Operas, cantatas, film, play, song cycle, original songs

Early in his academic career Mr. Hess studied music, among other things. He was a talented enough flutist to perform with the Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. While primarily a poet and librettist, Mr. Hess also tried his hand at composing. He did not consider himself a gifted composer, but he is known to have written some music.

However, many of the music manuscripts in his possession do not identify a composer, so it was not possible to determine which, if any, of them can be attributed to him alone. It may be that his life-long friend and collaborator, Jerré Tanner, wrote all of the music contained in Mr. Hess’s papers. These are filed in the folder labeled Jerré Tanner/Harvey Hess music.

Following these songs is music unquestionably composed by Mr. Tanner in which Mr. Hess had no involvement, other than having had the manuscripts in his possession.

The collaboration of Mr. Hess and Mr. Tanner was perhaps at its most successful with the composition of larger works, such as operas, cantatas, and song cycles. The most famous of these was Ka Lei No Kane (The Garland of the God Kane), which was the first Hawaiian comic opera. Later efforts such as the two Coffee Cantatas and The Singing Snails were also popular.

Another fine success was Boy with Goldfish, although Mr. Hess was not directly involved in its creation. Hawaiian performers Leon & Malia wrote the libretto for this opera. However, because Mr. Hess contributed much in the way of publicity and essays, Boy with Goldfish is listed here.

Ka Lei No Kane, the two Coffee Cantatas, The Singing Snails, and Boy with Goldfish have been performed and recorded internationally, as have many of Mr. Tanner’s solo efforts.

Mr. Hess and Mr. Tanner were also involved in the making of a documentary art film, Kani Liko Lehua, in the mid-1970s.