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Francis Richter papers, 1895-2017
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Richter, Francis, 1888-1938
- Title
- Francis Richter papers
- Dates
- 1895-2017 (inclusive)18952017
1895-1949 (bulk)18951949 - Quantity
- 3.9 cubic feet, (1 legal document case; 1 slim letter document case; 1 flat box (11x14); 7 flat boxes (13x16); 1 flat box (14x18))
- Collection Number
- Coll 584
- Summary
- Papers of composer Francis Richter (1888-1938), including scorebooks for Richter's compositions, recordings of musical performances by Richter, personal papers, and biographical materials. Richter was a blind composer, pianist, and organist who lived in Portland, Oregon, and in Minnesota.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English, German, French
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Francis William Richter was born in 1888 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Frederick William Richter (1865-1920) and Carolina Lena F. Richter (1866-1921). While Richter was still a child, the family moved to Portland, Oregon, where his father worked as a musician and music teacher. Francis Richter demonstrated musical talent at a young age, and became known in Portland for his ability to play the piano and compose his own works. Blind from birth, Richter initially composed via dictation. In 1907, Alma A. Rogers successfully raised funds to sponsor Richter's musical training in Europe, and accompanied him during his three years of study abroad. While in Europe, Richter learned how to write text and music in Braille. He subsequently composed by writing in Braille as well as by dictation. After receiving a doctorate, Richter returned to Portland, and performed locally, as well as throughout the U.S. and Canada. He also taught piano, organ, and composition, and worked as a theater organist.
Following a brief marriage with Mabel Youngberg, Richter became reacquainted with his childhood friend, Clara Rahn (later Clara Richter, 1886-1955). The two developed a romantic relationship and married in September 1922. In 1924, the couple moved to Minneapolis, where Francis Richter continued to perform and teach, and served as staff organist for the Minneapolis radio station KSTP. In 1938, the Richters moved to Southern California, with the intention that Francis Richter would write film soundtracks. However, he died suddenly on December 25, 1938, in Pasadena, California. He was buried at Crystal Lake Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Sources: Articles in the Oregonian, Oregon Journal, Minneapolis Journal, and Star Tribune (Minneapolis), 1902-1956; information provided by Mary Sue Waser and Karen K. French in 2017; vital records on Ancestry.com.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists of papers of and about the blind composer Francis Richter. Most of the paperes are musical scores and lyrics, including scorebooks for Richter's comic opera "The Grand Nazar," which he co-wrote with George L. Hutchin as a teenager; his first symphony, "Symphonie in C Minor"; his orchestral work, "Tone Pictures"; and shorter pieces that he wrote or arranged. Other musical materials in the collection include sheet music and lyrics by others that Richter transcribed or collected, including a Braille transcription of Camille Saint Saën's "The Swan"; and vinyl recordings of Richter performing various works. Personal and family papers consist of correspondence, primarily letters that Richter wrote to his future wife, Clara Rahn; photographs of Richter throughout his life; two scrapbooks containing clippings, music programs, correspondence, and photographs; concert programs; loose clippings; an account of a 1929 trip to New York; and a eulogy delivered at Richter's memorial service. The collection also includes biographical information about Richter that was compiled by Mary Sue Waser and Karen K. French, and an essay about Richter's life by Ron Symons that Symons sent to Richter's widow. Some lyrics and clippings in the collection are in German or French.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Francis Richter papers, Coll 584, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Collection is arranged in three series:
- Series 1: Biographical information
- Series 2: Personal and family papers
- Series 3: Musical scores and lyrics
- Series 4: Musical performances
Acquisition Information
Gift of Karen K. French, February 2017 (Lib. Acc. 29008), and gifts of Mary Sue Waser, June 2017 and May 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29072; Lib. Acc. 29259).
Preservation Note
Due to fragility, some materials in the collection may require assistance to view. Vinyl records require use of specialized equipment. Contact library staff for assistance.
Processing Note
Collection was initially processed by Sue Armitage in 2017. The collection was reprocessed in 2024 by Jeffrey A. Hayes to integrate additions to the collection. Reprocessing also included some rehousing of materials and changes to arrangement. Titles of vinyl records are based on their labels, and the contents have not been verified. Prior to 2024, the collection was titled "Francis W. Richter collection."
