Herbert Butler

In 1893 Butler married his first wife, Hanna Amelia Samuelson (1869-1957), a gifted soprano from Orion, Illinois. Apparently they (or at least he) continued to live in Omaha because he is listed in the 1894 City Directory as "Burt Butler, Musical Director Boyd's New Theatre".

On October 7, 1894 the Omaha Daily Bee announced that "Mr. Herbert Butler will play Dr. Baeten's violin concerto at the first concert of the Woman's Club, which will occur at the end of this month." He was accompanied by Martin Cahn at the piano (Omaha Daily Bee, October 7, 1894).

This concerto, dedicated to Herbert Butler and thought missing, resurfaced in 2017 through the efforts of the Butler family who located it among memorabilia kept at the home of Herbert Butler's daughter, Emily Fleischman.

On November 9, 1894, Mme. Muentefering's students gave a recital. Mme. Muentefering herself played Mendelssohn's first piano concerto accompanied by a string quintet in which Butler participated. He also joined Mme. Muentefering and Mr. Letovsky in performances of works by Corelli (Omaha Daily Bee, November 4, 1894). In January of 1895 Butler was still in Omaha where he performed as a member of the "Beethoven Quartet". In a concert on the 20th they performed works by Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn (Omaha Daily Bee, January 20, 1895).

On September 8, 1895 Herbert and Hanna sailed to Europe, both to further their musical education. In 1905, on the occasion of a visit to Columbus, Nebraska, a Prof. Poole reminisced:

I was well acquainted with Mr. Butler while I was studying in Chicago. He had just returned from an extended course of study in Berlin, under the instruction of Joseph Joachim, the man who has been called the King of the Violin. Joachim has been a virtuoso before the public for over sixty years, having played the Mendelssohn concerto for violin in public at the age of eleven years, with Mendelssohn himself conducting the orchestra. As a teacher, Joachim has turned out more great performers than any other.

Butler studied also with Gustav Hollaender, one of the leading European violinists, teachers and composers. While in Berlin, Butler was Konzertmeister of the Hochschule orchestra. Since his coming to America he has been Concert Master of the Chicago Symphony orchestra and is now director of the violin department in the American Conservatory of Music at Chicago.

Butler plays all of the big things for violin, and plays them perfectly. One number which he has used extensively in his concerts is the famous Bach Chaconne for unaccompanied violin, one of the most difficult violin solos written and one of the most beautiful. It will be a rare thing for Columbus people to hear this great soloist in their home town. (The Columbus Journal, February 22, 1905)

On June 19, 1896 Herbert performed an Adagio and Rondo by Spohr in a concert of the Stern'sches Konservatorium der Musik in Berlin. Direktor: Professor Gustav Hollaender. (Der Klavier-Lehrer, October 1, 1896)

Mr. Herbert Butler, the talented Omaha violinist, has been accepted as a privileged Joachim pupil at the Hochschule. (The Musical Courier, vol. 35, no. 15 [October 13, 1897], p. 7)

Eben zurückgekehrt beeile ich mich Ihren Wunsch nach
einigen empfehlenden Zeilen zu erfüllen.
Möchten sie nützlich sein können!

Having just returned, I am hurrying to fulfill your wish
for a few lines of recommendation.
May they be able to be useful!

Hanna Butler, who had studied in Berlin with the American baritone (of Scottish birth), George Fergusson (1864-1947) (New York Times March 25, 1947, p. 26), returned to the United States in early 1899:

Mrs. Herbert Butler, of Orion, who has been abroad three years perfecting her musical education, is visiting in the city. She will render "I Will Extol Thee Oh Lord" from the oratorio Eli [1855] by [Michael] Costa [(1808-1884)] at the Central Presbyterian church tomorrow morning. (Rock Island Argus, February 25, 1899)

Mrs. Herbert Butler, who for several months has been a member of the Central Presbyterian church choir, will be tendered a farewell party tonight by Miss Katharine Gest, who will be assisted in entertaining by the members of the Central choir. Mrs. Butler leaves shortly for New York to meet her husband on his return from Europe. (Rock Island Argus, June 26, 1899)

In September he took up a teaching position at the American Conservatory in Chicago.

