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Elsie Hamilton

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Contents:

1. Early Life and Education
   1. Early life
   2. Education
   3. Immanuel Gotthold Reimann
   4. After Berlin
2. Discovering Spirituality
   1. Theosophical movement
   2. The Anthroposophical movement
3. Kathleen Schlesinger
4. Tuning Systems
   1. Greek aulos
   2. Just intonation
   3. Equal temperament
5. Career
   1. Expanding horizons
   2. Mixed reviews
   3. Through the Years
6. Final years and contributions

Elsie Hamilton

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Elsie Hamilton (Scottish: /ˈɛlsi ˈhæməltən/) 1880-1965) is a forgotten and important Australian modernist. Hamilton’s early twentieth-century microtonal music was misconstrued during her lifetime and has been missing from the standard music history literature. Hamilton’s early life and education, important collaborations with Kathleen Schlesinger, as well as her Anthroposophical beliefs and use of occult and complicated musical tunings, is what make Hamilton a true musical pioneer.

Early Life and Education

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Early Life

Elsie Maud Hamilton was born in 1880 in Adelaide, South Australia, and the youngest of eight children to wealthy Scottish merchants William Hamilton and Annie Hamilton. Raised in the large estate of 'Strathearn' on Adelaide's prestigious East Terrace, Hamilton's family afforded her a life free from financial pressures, with access to a fine education from an early age.

Education

Hamilton was a bright and eager student, taking advantage of the access to education her family could afford her. She exceeded in primary school, earning several awards for accomplishments in academic subjects including German, art, mathematics, and science. Hamilton was also praised for her remarkable musical talent. She began studying piano at the age of four, and her exceptional piano skills earned her one of the two inaugural scholarships at the Elder Conservatorium, where she was taught by the locally renowned German pianist Immanuel Gotthold Reimann.

Immanuel Gotthold Reimann

After receiving the scholarship, Elsie Hamilton continued her musical education at the Elder Conservatorium, where she met and learned from Immanuel Gotthold Reimann.

During this time, Hamilton's musical talent flourished under Reimann's guidance. She took every opportunity to perform and soon earned a reputation as a gifted Chopin player. Hamilton also contributed to conservatorium concerts and other groups and societies, such as the Bach Society and the Liedertafel Society. As a result of these concerts, she formed lifelong associations with other Australian musicians, including Nora Kyffin Thomas, William Silver, Amy Castles, Hooper Brewster-Jones, and Meta Buring. On December 10th, 1900, Hamilton and her friend Nora Kyffin Thomas gave a departing recital before starting a study program at the Stern Conservatorium in Berlin. Reimann insisted Hamilton study under Ernst Jedliczka, a renowned piano teacher at the conservatory and former pupil of Tchaikovsky and Rubenstein. Despite initially refusing, Jedliczka was so impressed by Hamilton's performance that he agreed to teach her, later describing her as being in "one of the highest places, if not the very highest" amongst his 100 pupils.

After Berlin

Upon finishing her course in Berlin, Hamilton returned to Adelaide and enjoyed a successful performing career, and in 1909 wrote a piano method used for teaching students.

In 1912, Hamilton's sister Ethel married Hugh Rainey Gillespie, a prominent member of the Theosophy Society. Their wedding was the first ever to be held in the Adelaide Theosophical Society building. Gillespie subsequently had a career giving Theosophy lectures around Australia. Although it is not confirmed, he very likely  introduced Theosophical ideas to Elsie Hamilton prior to her meeting and being influenced by Kathleen Schlesinger.

In December 1910 Hamilton journeyed with her sister, Marion Harrold, to England and Paris. She remained in Paris for the next five years, studying composition at the Paris Conservatoire under André Geldage. Upon completion of her studies in 1916 she attended a Theosophical Society summer school where she met the renowned musicologist Kathleen Schlesinger.

