American composer of songs and Broadway musicals
For early people named Richard Rodgers, see Richard Rodgers ( disambiguation ) For the american sleep together composer and bandleader, see Dick Rogers

musical artist
Richard Charles Rodgers ( June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979 ) was an american composer, known largely for his knead in musical field. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most meaning american composers of the twentieth hundred, and his compositions had a significant determine on popular music. He is well known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricist Lorenz Hart, with whom he wrote many musicals throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including Pal Joey, A Connecticut Yankee, On Your Toes and Babes in Arms; and Oscar Hammerstein II, with whom he wrote musicals through the 1940s and 1950s, such as Oklahoma!, Flower Drum Song, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. His collaborations with Hammerstein, in particular, are celebrated for bringing the Broadway musical to a new adulthood by telling stories that were focused around characters and drama rather than the blithe entertainment that the music genre was known for ahead. Rodgers was the first person to win all of what are considered the top american entertainment awards in theater, film, recording, and television – a Tony, an Oscar, a Grammy, and an Emmy — now known jointly as an EGOT. [ 1 ] In addition, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, making him one of merely two people to receive all five awards ( Marvin Hamlisch is the other ). [ 2 ] In 1978, Rodgers was in the inaugural group of those awarded a The Kennedy Center Honors for his life accomplishment in the arts. [ 3 ]

biography [edit ]

early life and education [edit ]

Born into a jewish syndicate in Queens, New York, Rodgers was the son of Mamie ( Levy ) and Dr. William Abrahams Rodgers, a outstanding doctor who had changed the family appoint from Rogazinsky. Rodgers began playing the piano at the age of six. He attended P.S. 166, Townsend Harris Hall and DeWitt Clinton High School. Rodgers spent his early adolescent summers in Camp Wigwam ( Waterford, Maine ) where he composed some of his first gear songs. [ 5 ] Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and late collaborator Oscar Hammerstein II all attended Columbia University. At Columbia, Rodgers joined the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. In 1921, Rodgers shifted his studies to the Institute of Musical Art ( now the Juilliard School ). [ 6 ] Rodgers was influenced by composers such as Victor Herbert and Jerome Kern, ampere good as by the operettas his parents took him to see on Broadway when he was a child .

career [edit ]

Rodgers and Hart [edit ]

In 1919, Richard met Lorenz Hart, thanks to Phillip Levitt, a acquaintance of Richard ‘s older brother. Rodgers and Hart struggled for years in the playing field of musical drollery, writing several amateurish shows. They made their master debut with the song “ Any Old position With You ”, featured in the 1919 Broadway musical comedy A Lonely Romeo. Their foremost professional output was the 1920 Poor Little Ritz Girl, which besides had music by Sigmund Romberg. Their next professional show, The Melody Man, did not premier until 1924. When he was merely out of college Rodgers worked as musical director for Lew Fields. Among the stars he accompanied were Nora Bayes and Fred Allen. [ 7 ] Rodgers was considering quitting express occupation wholly to sell children ‘s underwear, when he and Hart last broke through in 1925. They wrote the songs for a benefit show presented by the prestigious Theatre Guild, called The Garrick Gaieties, and the critics found the appearance fresh and delightful. only meant to run one day, the Guild knew they had a success and allowed it to re-open later. The read ‘s biggest hit—the birdcall that Rodgers believed “ made ” Rodgers and Hart—was “ Manhattan “. The two were nowadays a Broadway songwriting storm. Throughout the rest of the ten, the duet wrote several reach shows for both Broadway and London, including Dearest Enemy ( 1925 ), The Girl Friend ( 1926 ), Peggy-Ann ( 1926 ), A Connecticut Yankee ( 1927 ), and Present Arms ( 1928 ). Their 1920s shows produced standards such as “ here in My Arms “, “ Mountain Greenery “, “ Blue Room “, “ My Heart Stood still “ and “ You Took advantage of Me “. With the Depression in full golf stroke during the first half of the 1930s, the team sought green pastures in Hollywood. The hardworking Rodgers late regretted these relatively fallow years, but he and Hart did write some classic songs and film scores while out west, including Love Me Tonight ( 1932 ) ( directed by Rouben Mamoulian, who would late direct Rodgers ‘s Oklahoma! on Broadway ), which introduced three standards : “ Lover “, “ Mimi “, and “ Is n’t It Romantic ? “. Rodgers besides wrote a melody for which Hart wrote three straight lyrics which either were cut, not recorded or not a hit. The fourth lyric resulted in one of their most celebrated songs, “ Blue Moon “. other movie work includes the scores to The Phantom President ( 1932 ), starring George M. Cohan, Hallelujah, I’m a Bum ( 1933 ), starring Al Jolson, and, in a flying reelect after having left Hollywood, Mississippi ( 1935 ), starring Bing Crosby and W. C. Fields. In 1935, they returned to Broadway and wrote an about unbroken string of strike shows that ended shortly before Hart ‘s death in 1943. Among the most celebrated are Jumbo ( 1935 ), On Your Toes ( 1936, which included the ballet “ Slaughter on Tenth Avenue “, choreographed by George Balanchine ), Babes in Arms ( 1937 ), I Married an Angel ( 1938 ), The Boys from Syracuse ( 1938 ), Pal Joey ( 1940 ), and their last original work, By Jupiter ( 1942 ). Rodgers besides contributed to the book on respective of these shows. many of the songs from these shows are however whistle and remembered, including “ The Most beautiful Girl in the World “, “ My romance “, “ fiddling Girl Blue “, “ I ‘ll Tell the man in the Street “, “ There ‘s a little Hotel “, “ Where or When “, “ My Funny Valentine “, “ The Lady Is a Tramp “, “ Falling in Love with Love “, “ Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered “, and “ Wait till You See Her “. In 1939, Rodgers wrote the ballet Ghost Town for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with choreography by Marc Platoff. [ 8 ]