The Chicago conservatory opens its fall term tomorrow. The most recent addition to the faculty is Herbert Butler, the violinist. Mr. Butler will be remembered by Omahans as having been at one time the leader of Boyd's theater orchestra and very prominent in local musical circles. (Omaha Daily Bee, September 10, 1899)

While working at the Conservatory, Herbert resided, as well as taught, at Kimball Hall on Wabash Avenue.

(From the Chicago City Directory, 1910)

The Butler family possesses a photo from this period that likely shows Herbert's studio in Kimball Hall:

(Courtesy of the Butler Family)

On the 28th of September, Butler made his Chicago professional debut:

Sept. 28th [1899] a new violinist was introduced to a select audience in University Hall, Chicago—Mr. Herbert Butler, a pupil of Joachim. Among his numbers were the Wieniawski Polonaise in E, the Bach Chaconne and the Violin Concerto in B minor by Saint-Saens. In the latter his tone was not so large as sometimes heard, but the Chaconne he played remarkably well, showing the thorough schooling he has had. With a few more years he will probably acquire more repose. The pianist of the occasion was Mr. Arne Oldberg, who, in addition to accompanying Mr. Butler in the Grieg sonata in C minor, played also a number of brilliant selections on his own account. (Music: A Monthly Magazine, Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic, and Literature of Music, vol. 17, November 1899, to April 1900, [p. 100])

Over the next several years, numerous reviews, notices of Herbert's and Hanna's respective performances and concerts of their students appeared in The Music News, a Chicago music journal edited by Charles E. Watt (b. Lima, Ohio 1861; d. Chicago 1933), who founded the Chicago Piano College in 1890 and served as director until 1910. Watt clearly had a mission to promote American music and musicians, as evidenced by his "manifesto" published in The Music News on March 24, 1922: The Americanization of Music. Hence, the entire tone of the journal (including reviews) is overwhelmingly positive—often naively so—in promotion of local talent. Nonetheless, it is a treasure-trove of the musical scene in Chicago at the time.

Similar support for Herbert Butler as an "American Musician" appeared earlier in the same month in an article in The Musical Leader, another Chicago publication:

(The Musical Leader, March 9, 1922, p. 222)

It is greatly to Herbert Butler's credit that he cared as much for his students and their careers as for his own.

In 1905 Herbert and Hanna were still married, as suggested by a brief notice: "Mrs. Herbert Butler arrived here [Orion] Wednesday from Chicago for a visit with relatives." (Rock Island Argus, June 24, 1905)

But around 1904 Herbert founded The Butler Musical Company, which included a performer, the pianist Alice Drake (1878-1950), from Detroit, Michigan, who would be his next wife. Other performers in the group were Clara Henley Bussing, soprano, and Marguerite [Margarethe] Wunderle, harpist. They were managed by the Redpath Lyceum Bureau and offered highly professional and varied performances as far west as Colorado, as far south as Louisiana, and as far east as Pennsylvania. A program with a marginal note by Herbert Butler of tour stops in October 1904, January, February and March 1905 shows a grueling schedule of travel to forty different cities. (Butler family)

The above brochure of the Company includes numerous reviews. Of special note is the mention of Alice Drake's study in Berlin with Karl Barth, friend of Joseph Joachim and teacher of the likes of Artur Rubenstein and Wilhelm Kempff; previously she had studied in the United States with Teresa Carreño (The Musical Courier, vol. 11, no. 16, New York, April 18, 1900, p. 7). It is possible that Herbert and Alice became acquainted in Berlin and traveled in the same musical circles. She was a formidable pianist and was well-received even by discriminating critics in Germany. The review from The Berlin Critic says: "We have had the pleasure of listening to one of America's coming pianists, Miss Drake, a talented and brilliant musician, who for the past four years has been a pupil of some of our best masters. We predict for her a successful musical future."

Alice Drake Butler (1878-1950)

Herbert and Alice married in Chicago on October 3, 1907. By 1910 they were both living and teaching in Kimball Hall.

Meanwhile, undaunted, Hanna continued her busy performing and teaching career in Chicago as "Hanna Butler" and made yearly trips to Europe, generally to France. Indeed, reviewers commented on her excellence in the French repertoire. Having studied with George Fergusson (Musical Leader, January 5, 1922, p. 21), she was an accomplished coloratura soprano: "Mrs. Butler is one of Chicago's popular coloratura singers, and as member of the faculty of the Cosmopolitan School of Music has a very large following of students in general voice culture." (The Musical Courier, vol. 54, no. 25 [June 19, 1907], p. 30)

A review of a concert of her students in 1922 ("Mme. Hanna Butler Presents Unique Program") praises her skill as both performer and teacher:

The reason, probably, for all this wealth of the soprano voice in the Butler Studios lies in the fact that Mme. Butler is herself a noted soprano and, besides being able to illustrate the voice perfectly, she has the entire repertoire suitable for it at her ready command.