Discovering Spirituality

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The Theosophical Movement of Helena Blavatsky (1831 - 1891)

Hamilton’s involvement with Theosophy eventually leads her to Anthroposophy, which heavily influenced her compositions. Her growing interest in these emerging movements plays a large role in her studies and teachings later on in life. The Theosophical movement of Helena Blavatsky emerged in the late 19th century and teaches that all religions and spiritual traditions are unified, focusing on the concept of universal spiritual truth.  The movement is deeply rooted within Hinduism, sharing beliefs in reincarnation and karma.Theosophy posits the existence of hidden spiritual forces that influence human life, and allows individuals to evolve towards a higher state of consciousness through mystical experiences and personal insight.

The Anthroposophical Movement by Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925)

Anthroposophy is defined as the "wisdom of the human being" and aims to develop an individual to contact the spiritual world that is believed to coexist with the physical world.

The Anthroposophical movement was started by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) in the early 20th century as a breakaway from The Theosophical movement. Steiner had previously led the emerging Theosophy movement, which incorporated elements of Buddhism and Hinduism through a Western lens. Now, Steiner aimed to combine the shared beliefs from Theosophy such as karma, reincarnation, and spiritual philosophy, with his interest in Christianity and the works of Goethe.

In Anthroposophy, music is seen as a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious as well as the physical and the spiritual. Steiner regarded art as a religious expression, an instinct of his “seven elements of the human being”. Interpreting music as an art originating from the spiritual world is considered an important aspect of the movement.

Dr. Eugene Kolisko, an Anthroposophical physician, invited Hamilton’s orchestra to perform in his Vienna-based sanatorium due to music's perceived medicinal properties in Anthroposophy. Dr. Kolisko suggested integrating some of his patients into the orchestra to further enhance its curative effects, but Hamilton was hesitant. Despite this, she maintained the collaboration with Dr. Kolisko because she believed in the remarkable results it produced.

Kathleen Schlesinger

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Kathleen Schlesinger (1862- 1953)

Kathleen Schlesinger was a Fellow of the University of Liverpool and a music archaeologist focused on the study of ancient Greek modes. Kathleen Schlesinger collaborated and worked closely with Elsie Hamilton for nearly two decades, producing some of Hamilton's most influential works. The personal and professional connection between Hamilton and Schlesinger, along with The Theosophical and Anthroposophical movements, contributed significantly to their musical style. Schlesinger’s seminal work, ‘The Greek Aulos’, which had taken her fifteen years to write, was published in 1939 and dedicated to Elsie Hamilton.

Both composers were strongly interested in the teachings within the Anthroposophical Movement and officially joined the Anthroposophical Society on March 10th, 1921. The teachings embedded in Anthroposophy strongly influenced and guided the use of modes and tuning systems as heard in the compositions from both Schlesinger and Hamilton. The two also engaged in ethnomusicological studies and spent time focusing on ethnographic fieldwork during their travels to Bali, where they collected native instruments. The composers began working together after Hamilton attended Schlesinger's lectures on "The Greek Aulos."

Schlesinger’s seminal work, ‘The Greek Aulos’, which had taken her fifteen years to write, was published in 1939 and dedicated to Elsie Hamilton.

Music Characteristics and Tuning Systems

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“The Greek Aulos”

During Schlesinger’s lectures on “The Modes of Ancient Greece”, she discussed the details of the tuning system, Anthroposophy as well as mystical concepts. “The Modes of Ancient Greece”, describes the seven scales related to the seven planets.

To understand pieces written in the planetary modes, it is essential to understand how the harmonies relate to  Schlesinger’s “The Greek Aulos”. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Anthroposophical Movement, believed that music, including musical intervals, was “experienced with the whole human being”.

“The Greek Aulos” associates each mode with planetary energy in the astrological view stating that “the musical and the modal represent two distinct musical worlds, each quite complete in itself.” The contour of melodies symbolizes human beings' relationship to the spiritual world.