Separated Materials
Braille writing set and ceremonial cane were separated to Museum Collections, Oregon Historical Society.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Biographical information, 1917-2017Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Biographical sketch about Richter
by Mary Sue Waser and Karen K. French |
2017 |
| 1 | 2 | Clippings, programs, and web
pages gathered by Waser and French (photocopies and printouts) |
1917-2016 |
| 1 | 3 | Essay by Ron Symons about
Richter's life, "Francis Richter, the Musical Genius," with accompanying letter
from Symons to Clara Richter |
1949 |
Series 2: Personal and family papers, 1895-1947Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 4 | Account of trip to New
York |
1929 January |
| 1 | 5-11 | Letters from Richter to Clara
Rahn |
1921 July-1922 August |
| 1 | 12 | Letter from Richter to niece
about his move to California |
1938 November 23 |
| 1 | 13 | Photograph of Richter as a child
(mounted on glass) |
circa 1898 |
| 1 | 14 | Photographs |
circa 1895-1938 |
| 1 | 15 | Concert programs |
1912-1934 |
| 1 | 16 | Issue of Twin City Radio Weekly,
including article about Richter |
1931 January 31 |
| 3 | 7 | Scrapbook of clippings, programs,
and photographs |
1895-1908 |
| 2 | 1 | Scrapbook of clippings, programs,
and correspondence (some clippings in German) |
1902-1928 |
| 3 | 1 | American Guild of Organists
certificates |
1917-1918 |
| 2 | 2 | Piano instruction book owned by
Richter |
1897 |
| 1 | 17 | Wedding book |
1922 September 19 |
| 1 | 18 | Clippings |
circa 1924-1938 |
| 1 | 19 | Eulogy by Marjorie Ellis McCrady
and lyrics for songs performed at Richter's memorial service |
1938 December 30 |
| 1 | 20 | Programs, correspondence, and
clippings relating to posthumous performances of Richter's works |
1940; 1947; undated |
Series 3: Musical scores and lyrics, circa 1900-1925Return to Top
The bulk of this series consists of works by Richter, including the comic opera "The Grand Nazar," which he co-wrote with George L. Hutchin; Opus 6, "First Symphonie in C Minor"; and "Tone Pictures." With the exception of the song "Memory" and the piece "At the Shrine of the Rose," which are printed sheet music, these works are handwritten in ink or pencil by someone who took dictation from Richter. This series also includes transcriptions by Richter of other composers' music, including a Braille transcription of Camille St. Saën's "The Swan"; and published sheet music and lyrics by others that Richter owned.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
Subseries 1: Comic opera, "The Grand Nazar"
(music by Richter and lyrics by George L. Hutchin) |
circa 1905 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 4 | 1 | Overture and lyrics |
circa 1905 |
| 4 | 2 | First and second violin
scores |
circa 1905 |
| 4 | 3 | Viola and cello
scores |
circa 1905 |
| 4 | 4 | Bass score |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 1 | Clarinet scores |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 2 | Oboe and bassoon
scores |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 3 | Flute score |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 4 | Trombone score |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 5 | Cornet scores |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 6 | Score for horns |
circa 1905 |
| 5 | 7 | Timpani score |
circa 1905 |
Subseries 2: Opus 6, First Symphonie in C
Minor |
circa 1910-1913 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 6 | 5 | Orchestral score |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 6 | 1 | Principal violin
score |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 6 | 2-4 | First violin scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 7 | 1-3 | Second violin
scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 7 | 4-6 | Viola scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 7 | 7-8 | Cello scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 1 | Bass scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 2 | Flute and oboe
scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 3 | Clarinet scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 4 | Bassoon and contrabassoon
scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 5 | Trumpet scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 6 | French horn scores (titled
