Perlet began his career as a concert pianist. After his marriage to Belle Thorne in 1896, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was active as a composer, especially of light opera, and conductor. He succeeded Alfred Cellier as the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company conductor in the United States, and worked with other professional light opera performing groups.
From the description of Herman Perlet papers, 1881-1914. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78290770
A CHRONOLOGY
Jan 24, 1862
Perlet born, probably in Erie, PA
1881
"Come Unto Me and I Will Refresh You" (song) published
1891
"I Love Him" (song) published
1892
1893
Music director/conductor for various opera companies
1893
"The Beggar Maid" (song) published
1893
"My Little Star" (Song) published
1894
Two orchestral suites performed in Leipzig, produced by Hartmann
1894
"I Doubt It" (song) published
1894
"I Wonder" (song) published
1894
"Thou Hast a Heart, I Know!" (song) published
1894
1895
The Dragoon's Daughter produced
Oct 8,1894
Fiorella, a tragic opera in four acts, compiled in New York
1895
A Stag Party, or A Hero in Spite of Himself produced
1895
"Darling, I Love You!" (song) published
1895
"I Sat at my Latticed Window" (song) published
1895
"Love, Sweet Love" (song) published
1895
Vocal Gems from The Dragoon's Daughter (piano-vocal selections) published
1896
Perlet marries Belle Thorne (b. 1871)
1896?
Miss Philadelphia produced
1896
"The Old Dream" (song) published
1896
"When Baby Boy's Ship Comes In" (song) published
1897
First Mass, Opus 5 published
Mar 1897
The Isle of Gold, or The Star Spangled Dollar produced
1897
"If Only in Thy Heart I Dwell" (song) published
1897
"It Needs But That" (song) published
1897
"Susie Smith from Troy" (song from The Isle of Gold) published
1900
Mam'selle 'Awkins produced
1900
"The Brave Days of Old" (song) published
1900
"You'll Never Know" (song) published
1900
Ma Petite, Opus 6 No.1 for piano published
Abendlied, Opus6 No. 2 for piano published
Valse Fantaisie, Opus 6 No. 3 for piano published
1901
In Crakow for piano published
1901
Moonlight in Venice for piano published
Mar 1902
Specialty Dances A Dream of the Dance Produced
Apr 1902
When Reuben Comes to Town produced
Mar 1905
The Little Devil's Half completed in New York
Sep 1906
Those Primrose Girls produced (copyright date 1903)
1906
The Maiden's Lament for contralto solo and chorus published
1906 Oct
Nov 1906
Painting the Town produced
1907
The Festive Evening, a chorus for male voices published
(early) 1908
Perlet moves to Oakland, California
1908
"If King Were Clown and Clown Were King" (song) published (copyright 1897)
1909
Mine is a Song and Two Kisses (arrangements by Perlet) published
1909
The Three Graces: Suite for Piano published. Includes Dorothy, Julia and Mildred
Oct 1909
The Singing Bandits produced
Dec 1909
Christmas Jinks for the Bohemian Club, San Francisco written
1910
"Sing a Song of Gladness" (chorus for women's voices) published
1910
"Sing a Song of Gladness" (song) published
1910
"Ave Maria" (song) published
1910
"I Ask Not" (song) published
Apr 15, 1910
Serenade for String Orchestra, Opus 9 completed
Jun 20, 1910
Mt. Tamalpais, Symphonic Tone Picture for Grand Orchestra, completed in San Francisco
Nov 1910
Perlet conducts the Seattle Symphony
1911
"Whispers" for piano published
1911
Valse-Fantasie, Opus 15 No. 1 for piano published
Ballade, Opus 15 No. 2 for piano published
Dance Grace, Opus 15 No. 3 for piano published
Staccato Etude, Opus 15 No. 4 for piano published
Apr 18, 1911
Quintette, Opus 13 completed in San Francisco
Jul 1911
Music Teachers' Association of California State Convention--Perlet speaks on chamber music and his Quintette premiered
Sep 20, 1911
Trio in F, Opus 16a completed in San Francisco
Nov 19, 1911
The Maiden's Lament (contralto solo) completed in San Francisco
May 1912
Perlet conducts concert to benefit the widows and children of the bandsmen on theTitanic
Aug 1912
Allein, Reverie for Orchestra completed in San Francisco
Nov 1912
Preliminary concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Recreation League,conducted and organized by Perlet
1913
"A Question: Is Love a Dream?" (song) published
Apr 1913
First Official concert of the People's Philharmonic Orchestra (originally the recreationLeague Orchestra), conducted by Perlet
Aug 1913
The Fall of Ug, Eleventh Grove Play of the Bohemian Club, presented
Oct 18, 1913
"Autumn" (song) completed in San Francisco
Dec 24, 1913
Quartette, Opus 20, completed in San Francisco
May 1914
People's Philharmonic Orchestra beings its second season of concerts
Sep 1914
Perlet discusses his new "Third" Sympony
Jan7, 1916
Perlet dies of heart failure in Oakland, California at age 54
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Herman Perlet was born on January 24, 1862, in Erie, Pennysylvania. His parents were James P. Perlet, who worked for the Treasury Department for forty years, and Lydia A. Baker Perlet. He had two brothers, Frank L. Perley, a theather manager and producer, and Morrison W. Perley.