Ascending scales represent the ascent of man into the spiritual world, and descending scales represent the opposite. Small musical intervals depict the border between the physical world, and large musical intervals depict the border between the spiritual world. An interval of a perfect octave represents the unification of the two worlds, the physical and the spiritual. It is also important to note that “The Greek Aulos” utilizes traditional major and minor triads chords that are closely approximated within each specific mode.

Hamilton, based many of her harmonies on tetrachords, octaves, and fourths, as they were symbolically significant in Steiner’s musical philosophy. The importance of Anthrosophy and music as art is highlighted in one of Elsie Hamilton’s published works, “The Nature of Musical Experience in the Light of Anthroposophy”. This book summarizes Steiner’s musical lectures. Hamilton’s instrumentation choices within her pieces were also influenced by Anthrosophy, as Steiner theorized that “all instruments like the flute or violin originate musically from the higher world” and were in tune with different parts of the body. Hamilton's compositions often feature lyres alongside modern clarinets, violins, and flutes.

Equal Temperament

Equal temperament is a musical tuning system in which the octave is divided into 12 semitones. The distance between each note in a chromatic scale, such as A to A-sharp/B-flat, is the same. Equal temperament became widely used during the Baroque era and is now the standard tuning system in Western music. It allows for easy modulation between keys and enables all keys to sound equal in tune. However, it is argued that equal temperament sacrifices the purity of certain intervals and can lead to a less expressive and colorful sound compared to other tuning systems.

Hamilton’s only surviving piece in equal temperament is ‘Feuilles d’Automne’, which was written in 1914 when studying composition at the Paris Conservatoire with André Geldage.

Just Intonation

Schlesinger and Hamilton were among the first composers to explore Just Intonation in their compositions and to write about its theoretical and practical implications for music. Just Intonation is a tuning system, in which the intervals between notes are based on whole-number ratios, rather than the equal temperament system. Hamilton's work in the field of Just Intonation made her a revolutionary composer, and she used the system in her work in Britain during the 1920s.

Career

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After concluding her studies around the world, Hamilton continued expanding her career as a performer, composer, and educator. She continued collaborating with fellow musicologists and worked on various musical projects whose compositions utilized the many tuning systems she mastered through her research.

Mixed Reviews

On May 11th, 1918, Hamilton's original composition using ancient Greek modes debuted at the Aeolian Hall in London. 'Trio for Oboe, Violin and Pianoforte' in the Hypodorian Mode was performed alongside performances of Beethoven and Stravinsky by the London String Quartet.  Hamilton’s composition received a variety of mixed reviews post-performance, with one reviewer stating that “Miss Hamilton has chosen a delightful combination of instruments, and has written music which is free from plagiarism and diffuseness”,  whilst a different reviewer wrote that ‘the pleasing music… proved quite innocent to those with the atmospheric effects of the modern…Stravinsky... was far more exciting.”  A Musical Times writer even stated that he “found Hamilton's L'arbre Mystique (a septet in the Moon mode on the C string) not all that agreeable”.

Hamilton's use of the ancient Greek modes was not understood by many in the audience, the complexity of the tuning systems and scales surpass the public knowledge of music. After two more failed performances, she decided to refrain from sharing the original music. These compositions were only showcased to like-minded listeners such as those in the Anthroposophical Society or other musicologists.

Expanding Horizons

Hamilton wrote incidental music for “Sensa”, a play set in ancient Egypt adapted by Maud Hoffman from the Mable Collins theosophical text “Idyll of the White Lotus”. “Sensa” inspired Schlesinger to create the “Sensa Flute” in 1917, a specialized flute with equidistant holes tuned to the Hypophrygian mode. The flute was featured in Hamilton’s incidental music, but nearly all copies of her work have since been lost. One of the few that survives, “Hym to Ra”, is written in the Sun and Venus modes. The choice of modes symbolizes the rising and setting of the Egyptian sun.

Through the Years

In April and May of 1921, Hamilton and Schlesinger traveled to Donarch, Switzerland, and met with Rudolf Steiner to discuss their ideas. Steiner invited and encouraged Hamilton to teach local musicians about the new modes. Between 1921-22 Schlesinger and Hamilton were recruited by Steiner to assist in the production of his ‘Four Mystery Dramas.’

