Johannes Helstone (1853-1927) – Surinamese composer

[Wheesht]

Only the second composer from Suriname to be mentioned here, I believe:

Johannes Helstone was a composer conductor and organist. In 1906 his opera "Het Pand der Goden" (The Pledge of the Gods) was successfully performed in Suriname. On 15 February 2024, Otto Tausk conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the premiere performance in the Netherlands of this opera. This is available in its entirety on the orchestra's website, the overture is also on Youtube. 

[Ilja]

Helstone and Theodor Neumann-Cordua (the other composer mentioned, I'm assuming) were (inevitably) acquainted and both trained at Leipzig, although not simultaneously. They were also active in different genres: Helstone mainly wrote songs and liturgical music, while Neumann-Cordua (the junior of the two by seven years) concentrated more on instrumental music (his chamber music isn't bad at all, by the way). There is a bit of implicit colonial drama present in both men's backstory: Neumann-Cordua was the grandson of a rich German plantation holder, while Helstone was born and raised in slavery.

Apparently, Helstone's opera Het pand der goden (more properly translated as "The Gods' Collateral") garnered quite a bit of fame in Suriname upon its premiere in 1906. It's an interesting work, which (from what I've heard of it) despite Helstone's Leipzig roots somewhat sounds like a Massenet ballet with song.

Should you be in Amsterdam this Wednesday (July 1st), chamber works by both composers and longtime Surinamese resident Aleidus Coenen are to be played in the Concertgebouw as part of Keti Koti ("broken chains" in Sranantongo), the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles in 1863.

[Wheesht]

It was actually finding an entry (with photograph) on Dario Saavedra (1876-1909) in a 1909 book on composers and musicians from Austria Germany and Switzerland that led me to Helstone. The translation of the title of the opera I copied from the Concertgebouw titles in the video... and yes, Neumann-Cordua is the other Surinamese composer mentioned.

[eschiss1]

There's a standing Wishlist request @ IMSLP (I think I wrote it) for Neumann-Cordua's string quartet and piano trio...

[Ilja]

[...] The translation of the title of the opera I copied from the Concertgebouw titles in the video.... [...]

It is a somewhat archaic use of the Dutch word "pand", which can mean several things (including "building"). It doesn't normally translate to "pledge", though. In this case, I think it's likely from the story that the meaning is "onderpand", a physical collateral like you'd put down at pawn broker. However, it's not impossible at all that Helstone himself came up with a different English title, so "Pledge of the Gods" is not necessarily wrong.

Eric, the Neumann-Cordua work played at the concert this Wednesday is in fact the string quartet; I'll see whether I can collect a copy of the score.

[eschiss1]

Thanks!

[Wheesht]

There is a long, informative article on Helstone, written by Diederik Burgersdijk, the husband of Helstone's great-niece Alice, in the weekly magazine De Groene Amsterdammer.

The couple have established the Helstone Fund:

Its aim is to finance the performance of works by the Surinamese writer, composer and musician Johannes N. Helstone, his students and other composers from the former colonies, and to increase public awareness of them.

In the next few years, the Concertgebouw Orchestra will accordingly be intensifying its focus on this body of music, as part of its objective to highlight less-well-known and forgotten repertoire.

A commendable endeavour, methinks.

[Ilja]

Thank you! Translation into English here.