Mme. Butler has had an honorable career as a singer, having appeared in all parts of the country and in a wide variety of important functions.

And, wherever and whenever she has appeared it has been to reap laurel wreaths of approval for her charm of personality, her knowledgeousness [sic] as to what constitutes good and agreeable concert singing and her full command of all technicalities connected with the voice and of a musicianship which enables her to interpret and present every sort of composition in the proper musical way and in the way also which is most effective with the public.

This knowledgeousness of Mme. Butler extends in a very emphatic way to enunciation of and pronounciation [sic] of texts in all languages.

And, while she is a specialist in the French Chanson and is asked to sing in French functions more often than almost any singer who could be named, and understands also the Italian and other languages perfectly as applied to song, she is also a past mistress of English and her pupils always reflect in their public work the especial care taken with this detail in the studio.

It is no wonder, then, that to this sincere, intelligent and altogether musical artist and teacher there should come great numbers of artist students and especially is it no wonder that so many of them should be sopranos. (Music News, June 16, 1922, p. 4)

The same issue featured Hanna on the cover:

Hanna Samuelson Butler (1869-1957)

The reason for their parting of ways was only known to Herbert and Hanna; but one wonders if the extreme demands of their respective careers—both teaching and performing—drew them apart.

In a detailed notice of a concert by the "advanced violin pupils" of Herbert Butler to be given on February 18, 1922, the name of Lula [sic] Giesecke appears, playing the first movement of the Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo (The Music News, vol. 14, no. 7 February 17, 1922 p. 25). This was Louise ("Lulu") Giesecke who came to Chicago from Texas in 1919 and, after studying for 6 years with Butler, became his third wife in 1926 (Chicago Tribune, December 5, 1985). Finally Butler found his soulmate—a fellow violinist: they remained married until his death in 1946.

Meanwhile, Alice continued to teach at the American Conservatory until around 1935 when she moved to Freeport where she continued to teach privately and where she died on December 26, 1950 (New York Times, December 29, 1950, p. 19).

Louise "Lulu" Giesecke Butler (1901-1985)
(from the 1931-32 American Conservatory Catalogue)

Lulu Butler, a fine violinist in her own right, taught at the American Conservatory for twenty years and afterwards taught both violin and piano privately until the age of 77. She died in Lombard, Illinois on November 26, 1985 (Chicago Tribune, December 5, 1985).

Herbert not only taught violin, but also directed the orchestra at the American Conservatory.

(from the 1931-32 American Conservatory Catalogue)

Herbert and Lulu had two children: Emily (b. 1926) and Herbert (1929-1983), seen here with their father in a photo from around 1933:

(courtesy of the Butler family)

Herbert Jr. became a fine cellist. In 1945, at the age of fifteen, he performed the Boccherini Concerto in B-flat with the Bloomington-Normal Symphony Orchestra. Both of his parents were in the orchestra: Lulu as concertmaster and Herbert Sr. on the viola.

(Courtesy of the Butler Family)

After retiring from the American Conservatory, Herbert Sr. taught at the Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill. until 1946, the year he died. Herbert Jr. went on to have a successful career, like his father, as performer, teacher and conductor. After completing his studies at Indiana University, the American Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music and the University of Texas, he taught from 1955-1960 at the University of Arkansas after which he taught at Western Michigan University until his untimely death in 1983. Apart from conducting the WMU Symphony Orchestra, he was coordinator of the WMU High School String Chamber Music Seminar. In 1975 he became music director and conductor of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. As a performer, he was first cellist of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and of the Battle Creek Symphony and the Kalamazoo Symphony. (WMU Western News, vol. 9, no. 27, March 24, 1983)

The music tradition continues in the Butler family: Herbert Jr.'s son, Jeffrey, is also an accomplished cellist and has been a member of the Houston Symphony since 1986.

