Wagner, Eight Hands and the Boston Music Company

The restoration of the San Francisco Public Library Main Library after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire resulted in the creation of a Music Department and a robust collection of scores and sheet music.  Julian Waybur, who can rightly be considered the founder of our "Music Library," wrote in 1920:

Before 1906 there were but 105 volumes in the music division--today, roughly speaking our list comprises 309 opera scores, 311 song volumes, 1260 for piano, 33 for organ, 272 for violin, 83 for violoncello, miscellaneous 25 unbound music, song, piano, violin, etc,... The volumes of bound music contain thousands of pieces.

He attributed the continued growth of the this collection greatly to City Librarian Robert Rea ("the present most efficient librarian"). However, the earliest scores added to the collection came through post-earthquake donations.  Waybur made special note of one large and significant donation:

It is well that the music-lovers and musicians of California should know that the greatest indebtedness of the San Francisco Public Library is to the Boston Music Company, a branch of G. Schirmer's music house in New York, which in 1909 turned over its complete music circulating library to our public library.

Indeed, some of the rarest and most unusual scores in our reference stacks came from this donation. The City Librarian's report of 1911 noted that the library bound nearly all of the unbound items in the Boston Music Company in Holliston Mills library buckram "as it is strong and durable and less expensive than leather." The assumption when one reads of this donation is that these were works published by Schirmer and the Boston Music Company, but many are European publications that are today very rare.

The historical significance of this acquisition was great enough that it is acknowledged on the Wall of Library Heroes at the Larkin Street entrance to the Main Library. This inscription incorrectly identifies this as a purchase when it was in fact a gift from the Boston Music Company.

Among these rarities bestowed upon us were chamber works arranged for 2 Pianos, 8 Hands.  In case you need help with the math, this ensemble consists of 2 pianos with 2 pianists seated at each bench, each contributing 2 hands - (2+2)+(2+2).  While today may seem rather an extravagance to gather so many pianists together to realize a composition, this kind of music making was popular in the late 19th century into the early 20th century.  

Before the dawn of recordings and radio if you wanted to experience a musical work, somebody had to perform it.  In fact, you might have to play it yourself.  Smaller works might be realized by a single pianist, but large scale works like symphonies and opera could require larger forces (and more hands to pitch in). There is also something very gratifying about getting "inside" of a work and participating with others in its realization.

The subject headings used for music written for these forces is Piano music (Pianos (2), 8 hands), Arranged -- Parts.  Or some times it's classified by the genre being realized.  Just a keyword search for "8 hands" in quotes limited to scores will bring up the greatest number of results in our collection.

One of the Holliston Mills buckram bound sets of unbound items is a collection of 20 arrangements for 2 pianos and 8 hands of works by Richard Wagner.  Some of these works are actually arrangements of virtuosic concert piano pieces by Franz Liszt based on Wagner's music.

You can browse the contents of these works online at the call number 786.48 W12c.

In the pre-computer days, library circulation was recorded by a slip inside the book or score.  It was filed with the due date and library card number recorded.  In the case of this collection's circulation there are a few fascinating details.  First, on July 27, 1916 this volume was loaned to "Seeger U.C." with "Mr. Rea's perm.[ission]."  

The Seeger in question had to be the famed musicologist and composer Charles Seeger, then a professor at the University of California Berkeley and not yet the father of the even more famous folksinger Pete Seeger.  It's also striking to note that the earliest activity for this volume happened even before the opening of the Music Department in the soon-to-be completed (1917) Main Library. 

The other special note on the circulation slip reads "Alma Rother, Poly."  This refers to head of the music department at Polytechnic High School.  A search through our San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner databases will bring up many performances by Alma Rother and her high school students.

One additional delight can be found on the date due slip on the inside of the volume.  The reminder to take good care of library material and return it promptly is rather sternly and curtly stated (in a scolding passive voice):

Careful usage of books is expected, and any soiling, injury or loss is to be paid for by the borrower. A fine of five cents will be imposed for each day or fraction thereof that this book is kept overdue.

That nickel fine today, with inflation, would be more than a dollar. We should all continue to hope for "careful usage" to prevent "injury" to our publicly-owned collections.

Bibliography:

Nunan, Thomas, "One of the Best Collections of Published Music Works Belongs to San Francisco," San Francisco Examiner (September 22, 1912).

Report of the Board of Trustees of  San Francisco Public Library for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30 , 1911 ([The Library, 1911).

"Tablet Dedicated to Julian Waybur," San Francisco Chronicle (November 27, 1927)

Waybur, Julian R. "Music of the San Francisco Public Library," News Notes of California Libraries (April 1920).