Rodgers and Hammerstein [edit ]

Rodgers ( seated ) with Hammerstein, 1945 Rodgers ‘ partnership with Hart began having problems because of the lyricist ‘s undependability and declining health. Rodgers began working with Oscar Hammerstein II, with whom he had previously written songs ( before ever working with Lorenz Hart ). Their first musical, the innovative hit Oklahoma! ( 1943 ), marked the begin of the most successful partnership in american musical dramaturgy history. Their ferment revolutionized the musical form. What was once a collection of songs, dances and amusing turns held together by a tenuous plat became a in full integrate man. The team went on to create four more hits that are among the most popular in melodious history. Each was made into a successful film : Carousel ( 1945 ), South Pacific ( 1949, winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama ), The King and I ( 1951 ), and The Sound of Music ( 1959 ). early shows include the minor hit Flower Drum Song ( 1958 ), a well as relative failures Allegro ( 1947 ), Me and Juliet ( 1953 ), and Pipe Dream ( 1955 ). They besides wrote the score to the film State Fair ( 1945 ) ( which was remade in 1962 with Pat Boone ) and a particular television melodious of Cinderella ( 1957 ). Their collaboration produced many long-familiar songs, including “ Oh, What a beautiful Mornin ‘ “, “ People Will Say We ‘re in Love “, “ Oklahoma “ ( which besides became the department of state song of Oklahoma ), “ It ‘s A Grand Night For Singing ”, “ If I Loved You “, “ You’ll Never Walk Alone “, “ It Might equally well Be Spring “, “ Some Enchanted Evening “, “ Younger Than Springtime “, “ Bali Hai “, “ Getting to Know You “, “ My Favorite Things “, “ The sound of Music “, “ Sixteen Going on Seventeen “, “ Climb Ev’ry Mountain “, “ Do-Re-Mi “, and “ Edelweiss “, Hammerstein ‘s last song .
Toast of the Town television show in 1952. Rodgers was the subject of a bipartite special on Ed Sullivan ‘stelevision show in 1952. much of Rodgers ‘ work with both Hart and Hammerstein was orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett. Rodgers composed twelve themes, which Bennett used in preparing the orchestra score for the 26-episode World War II television receiver documentary Victory at Sea ( 1952–53 ). This NBC output pioneered the “ compilation documentary ” —programming based on preexistent footage—and was finally broadcast in dozens of countries. The tune of the popular song “ No early Love “ was later taken from the Victory at Sea theme entitled “ Beneath the Southern Cross ”. Rodgers won an Emmy for the music for the ABC documentary Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years, scored by Eddie Sauter, Hershy Kay, and Robert Emmett Dolan. Rodgers composed the root music, “ March of the Clowns “, for the 1963–64 television receiver series The Greatest Show on Earth, which ran for 30 episodes. He besides contributed the main-title theme for the 1963–64 historic anthology television receiver series The Great Adventure. In 1950, Rodgers and Hammerstein received The Hundred Year Association of New York ‘s Gold Medal Award “ in realization of outstanding contributions to the City of New York. ” Rodgers, Hammerstein, and Joshua Logan won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for South Pacific. [ 9 ] Rodgers and Hammerstein had won a especial Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for Oklahoma!. [ 10 ] In 1954, Rodgers conducted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in excerpts from Victory at Sea, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and the Carousel Waltz for a special LP released by Columbia Records. Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals earned a sum of 37 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and two Emmy Awards .