"Corno I-II") |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 7 | Trombone and tuba
scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
| 8 | 8 | Harp, timpani, and cymbal
scores |
circa 1910-1913 |
Subseries 3: Tone Pictures (March Grotesque,
Idyll, Danse Espagnole) |
circa 1915 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 9 | 1-2 | First violin scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 3-4 | Second violin
scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 5 | Viola scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 6 | Cello scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 7 | Bass scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 8 | Flute scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 9 | Bassoon and contrabassoon
scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 10 | Clarinet scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 11 | Oboe scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 12 | Horn scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 13 | Trumpet scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 14 | Trombone scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 15 | Timpani and drum
scores |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 16 | Harp score |
circa 1915 |
| 9 | 17 | Conductor's score |
circa 1915 |
Subseries 4: Other works by
Richter |
circa 1900-1925 | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 10 | 1 | Scores for "Annie
Rooney" |
undated |
| 10 | 2 | Score for piece written for
Shriners' convention, "At the Shrine of the Rose" |
1920 |
| 10 | 3 | Band scores for Opus 135 No. 1,
"Don Quixote" |
circa 1925 |
| 10 | 4 | Score for Opus 7 No. 1, "March
Grotesque" |
1907 November |
| 10 | 5 | Lyrics and score for song
dedicated to Antoinette Kopetzky, "Memory" (5 copies) |
circa 1912 |
| 10 | 6 | Score and lyrics for song based
on a poem by C. Simmons, "My Beloved" |
undated |
| 10 | 7 | Score for Opus 27, "Pilgrimage
- Progress and Vision" |
circa 1915 |
| 10 | 8 | Score for
"Quintette" |
undated |
| 10 | 9 | Score for "Réponse á une fluer
pour pianoforte" (title page in French) |
circa 1910 |
| 10 | 10 | Scores for waltzes, "Sounds
from the Willamette" |
circa 1900 |
| 3 | 2 | Song arrangements by
Richter |
circa 1905-1925 |
Subseries 5: Music and lyrics by
others |
circa 1910-1920; undated | ||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 3 | Braille transcription by
Richter of "The Swan" by Camille St. Saëns |
circa 1920 |
| 3 | 4 | Sheet music and handwritten
orchestral arrangements for Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Piano
Concerto |
circa 1910 |
| 3 | 5 | Handwritten transcript of Ede
Poldini's "Marche Mignon" for orchestra |
circa 1910 |
| 1 | 21 | Lyrics of "Herakles am
Scheidewege" (Hercules at the Crossroads), by F. Waliczek (in
German) |
1912 |
| 3 | 6 | Sheet music by others (in
English, French, and German) |
1911; undated |
Series 4: Musical performances, 1931 January 18, circa 1931Return to Top
This series consists of a set of nine 78 rpm vinyl records of performances by Richter on the piano and organ, as well as performances he did with Ward Allen. Some pieces are labeled as having been recorded on January 18, 1931; it is likely the other pieces were recorded around that same time, if not on that same day.
Access to this series requires use of specialized equipment. Contact library staff for assistance.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 11 | 1 | Waltz by Johannes
Brahms |
circa 1931 |
| 11 | 2 | Untitled piano solo; prelude by
Frédéric Chopin |
circa 1931; 1931 January 18 |
| 11 | 3 | "Magic Flute";
untitled |
circa 1931 |
| 11 | 4 | "Monte Carlo";
"Quartette" |
circa 1931 |
| 11 | 5 | "Valse Lento" |
circa 1931 |
| 11 | 6 | "Response to a Fluer"; "Ich liebe
dich" |
1931 January 18; circa 1931 |
| 11 | 7 | Performance with Ward Allen,
"Russian Dance"; piece by Frédéric Chopin |
circa 1931 |
| 11 | 8 | Organ performances: "We March, We
March to Victory"; "The Church is the Foundation" |
1931 January 18; circa 1931 |
| 11 | 9 | Performances with Ward Allen:
"When Shadows Fall"; "Russian Peasant Dance" |
circa 1931 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Blind musicians--Oregon--Portland
- Composers--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Richter, Francis, 1888-1938
Form or Genre Terms
- correspondence
- scores (documents for music)
- scrapbooks
- sheet music
