcher and Frances Densmore, was one of a small group of women doing important ethnological studies in North America at the beginning of the 20th century. She is remembered for her transcriptions and publication of traditional music of Native American tribes as well as for having published a four-volume collection of African-American music.

Curtis studied music at the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City as well as in France and Germany. In Europe, she studied with prominent musicians, including Italian composer Busoni. After a trip to Arizona in 1900, she became fascinated with Native American music and devoted herself to the collection and transcription of such music.

Starting in 1903 she worked from the Hopi reservation in Arizona and produced transcriptions using both an Edison cylinder recorder and pencil and paper. At the time, such work with native music and language was in conflict with the policies of the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, which discouraged natives on reservations from speaking their language, singing their music, dressing in native garb, etc. It was only after the personal intervention of her friend, President Theodore Roosevelt, that she could continue her work unhindered. Roosevelt, himself, visited the Hopi reservation in 1913 for the Hopi flute and snake ceremonies, which visit was detailed by Curtis in "Theodore Roosevelt in Hopi Land," an article Curtis wrote for Outlook magazine in 1919.

Curtis published The Indians Book in 1907, a collection of songs and stories from 18 tribes, illustrated with handwritten transcriptions of songs as well as with artwork and photography. Most of the 200 songs are presented only in manuscript notation with no piano accompaniment at all. The book served as source for her former teacher Busonis Indian Fantasy, a work for piano and orchestra, first performed in 1915 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.

In 1917 she had married artist Paul Burlin; they moved to France, where she died in a traffic accident in 1921.

Sound: Finale 2008 with Garritan instruments

Category:

Music

Tags:

• cheyenne
• lullabye
• finale
• garritan

[lmollot]

no native flutes or native woman to sing the words?

[bartje11]

@lmollot So far, there is no interest from Native Americans for my music., I am sad to say.

[lmollot]

@bartje11 i mean- maybe u could use native flutes instead and native language in your vid -that would seem more from cheyenne traditional ways

[bartje11]

@lmollot Yes, but how would I do that? I don't play it, and don't know people who do. You know somebody? Let me know. I have performed these songs many times with voice and piano, or Choir (SSAATB) and the lyrics are indeed in Cheyenne language.

[MagnitudePerson]

Really good, I LOVE MINIMALIST MUSIC.

[RemovdSande11]

very minimalistic music, impressive for that period of time!

[ModestMom2009]

I love the beautiful introduction and it's calming way. Beautiful and pure~~

[billystewart4]

Wonderful, Maestro!!!

Wonderful!

Best,

Billy

[6cuerdas6]

Great performance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bravooo

Cesar Amaro