Johannes Nicolaas Helstone

The Allard Pierson houses two precious collections of documents and objects related to the life and legacy of Johannes Nicolaas Helstone (1853–1927), an Afro-Surinamese composer of Christian and classical music. They represent an invaluable resource, offering insights not only into Helstone’s biography and rich oeuvre but also into the development of classical music in Suriname. He was born at a timber plantation labour camp when slavery was still enforced by the Dutch colonists in Suriname and received his early education from Moravian missionaries. Later, he obtained a diploma in music from the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany and went on to become a renowned music teacher and famed composer in Suriname. The many handwritten and typewritten manuscripts of psalms and hymns, stored in the Allard Pierson collections, indeed testify to his musical abilities as well as his devotion to the responsibilities entrusted to him by Moravian proselytisers in Suriname. These items are all the more precious, as many of Helstone’s scripts and belongings, including his two pianos, were lost in a fire in 1899.

Probably the most important documents in the collections are the many versions of the music and libretto of his magnum opus: Het Pand der Goden [The Pledge of the Gods], which premiered in Suriname’s capital city of Paramaribo in May 1906. Helstone spent many years writing the music and text for this music drama in five acts, and the preparations for the premiere took many months. During this time, Helstone rehearsed and directed local musicians who sang the main roles or played in the orchestra, which eventually consisted of 24 members. The production was an overwhelming success, and the audience received it with great enthusiasm. As a local paper Onze West wrote about the drama: ‘It is a grand work, beautiful and sublime. The music is exquisite and a delight for the musical audience. The scenes make such a profound impression on the viewer that one becomes completely absorbed in the piece. (…) Oh, how [Helstone’s] greatness is revealed in this piece! It is masterfully composed. Gloriously arranged.’ 

In the collections, we also find earlier attempts at biographical writings about Helstone, as well as books documenting the vibrant musical life in Suriname, encompassing European and African cultural traditions. Combined with the Allard Pierson’s Surinamica repository, this material enables in-depth explorations of not only Helstone’s biography and compositions, but also the colonial history of Suriname, and especially during his lifetime, when profound socio-economic transformations within the Dutch colonial empire took place. 

Interesting in this respect is Helstone’s De Grieksche Muziek in het Licht der Moderne Toonkunst (The Greek Music in the Light of Modern Music), a book on European art music he released in 1924. Here, the composer explores the Romantic discourses on modern music composition and interpretation, and often, in a rather poetic manner, expresses his admiration and devotion to European culture, its ideals and principles. When we, however, consider the Dutch colonial politics at play in this period in Suriname, which sought to eradicate the sound-oriented traditions of Afro-Surinamese people, that is, Helstone’s peers and fellows, a question pops up: To what extent can music serve as a means for cultural enrichment and liberation, and to what extent can it serve as a colonial force that imposes constraints? A research project into the intricacies and complexities of this history is now being conducted at Allard Pierson within the Helstone Fellowship, enabled by Helstone’s great-grandniece, Astrid Helstone.

The collections contain more precious materials about Helstone and the place of the classical music enterprise in Suriname’s history, including extensive information about the composer’s students, many of whom later became renowned musicians. These materials (among them photographs, Helstone’s batons, and other artefacts) have been carefully preserved over the decades and now stand as a testament to Helstone’s significance and impact, despite the obscurity his name faded into after he died in 1927. By utilising these materials in our research project, the goal is to revive the composer’s legacy, and to reintroduce him to a broader and English-speaking audience. This is perhaps especially meaningful in the world of classical music, where many non-European musicians still await the recognition they deserve.