In 1922 Hamilton founded an orchestra dedicated to Greek modes. It consisted of 20 members who performed on flutes, harps, lyres, clarinets, and several string instruments. The orchestra performed her compositions regularly.

Schlesinger and Hamilton were invited back to meet Rudolf Steiner in 1923, this time at the Daniel N. Dunlop Summer School in Penmaenmawr, Wales.

Hamilton and Schlesinger presented “The Planetary Modes in Terms of Modern Music and the Humanities”. The use of Greek Modes in Steiner’s new modal tone ‘eurhythmy’ was also discussed during this presentation and debuted in London in December 1923. Elsie Hamilton composed the music for the mime ‘Agave’, written by Eva Papp, which incorporated eurhythmy.

Final years and contributions

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In 1924, Hamilton followed Schlesinger to Italy to conduct research. Two years later, she presented new incidental music at a conference in Donarch, and her article titled "The Nature of Musical Experience in the Light of Anthroposophy" was published in the journal "Anthroposophy." In November 1928, Hamilton composed music for three ballet matinees performed at the Court Theatre in London. One of the pieces, "The Scorpions of Ysit," was a comedy set in Ancient Egypt written by Terrence Gray.

During the years between 1929 and 1934, there is little information available about Elsie Hamilton's activities, but she likely stayed in Germany during this time. In the early 1930s, Hamilton collaborated with Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström, a well-known opera singer who led an Anthroposophical singing school (known as the "School for Uncovering the Voice" or "Schüle der Stimmenthüllung") and a choir in Hamburg. Together, they composed "Motto für die Schüle der Stimmenthüllung," a piece featuring a solo singer and a boys' choir. However, in 1935, with the rise of Nazism, Anthroposophical activities became too dangerous to continue in Germany, and the "Schüle der Stimmenthüllung" came to an end.

In 1933, Hamilton traveled without Schlesinger for the first time in 17 years. In 1934, she was invited to showcase her modes at a conference in Sweden. At the conference, she met Mary Wilber and Wilhelmina ‘Willy’ Roelvink, both of whom would later become colleagues of Hamilton and Schlesinger. Hamilton then relocated to Stuttgart, where she established yet another orchestra dedicated to natural intonation.

From October 1936 until February 1937, Elsie Hamilton resided with her brother in East Terrace. She then returned to Europe and spent the next several years traveling "from city to city" to oversee performances by her orchestras. While in Paris in 1938, Hamilton conducted seminars on the modes for three months before eventually returning to London. By 1939, she had grown confident enough in the abilities of her two pupils, Wilbur and Roelvink, to entrust them with continuing her musical work. Hamilton returned to Australia in 1940, where she frequently demonstrated the Greek Modes and shared stories of her travels in Europe while residing in Adelaide. Additionally, Hamilton was recognized as a notable alumna of the Advanced Association concert in 1945.

In the 1950s, Hamilton divided her time between England and Australia, teaching at one of Rudolf Steiner’s Waldorf schools in Gloucestershire. She traveled from England to Adelaide at the end of the year via New York and Los Angeles and briefly stopped in Sydney to visit her Theosophist sister Ethel. In 1952, Hamilton went to Sydney to give three lectures before returning to England, again via the US.

Following Kathleen Schlesinger’s death in 1953, Elsie Hamilton returned to Adelaide in 1956, where she is believed to have resided with her brother Arthur and his family on East Terrace. Hamilton published her last article in Germany in 1957. She passed away on November 7th, 1965.

Elsie Hamilton's life is a testament not only to the international feminine occult networks of the early 20th century but also to her exceptional work as an early Australian microtonal composer. Despite its brilliance, Hamilton's music has remained largely unexplored, perhaps due to its complex and intricate nature. Nonetheless, Hamilton is a noteworthy and innovative composer and her contributions merit recognition in the growing list of prominent Australian musicians and composers.

References

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