Jeffrey Butler
(courtesy of the Houston Symphony)

Jeffrey Butler holds degrees in performance from Boston University and the University of Michigan. He was earlier a member of the Detroit Symphony and the Boston Composers Quartet, is currently the cellist of the Fidelis String Quartet and has appeared as soloist with the Houston Chamber Orchestra and the Galveston Symphony.

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Works by Herbert Butler

These are the only known published works. If anyone comes across other works by Herbert Butler, please let me know! (radomski@csusb.edu).

"Tartini's G Minor Sonata: Analysis and Interpretation, and Some Suggestions How to Study It," Violinist, vol. 6, no. 1 (October 1908), pp. 11-14. Revised as: "Tartini's G Minor Sonata", in Analysis and Interpretation of Eighteen Violin Compositions by American Teachers, Chicago: The Violinist Publishing Company (1911), pp. 34-37.

Romance, op. 3 for violin and piano (Chicago: Gamble Hinged Music Co., c. 1911). [in the British Library]

Sonatina, op. 4 for violin and piano (1st to 3rd position), (New York: Remick Music Corp., c. 1911; Chicago: Gamble Hinged Music Co., [1911]). [at UC Wisconsin, Madison; British Library; piano score is at Google Books]

Ballade, op. 6 for violin and piano (Chicago: Gamble Hinged Music Co., [1911]). [in the British Library]

Caprice, op. 7 for violin and piano (Chicago: Gamble Hinged Music Co., [1911]. [in the Arizona State Library, the British Library]

The Class Violin Instructor (with Ann Hathaway) (Philadelphia: T. Presser, c. 1930-32).

3 volumes: vol. 1-2 Student's book; vol. 3 Teacher's manual.

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Some Students of Herbert Butler

Lewis Broaddus

Played Handel Sonata in A major in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock.

Mabel Stapleton at the piano. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Louise B. "Lulu" Giesecke Butler

Herbert Butler's wife. "Mrs. Butler, a Texas native, came to Chicago in 1919 and six years later married her teacher, Herbert Butler, of the conservatory." (Chicago Tribune, December 5, 1985)

Played Symphonie Espagnole, first movement, by Lalo in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Minnie Cedargreen

Butler's Ballade Op. 6 is dedicated to her.

"Miss Cedargreen, who is a Des Moines girl, quite frequently takes the part of soloist with the Thomas Orchestra in Chicago, and is an instructor in both the North Park College and North Shore School of Music in that city. She graduated in violin under Herbert Butler, after which she studied for a year in Berlin, under Barsam. Miss Cedargreen expects to go to Europe again next fall, for further study. She was the guest while in this city, of Miss Grace Swingley, and went from here to Des Moines." (Evening Times-Republican [Marshalltown, Iowa], January 8, 1913)

A Violin Concerto (no. 2) by Florence Price (1887-1953) was dedicated to her; she premiered it a decade after Price's death. (New York Times February 9, 2018)

Her grandson, Paul Jernberg, is a noted pianist and composer. "His [Paul Jernberg's] grandmother, Minnie Cedargreen Jernberg (1888-1967), who had been a renowned concert violinist in early 20th century Chicago, became for Paul a cherished and enduring model of musical depth and spirituality." (About the Composer, Paul Jernberg Jr.)

Dorothy Condit

Played Concerto, B minor, first movement, by Saint-Saens in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Stella Cox

Graduated from Iowa College (Now Grinnell College) in Grinnell, Iowa. At the American Conservatory she studied cello with Victor Garwood and violin with Herbert Butler. She taught violin, piano, Latin and Greek at a teacher education school in Slippery Rock, Pa. She had four children. After her husband, Charles Cox, died in 1942 she worked as postmistress in Ontario, Oregon until moving to to Spokane around 1968. Although she became blind at age 77, she continued to teach until she was 101. She died in 1986 at the age of 104. (Spokane Chronicle, Jan. 1, 1983)

Helen Dvorak

Played concerto, A major, first and second movements in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Lorraine Earnest

Played Concerto, first movement, by Mendelssohn in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Edna Grannon

Played Andante Cantabile by Tschaikowsky-Auer, Mazurka by Wieniawski in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Dorothy Hallett

Played Gypsy Serenade by Valdez and La Gitana by Kreisler in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Mary Hansen

Performed in a Chicago concerto competition in 1916. (The Violinist, vol. 20, p. 149)

Richard Hire

Played Concerto, first movement by Beethoven in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Harry Mazur

Played Concerto No. 9, first movement by De Beriot in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Ruth Parker

Performed Violin—Symphonie Espagnole by Lalo (First Movement) on January 14th. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Eva Polokoff

Played Minuetto by Pugnani-Kreisler and Siciliene and Riagaudon by Francoeur-Kreisler in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922] p. 23)

Mentioned in Musical Leader (3/9/22), p. 222.

