Henri Berger Manuscript Collection
Henri Berger Manuscript Collection
The German national, Heinrich August Wilhelm Berger, arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1872 on loan from the Prussian government to the Hawaiian Kingdom in order to assist the reorganization of the King’s Band.
Berger was appointed bandmaster of the Royal Hawaiian Military Band by Mōʻī (King) Kalākaua in 1877 and he chose to naturalize as a Hawaiian Kingdom subject in 1879. Termed “The most influential bandmaster in the band’s entire history” by the modern-day Royal Hawaiian Band, Berger grew the band in both size and stature with exceptional training and compositions of both European and Hawaiian origins. The band was a ubiquitous presence at nearly all major governmental functions and offered hundreds of public performances around the nation.
Berger had sustained musical relationship with two of Hawaiʻi’s most famous composers, Mōʻī (King) David Kalākaua and Mōʻīwahine (Queen) Liliʻuokalani. The National Anthem of the Hawaiian Kingdom, “Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī,” was a collaboration of the Mōʻī and the bandmaster with Kalākaua penning the lyrics and Berger the music. Berger served as master of the government band until 1915.
The records in this digital exhibition contain incredible original musical scores, correspondence, a band account book, and other materials from the Henri Berger Manuscript Collection (Series M11) at the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The records are presented as PDFs that can be downloaded.
Included in this collection are:
- Original musical scores No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6
- Royal Hawaiian Band Account Book, January 31, 1888 – August 31, 1893
- Report of Band to Governor Sanford B. Dole
Ka ʻOhina Palapala a Henry Berger
Ua hōʻea ke kupa Kelemānia ʻo Heinrich August Wilhelm Berger, i ko Hawaiʻi pae ʻāina ma 1872 ma ka hāʻawi no ka manawa mai ke Aupuni Pelukia i ke Aupuni Mōʻī o Hawaiʻi e hoʻonohonoho hou aku i ka pāna o ka Mōʻī.
Ua hoʻokohu ʻia ʻo Berger i Alakaʻi Pāna o ka Pūʻali Puhi ʻOhe O Ka Mōʻī O Hawaiʻi e ka Mōʻī ʻo Kālakaua ma 1877, a ua hoʻokupa ʻia ʻo ia ma ke ano he kanaka Hawaiʻi ma 1879. Ua kapa ʻia i “ke alakaʻi pāna mana koʻikoʻi nui i ka moʻolelo ā pau o ka pāna” e ka Pūʻali Puhi ʻOhe O Ka Mōʻī O Hawaiʻi no kēia au, ua hoʻoulu ʻo Berger i ka nui a me ke kiʻekiʻe o ka pāna me ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa poʻokela ʻana a me ke kaila haku ʻana no Europa a me Hawaiʻi. ʻO ka pāna hoʻi, ua kupa nō i ke alo i nā hanana aupuni, he lau ka hoʻokani pila ʻana no ka lehulehu a puni o ka lāhui.
Kūkulu pilina ʻo Berger me ʻelua haku mele kaulana nui Hawaiʻi, ka Mōʻī ʻo David Kalākaua a me ka Mōʻīwahine ʻo Liliʻuokalani. Ua haku pū ka Mōʻī a me ke alakaʻi pāna i Ka Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi ʻo “Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī” me nā lila i kākau ʻia e Kalākaua a me nā mele i haku ʻia e Berger. Ua hana ʻo Berger i alakaʻi o ka pāna aupuni a hiki i 1915.
Aia ma loko o kēia hōʻikeʻike paʻeʻe nā palapala mele kumu kupaianaha, nā leka, ka puke pilawaiwai pāna, a me kekahi mau palapala ʻē aʻe mai ka ʻOhina Palapala a Henri Berger (Pūkaʻina M11) ma ka Waihona Palapala Aupuni o ka Mokuʻāina ʻo Hawaiʻi. Ua hōʻike ʻia nā palapala ma ke ʻano he mau PDFs no ka hoʻoili ʻana.
Aia ma loko o kēia ʻohina:
- He mau palapala mele kumu No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6
- Ka Puke Pilawaiwai no ka Pūʻali Puhi ʻOhe O Ka Mōʻī O Hawaiʻi, ʻIanuali 31, 1888 – ʻAukake 31, 1893
- Ka Palapala Hōʻike o ka Pāna no ke Kiaʻāina ʻo Sanford B. Dole
| Ref No. | Item Description |
| M11-1-1 | Report of Band To Governor Dole |
| M11-1-2 | Daily Journal, 1882 |
| M11-1-3 | Daily Journal, 1883 |
| M11-1-4 | Daily Journal, 1884 |
| M11-1-5 | Daily Journal, 1885 |
| M11-1-6 | Daily Journal, 1886 |
| M11-1-7 | Daily Journal, 1887 |
| M11-1-8 | Daily Journal, 1888 |
| M11-1-9 | Daily Journal, 1889 |
| M11-1-10 | Daily Journal, 1890 |
| M11-1-11 | Daily Journal, 1891 |
| M11-1-12 | Daily Journal, 1893 |
| M11-1-13 | Daily Journal, 1894 |
| M11-1-14 | Daily Journal, 1896 |
| M11-1-15 | Daily Journal, 1897 |
| M11-1-16 | Daily Journal, 1898 |
| M11-1-17 | Daily Journal, 1899 |
| M11-1-18 | Letters to Mr M J Whiting 1928-1929 |
| M11-1-19 | Prussian Music Corp at Berlin |
| M11-2-1 | Original Scores, No. 6 Pre-Hawai‘i compositions: Souvenir de Paris, Quadrille, Berlin, 1868; Flora – Polka, Berlin 1868 |
| M11-2-2 | Original Scores, No. 4 Band parts: Grand March, 1869-1919, dedicated to the Hawaiian Band; Polonaise: Kahana |
| M11-2-3 | Original Scores, No. 5 Opera orchestrations and vocal arrangements for: Il Travatore, The Bohemian Girl, Norma, Lucretia Borgia |
| M11-2-4 | Royal Hawaiian Band Account Book, January 31, 1888 thru August 31, 1893 |
| M11-3-1a | Original Scores, No. 3 [Part a] |
| M11-3-1b | Original Scores, No. 3 [Part b] |
| M11-3-2 | Resolution Document Resolution to Capt. Berger, 1915 |
| M11-3-3 | Original Scores, No. 2 Band parts for: Fantasia: Mauna Manoa; Romance: Alanui Anapuni |
| M11-3-4 | Music Scores |
| M11-3-5 | Music Scores |
| M11-3-6 | Music Scores |
| M11-3-7 | Music Scores |
See also other Archives Month 2020 Exhibitions:
Hawaiian Music Online Photograph Exhibition
[Ref No. M182] Selections from John Henry Wilson Manuscript Collection
[Ref No. KAHN] Mele from the Paul Markham Kahn Collection
[Ref Nos. M93, M397, & M434] Music from Queen Lili‘uokalani Manuscript Collections
Archives Contact Information
Hawai‘i State Archives Kekāuluohi Building ‘Iolani Palace Grounds 364 S. King Street Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 Phone: (808) 586-0329 e-mail: [email protected]
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Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturday, Sunday, and State Holidays