A newspaper article contained in one of the scrapbooks describes the evolution of the name "Perlet," probably because of prominence of Herman and Frank, and because each of the two brothers spelled the name differently. Evidently the family, of French-Huguenot descent, originally wrote the name Per Let. One member of the family used Per Lee. When the family came to the United States, they spelled it Perley to make it American. But when Herman decide to go into the theater, as a courtesy to his parents who were scandalized, he dissassociated himself from them through the form Perlet. When Frank took up the theater as a career, the parents must have adjusted to the horror of the idea, for he kept the name Perley.
Herman's start in music was evidently at an early age, though sources conflict as to his teachers and his progress. He is variously listed as studying with Conrad Kremb, a pupil and intimate friend of Moscheles, or with an unnamed friend and fellow student of Mendelssohn, or with Ambroise Thomas.
It is agreed that Perlet's profesional start was as a concert pianist. One newspaper clipping from a scrapbook states Under the tutelage of Thomas, young Perlet became a concert pianist at the age of 16 years, appearing at the Capitals of Europe and the principal cities of the United States.
Up to this time, the primary area of Perlet's theatrical activity was the northeastern seaboard. In early 1908, however, his doctor suggested that for health reasons he move to the West Coast, and Perlet and his wife Belle Thorne (1871-1937), a famous prima donna whom he had married in 1896, settled in Oakland. One daughter, Mildred, had been born to them. In California, Perlet's musical activity did not slacken. The Singing Bandits, a romanitic operatic comedy, was produced in October 1909, but then Perlet's attention turned to other genres. He continued to publish songs, but also showed more interest in orchestral and chamber music.
An area of personal enthusiasm for Perlet was the Bohemian Club of San Francisco. In 1909 he wrote the Christmas Jinks for that club, and in 1913, he wrote the music for their annual summer Grove Play. The allegorical Grove Play was the highlight of the summer High Jinks, and was held in a desolate redwood grove in Sonoma visited by the club only once a year. The main idea of the High Jinks of the Bohemian Club is that year by year the grim specter of care shall be driven away by this holiday gathering of men of the world... Perlet's contribution to the Eleventh Grove Play, 1913, was the music to T he Fall of Ug, a highly acclaimed success.
In addition to his comopositional talents, Perlet contributed to the cutltural development of the Bay area as a conductor. He directed the Oratorio Society of San Rafael, the San Rafael Choral Society, and the Columbia Boys' Park Band. In November 1912 he founded the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Recreation League, with the purpose of providing low-cost concerts for the general public. This orchestra turned into the People's Philharmonic Orchestra, which played a full season in 1913 and in 1914. A People's Philharmonic Choral Society was also formed by Perlet. Several sources say that it was Sir Arthur Sullivan who persuaded Perlet to give up the piano for a conducting career.
Perlet succeeded Alfred Cellier as the conductor in America of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, and at varoius times conducted most of the major opera companies in the United States: the Strakosch English Opera Company, the Duff Comic Opera, McCaul, Agnes Huntington, Whitney, Lillian Russell, Robin Hood and others.
Even in the early stages of his career, Perlet compsed songs, several of which attained great popularity. Two orchestral suites of his were produced by Hartmann in Leipzig in 1894, and about the same time he began composing in earnest for the stage.
While the extent of his collaborative effort in earlier productions has yet ot be ascertained, his first independent work to be produced probably was The Dragoon's Daughter, a comic opera in three acts presented in 1894-95. Other stage works by Perlet produced during the ensuing years included A Sta g Party (1895), Miss Philadelphia (1896?), The Isle of Gold (1897), Mam'selle 'Awkins (1900), When Reuben Comes to Town (1902), Those Primrose Girls (1906) and Painting the Town (1906). There are other theatrical works in the collection for which no composition or performance dates are known.
Perlet died very unexpectedly on January 7, 1916 at the age of fifty-three from heart failure, at the home of his sister-in-law on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. A concert in his memory was held in March 1916 to benefit his widow and daughter. His "immense library of music" soon afterwards was placed on the market by his widow.
The Perlet Collection was a gift to the Music Library from the composer's daughter, Mrs. Mildred B. Perlet Carey of Sacramento, and her son, Grant S. Carey. The presentation was made in three stages. In mid-August 1978, Mrs. Carey made a gift of the manuscripts and published works of her father. Three scrapbooks were also loaned to the Library for microfilimning, and were returned to Mrs. Carey in January 1979. That microfilm is availbale, however, the scrapbooks themselves were donated to the Library in August of 1979. Finally, in February 1981 further additions were made to the Perlet Collection, consisting primarily of such other documentary items as photographs, another scrapbook, mounted clippings, programs, and some librettos and scores.
Later, on Wedensday, May 19, 1982, Mildred and Grant Carey presented the Music Library with a collection of photographs of Belle Thorne.
From the guide to the Herman Perlet Papers, 1881-1914, (The Music Library)