Ruth Ray

Butler's most famous pupil. Butler's Romance Op. 3 [1911] is dedicated to her.

In 1916 she had been his pupil for 8 years; 5 lessons with Leopold Auer. (The Violinist, vol. 20, p. 149) "Ruth Ray, Violinist, Makes Debut," (NY Times (NOV. 5, 1919), p. 20)

Leopold Auer wrote to Herbert Butler: "After hearing your former pupil, Miss Ruth Ray, two or three times, I have much pleasure in complimenting you on the excellent training you have given her. It is often my misfortune to have much less carefully trained pupils brought to me. After some further study Miss Ray ought to do very well, for I find her very intelligent, and I consider that she will be well worth any support you may be willing to give her." (https://www.schubertiademusic.com/items/details/5596-auer-leopold-autograph-signed-letter)

Ruth Ray taught well into her 90s and lived until 102.

Stella Pauline Roberts

Performed in a Chicago concerto competition in 1916.

(The Violinist, vol. 20, p. 149)

Llewellyn Roubidoux

"Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn Roubidoux are visiting at the home of Mrs. Hannah Roubidoux. Mr. Roubidoux just recently returned from Chicago, where he has been specializing in violin with Herbert Butler during summer session." (The Idaho Republican, August 24, 1922, Page 8)

Llewellyn Roubidoux was "an especially proficient violinist" (Idaho State Journal (Pocatello), May 19, 1976). His son, Herbert Charles Roubidoux, was also a successful violinist.

Rosalie Saalfield

Played Romance and Rondo by Wieniawski in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922])

Nesta Smith

Performed in a Chicago concerto competition in 1916 (The Violinist, vol. 20, p. 149). Was reviewed in The Musical Leader, January 12, 1922, p. 30.

She frequently performed Butler's Caprice.

"Nesta Smith won vociferous applause and recalls for her exceedingly fine and brilliant performances of Herbert Butler's violin compositions, "Ballade" and "Caprice," both being splendid concert works, possessing strong individuality, beauty and especial brilliance in the charming "Caprice," which forms a delightful addition to violin literature. Miss Smith is a talented pupil of Mr. Butler."

—Agnes Beldon. (Music News, vol. 14, no. 26, June 30, 1922, p. 18)

Josephine Trott

Josephine Trott, American violinist and violin teacher, born December 24, 1874 in Wilmington, Illinois; died March 2, 1950 in Denver Colorado. Trott taught at Hull House Music School in Chicago, later in her life she adopted a daughter, Antonio [sic] Petti. In the 1920s she travelled twice to Europe; returned to the US in 1924 and 1930. She is buried at Riverside Cemetery. Wrote various pedagogical works. [Violinwiki]. Her Melodious Double-Stops for the Violin is still published. Interesting photos at: Violin Music by Women. Butler's Sonatina is dedicated to her.

Dorothy Turek

Played Concerto No. 2, first movement by Vieuxtemps in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922])

Walter Wenzel

Walter Wenzel (classical violinist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin). He studied at the Chicago College of Music under Petrowitsche Bissing and Herbert Butler. (Milwaukee Journal, March 18, 1945.)

Ruth Wingert

Played Concerto in A major by Saint-Saens in a concert at Kimball Hall, Saturday afternoon, February 18, 1922, at 3 o'clock. (Music News, Volume 14, Issue 1. [1922])

Guy Herbert Woodard

Butler's Caprice Op. 7 is dedicated to him. "Guy Herbert Woodard of the faculty of Bush Conservatory, has achieved distinctive success during the past seasons as soloist. In his recent recital he was the recipient of many flattering press notices. [etc.]" (Music News, vol. 9, Issue 1 [May 18, 1917], p. 4)

Bush Conservatory was located at Chicago Avenue and North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. The building, designated a Chicago landmark in 2001, still exists.

Uploaded June 20, 2018
Special thanks to Jeffrey Butler for invaluable information and photos.
Special thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Seitz-Shewmon for help in translating the letter from Joachim.
—James Radomski

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