After Hammerstein [edit ]

After Hammerstein ‘s death in 1960, Rodgers wrote both words and music for his first new Broadway undertaking No Strings ( 1962, which earned two Tony Awards ). The express was a minor hit and featured the song, “ The Sweetest Sounds “. Rodgers besides wrote both the words and music for two raw songs used in the film adaptation of The Sound of Music. ( early songs in that film were from Rodgers and Hammerstein. ) Rodgers went on to work with lyricists : Stephen Sondheim ( Do I Hear a Waltz? ) who was a protégé of Hammerstein, Martin Charnin ( Two by Two, I Remember Mama ) and Sheldon Harnick ( Rex ). At its 1978 commencement ceremonies, Barnard College awarded Rodgers its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

Rodgers was an honoree at the first Kennedy Center Honors in 1978. At the 1979 Tony Awards ceremony—six months before his death—Rodgers was presented the Lawrence Langner Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre .

Death and bequest [edit ]

Rodgers died in 1979, aged 77, after surviving cancer of the chew, a heart attack, and a laryngectomy. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. In 1990, the 46th Street Theatre was renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre in his memory. In 1999, Rodgers and Hart were each commemorated on United States postage stamps. In 2002, the centennial class of Rodgers ‘ parentage was celebrated cosmopolitan with books, retrospectives, performances, new recordings of his music, and a Broadway revival of Oklahoma!. The BBC Proms that year devoted an entire even to Rodgers ‘ music, including a concert performance of Oklahoma! The Boston Pops Orchestra released a new certificate of deposit that class in tribute to Rodgers, entitled My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration. Alec Wilder wrote the following about Rodgers :

Of all the writers whose songs are considered and examined in this ledger, those of Rodgers show the highest degree of coherent excellence, inventiveness, and sophistication … [ A ] fter outgo weeks playing his songs, I am more than impress and respectful : I am astonished. [ 11 ]

Rodgers is a member of the american Theater Hall of Fame. [ 12 ] Along with the Academy of Arts and Letters, Rodgers besides started and endowed an award for non-established musical theater composers to produce new productions either by room of full productions or staged readings. It is the only award for which the Academy of Arts and Letters accepts applications and is presented every class. Below are the previous winners of the award : [ 13 ]

kinship with performers [edit ]

Rodgers and Hammerstein and Berlin and Tamiris NYWTS rosemary Clooney recorded a adaptation of “ Falling in Love with Love “ by Rodgers, using a swing expressive style. After the record session Richard Rodgers told her pointedly that it should be sung as a waltz. [ 15 ] The 1961 doo-wop arrangement of the Rodgers and Hart birdcall “ Blue Moon ” by The Marcels therefore cense Rodgers that he took out full page newspaper ads urging people not to buy it. His efforts were unsuccessful as it reached # 1 on the charts. [ 16 ] After Doris Day recorded “ I Have Dreamed “ in 1961, he wrote to her and her arranger, Jim Harbert, that theirs was the most beautiful rendition of his song he had always heard. After Peggy Lee recorded her adaptation of “ Lover “, a Rodgers sung, with a dramatically different arrangement from that primitively conceived by him, Rodgers said, “ I do n’t know why Peggy picked on me, she could have fucked up mum Night “. [ 17 ] Mary Martin said that Richard Rodgers composed songs for her for South Pacific, knowing she had a humble vocal range, and the songs by and large made her look her best. She besides said that Rodgers and Hammerstein listened to all her suggestions and she worked highly well with them. [ 18 ] Both Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted Doris Day for the lead in the film version of South Pacific and she reportedly wanted the separate. They discussed it with her, but after her manager/husband Martin Melcher would not budge on his demand for a high wage for her, the character went to Mitzi Gaynor .

advocacy for writers ‘ rights [edit ]

In 1943, Richard Rodgers became the one-ninth president of the Dramatists Guild of America .

personal life [edit ]

In 1930, Rodgers married Dorothy Belle Feiner ( 1909–92 ). [ 19 ] Their daughter, Mary ( 1931–2014 ), was the composer of Once Upon a Mattress and an writer of children ‘s books. [ 20 ] The Rodgers ‘ later lost a daughter at birth. Another daughter, Linda ( 1935–2015 ), besides had a abbreviated career as a songwriter. Mary ‘s son and Richard Rodgers ‘s grandson, Adam Guettel ( b. 1964 ), besides a melodious dramaturgy composer, won Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Orchestrations for The Light in the Piazza in 2005. Peter Melnick ( b. 1958 ), Linda Rodgers ‘s son, is the composer of Adrift In Macao, which debuted at the Philadelphia Theatre Company in 2005 and was produced off-broadway in 2007. Rodgers was an atheist. [ 21 ] He was prone to depressive disorder and alcohol abuse, and was at one time hospitalized .

Awards and nominations [edit ]

Rodgers is one of the few entertainers to have won the EGOT, the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony .

Shows with music by Rodgers [edit ]

Lyrics by Lorenz Hart [edit ]

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II [edit ]

other lyricists and solo works [edit ]

Wider determine [edit ]

References [edit ]

further reading [edit ]

  • Secrest, Meryle (2001). Somewhere For Me. Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. ISBN 1-55783-581-0.