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02 Oct 09 - 04:31 PM (#2736872) Subject: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) Vykki Mende Gray, transcriber, has done an excellent job of producing "Music of Early California," a compilation of ten volumes made between 1999 and 2008, and issued by the San Diego Friends of Old-Time Music (a California Non-profit Corporation). The magnum opus (it is worthy of that name) is comb bound so that it lies flat when opened at any page. Some 285 songs, each with sheet music for piano, chords, and Spanish lyrics, clearly printed on good white 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper, are included. A tremendous collection! Dance tunes mostly are given with directions for the figures, and notes on source are included. The songs are taken from wax cylinder recordings by Charles Fletcher Lummis (c. 1904) and his printing of the songs (C. F. Lummis, 1923, "Spanish Songs of Old California," songs transcribed and arranged by Arthur Farwell), the manuscripts of the Joseph Maria Garcia Collection, a dance master's fakebook, 1772, Mexico City, and W. J. McCoy, 1895, "Folksongs of the Spanish Californians." If the song came from a particular source or author or collector, the name is cited. Notes are brief and to the point. Most of the original material is at the Southwest Museum. The alphabetical index at the front of the oversize rather heavy volume is arranged according to the key word in the title, e. g., La jota vieja is with 'j' rather than La, and El tiempo de ventura is with 't' rather than El. Copies are U. S. $45.00. Contact Los Californios for this, and a good cd of a few of the songs, at info@loscalifornios.com. Considering the work involved and the (probably) small edition, the price asked is low. The website is loscalifornios.com. |
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02 Oct 09 - 04:34 PM (#2736876) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: katlaughing Wow! That sounds fantastic and like a LOT for such a small amount, I agree. |
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02 Oct 09 - 04:34 PM (#2736877) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) The CD is $15.00. Details and lyrics to all songs at the website. |
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02 Oct 09 - 04:36 PM (#2736879) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) That is, lyrics to the CD songs. |
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02 Oct 09 - 05:46 PM (#2736932) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Mick Pearce (MCP) On the subject of early California music, I don't know if you know of this site: 19th Century California Sheet Music (it's one of the sheet music sites I check from time to time)? Mick |
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02 Oct 09 - 06:42 PM (#2736972) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego For all of us California kids who learned about our history in the fourth grade or so (for me, circa 1949), this is a real capper. We learned about everything, for the most part, except the music. We heard about "fandangos" and were aware of the Spanish "Californio's" love of music and dance, but never really heard the sound. What a great source book for future generations. |
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02 Oct 09 - 07:54 PM (#2737014) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) Mick Pierce, an interesting site. Many of the post-1850 songs. Of the ten songs on the cover of "Canciones del Pais de California," nine are printed with sheet music, etc., in "Music of Early California;" only "La Culpa" is missing (other title?- there are several Latin American songs with that title or a title including those words). Most of the material at the sheet music site is not Californio, but post-statehood, after the Americano takeover. |
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03 Oct 09 - 01:33 AM (#2737117) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: open mike I know of another historical reference book--a collection of music from the mining days and camps. It is by Chris Bayer from Carson city, nevada, called A Miner's Farewell. Chris sometimes gives talks on early Nevada pioneers, including Major Ormsby founder of Carson City, and he also is active in the Bluegrass organization there as well as children's theater projects, contra dancing , etc. |
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03 Oct 09 - 12:43 PM (#2737359) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) There are several of these books, including the songsters printed in California in the late 1850s and early 1860s, most notably by Stone (I think his are all posted here on Mudcat). Little to do with Californio Spanish, however, but about and by the Americanos moving into and exploiting the Spanish southwest. |
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03 Oct 09 - 01:09 PM (#2737376) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: pdq "...the Americanos moving into and exploiting the Spanish southwest." Oh, crap. The people who exploited the Southwest were the Spanish, who forced the Indians to do slave labor building the missions and forced their conversion to the Catholic Church. Most Anglos saw a valley full of Indians and went elsewhere. They came to farm and raise their children. |
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03 Oct 09 - 02:50 PM (#2737445) Subject: RE: Review: Music of Early California From: Q (Frank Staplin) Oh, My! PC history See "California and the Indian Wars" "No pretext has been wanted, no opportunity lost, whenever it has been deemed necessary to get them out of the way. At Nome Cult Valley, during the winter of 1858-'59, more than one hundred peaceable Indians, including women and children were cruelly slaughtered by the whites who had settled there..." Just one of many similar massacres of Indians in California. See accounts: http://www.militarymuseum.org/Massacres.html. Keysville Massacre, Pyramid Lake Massacre, etc. Indians forced out of productive land and into the desert or mountains- a part of western history. Ask any Navajo about their forcible removal from their lands in Canyon de Chelly and surrounds and the destruction of their orchards and fields by Kit Carson and troops. The decimation of the Apaches- on and on. "Manifest destiny." |