Nellie von Gerichten Smith (April 24, 1871 – May 15, 1952) was an American composer, pianist, violinist, and writer who composed two operas.[1] [2]

Smith was born in Sierra County, California, to Cecelia Meta Horeis and Philip Gerichten.[3] Little is known about her education. She married Barnaby Hathaway Smith in 1893 and they moved to Prescott, Arizona, where Barnaby managed the Palace Saloon.[4] During her time in Arizona, Smith made several quilts which remain in Arizona collections today. [1] She eventually returned to California, where she died in 1952.

Works

In addition to composing music and playing violin with an orchestra in San Francisco, Smith wrote an essay about the women of early Arizona[5] which was included in Women of the West, a book edited by Max Binheim and published in 1928.[6] Smith's musical compositions include:

Operas

Piano

  • "Calizona"[11]
  • "Montezuma"[11]
  • "Song of the Pines"[11]
  • "Storm in the Grand Canyon"[11]

Vocal

  • "Back to the West"[11]
  • "My Happy Home Away Out West"[12]
  • "Wait, My Little Darling"

References

  1. 1 2 Frost, Helen Young; Stevenson, Pam Knight (1992). Grand Endeavors: Vintage Arizona Quilts and Their Makers. Northland Pub. ISBN 978-0-87358-547-7.
  2. ↑ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in Music : An Encyclopedic Biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  3. ↑ Howes, Durward (1981). American Women, 1935-1940: A-L. Gale Research Company. ISBN 978-0-8103-0403-1.
  4. ↑ Arizona History. Arizona Historical Society. 1986.
  5. ↑ Women of Early Arizona  – via Wikisource.
  6. ↑ Binheim, Max (1928). Women of the West. California: Publishers Press.
  7. ↑ Heuser, Herman Joseph (1932). The American Ecclesiastical Review;: A Monthly Publication for the Clergy. Catholic University of America Press.
  8. ↑ Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Books & Music (USA). ISBN 978-0-9617485-1-7.
  9. ↑ Anderson, Parker; Ruffner, Elisabeth (2012-03-05). The Elks Opera House. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-4993-0.
  10. ↑ Dictionary-catalogue of Operas and Operettas which Have Been Performed on the Public Stage. Acme Publishing Company. 1910.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Nellie von Gerichten. "Genealogy Trails History Group". Retrieved 2022-02-13. Smith, Nellie von Gerichten: a native of Sierra County, California, a resident of Arizona for 35 years.Married to Barnaby Hathaway Smith. Pianist and composer. Published the following piano solos: "Calizona", "Song of the Pines", "Montezuma", "A Storm in the Grand Canyon", also the song, "Back to the West".
  12. ↑ Smith, Nellie von Gerichten. My Happy Home Away Out West. OCLC 1268065848.
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