Oregon Historical Society Research
Library
Francis Richter papers
Richter,
Francis, 1888-1938
Coll
584
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)
1895-2017
1895-1949
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. English
German
French
Collection is open for research.
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).
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
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.
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.
Francis Richter papers, Coll 584, Oregon Historical Society Research
Library.
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."
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.
Braille writing set and ceremonial cane were separated to Museum
Collections, Oregon Historical Society.
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.
Richter,
Francis, 1888-1938
Composers--Oregon--Portland
Blind
musicians--Oregon--Portland
Music
Performing Arts
sheet music
scores (documents for music)
scrapbooks
correspondence
Biographical
information
Series 1
1917-2017
Biographical sketch about Richter
by Mary Sue Waser and Karen K. French
2017
1
1
Clippings, programs, and web
pages gathered by Waser and French (photocopies and printouts)
1917-2016
1
2
Essay by Ron Symons about
Richter's life, "Francis Richter, the Musical Genius," with accompanying letter
from Symons to Clara Richter
1949
1
3
Personal and family
papers
Series 2
1895-1947
Account of trip to New
York
1929 January
1
4
Letters from Richter to Clara
Rahn
1921 July-1922 August
1
5-11
Letter from Richter to niece
about his move to California
1938 November
23
1
12
Photograph of Richter as a child
(mounted on glass)
circa 1898
1
13
Photographs
circa 1895-1938
1
14
Concert programs
1912-1934
1
15
Issue of Twin City Radio Weekly,
including article about Richter
1931 January 31
1
16
Scrapbook of clippings, programs,
and photographs
1895-1908
3
7
Scrapbook of clippings, programs,
and correspondence (some clippings in German)
1902-1928
English,
German.
2
1
American Guild of Organists
certificates
1917-1918
3
1
Piano instruction book owned by
Richter
1897
2
2
Wedding book
1922 September
19
1
17
Clippings
circa 1924-1938
1
18
Eulogy by Marjorie Ellis McCrady
and lyrics for songs performed at Richter's memorial service
1938 December
30
1
19
Programs, correspondence, and
clippings relating to posthumous performances of Richter's works
1940
1947
undated
1
20
Musical scores and
lyrics
Series 3
circa
1900-1925
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.
Comic opera, "The Grand Nazar"
(music by Richter and lyrics by George L. Hutchin)
Subseries 1
circa 1905
Overture and lyrics
circa 1905
4
1
First and second violin
scores
circa 1905
4
2
Viola and cello
scores
circa 1905
4
3
Bass score
circa 1905
4
4
Clarinet scores
circa 1905
5
1
Oboe and bassoon
scores
circa 1905
5
2
Flute score
circa 1905
5
3
Trombone score
circa 1905
5
4
Cornet scores
circa 1905
5
5
Score for horns
circa 1905
5
6
Timpani score
circa 1905
5
7
Opus 6, First Symphonie in C
Minor
Subseries 2
circa 1910-1913
Orchestral score
circa 1910-1913
6
5
Principal violin
score
circa 1910-1913
6
1
First violin scores
circa 1910-1913
6
2-4
Second violin
scores
circa 1910-1913
7
1-3
Viola scores
circa 1910-1913
7
4-6
Cello scores
circa 1910-1913
7
7-8
Bass scores
circa 1910-1913
8
1
Flute and oboe
scores
circa 1910-1913
8
2
Clarinet scores
circa 1910-1913
8
3
Bassoon and contrabassoon
scores
circa 1910-1913
8
4
Trumpet scores
circa 1910-1913
8
5
French horn scores (titled
"Corno I-II")
circa
1910-1913
8
6
Trombone and tuba
scores
circa 1910-1913
8
7
Harp, timpani, and cymbal
scores
circa 1910-1913
8
8
Tone Pictures (March Grotesque,
Idyll, Danse Espagnole)
Subseries 3
circa 1915
First violin scores
circa 1915
9
1-2
Second violin
scores
circa 1915
9
3-4
Viola scores
circa 1915
9
5
Cello scores
circa 1915
9
6
Bass scores
circa 1915
9
7
Flute scores
circa 1915
9
8
Bassoon and contrabassoon
scores
circa 1915
9
9
Clarinet scores
circa 1915
9
10
Oboe scores
circa 1915
9
11
Horn scores
circa 1915
9
12
Trumpet scores
circa 1915
9
13
Trombone scores
circa 1915
9
14
Timpani and drum
scores
circa 1915
9
15
Harp score
circa 1915
9
16
Conductor's score
circa 1915
9
17
Other works by
Richter
Subseries 4
circa 1900-1925
Scores for "Annie
Rooney"
undated
10
1
Score for piece written for
Shriners' convention, "At the Shrine of the Rose"
1920
10
2
Band scores for Opus 135 No. 1,
"Don Quixote"
circa 1925
10
3
Score for Opus 7 No. 1, "March
Grotesque"
1907 November
10
4
Lyrics and score for song
dedicated to Antoinette Kopetzky, "Memory" (5 copies)
circa 1912
10
5
Score and lyrics for song based
on a poem by C. Simmons, "My Beloved"
undated
10
6
Score for Opus 27, "Pilgrimage
- Progress and Vision"
circa 1915
10
7
Score for
"Quintette"
undated
10
8
Score for "Réponse á une fluer
pour pianoforte" (title page in French)
circa 1910
French.
10
9
Scores for waltzes, "Sounds
from the Willamette"
circa 1900
10
10
Song arrangements by
Richter
circa 1905-1925
3
2
Music and lyrics by
others
Subseries 5
circa 1910-1920
undated
Braille transcription by
Richter of "The Swan" by Camille St. Saëns
circa 1920
3
3
Sheet music and handwritten
orchestral arrangements for Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Piano
Concerto
circa 1910
3
4
Handwritten transcript of Ede
Poldini's "Marche Mignon" for orchestra
circa 1910
3
5
Lyrics of "Herakles am
Scheidewege" (Hercules at the Crossroads), by F. Waliczek (in
German)
1912 German.
1
21
Sheet music by others (in
English, French, and German)
1911
undated
English,
French,
German.
3
6
Musical performances
Series 4
1931 January 18
circa 1931
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.
Waltz by Johannes
Brahms
circa 1931
11
1
Untitled piano solo; prelude by
Frédéric Chopin
circa 1931
1931 January 18
11
2
"Magic Flute";
untitled
circa 1931
11
3
"Monte Carlo";
"Quartette"
circa 1931
11
4
"Valse Lento"
circa 1931
11
5
"Response to a Fluer"; "Ich liebe
dich"
1931 January 18
circa 1931
11
6
Performance with Ward Allen,
"Russian Dance"; piece by Frédéric Chopin
circa 1931
11
7
Organ performances: "We March, We
March to Victory"; "The Church is the Foundation"
1931 January 18
circa 1931
11
8
Performances with Ward Allen:
"When Shadows Fall"; "Russian Peasant Dance"
circa 1931
11
9