Rodgers, Richard

Rodgers, Richard
born June 28, 1902, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Dec. 30, 1979, New York City

U.S. composer.

Rodgers studied at Columbia University, where he met his future collaborator Lorenz Hart, and he later studied composition at the Institute of Musical Art. His first success with Hart (who wrote lyrics) was a revue, The Garrick Gaieties (1925). Their comedy On Your Toes (1936), with the jazz ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, established serious dance as a permanent part of musical comedy. Among their other collaborations were Babes in Arms (1937), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940), which was revived in 1952 with great success. After Hart's death, Rodgers worked with librettist Oscar Hammerstein. Their Oklahoma! (1943, Pulitzer Prize) enjoyed a then-unprecedented Broadway run of 2,248 performances; their 17-year partnership produced successes such as South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959) and made them the foremost team in the history of the American musical.

* * *

▪ American composer
born June 28, 1902, New York City
died Dec. 30, 1979, New York City

      one of the dominant composers of American musical comedy, known especially for his works in collaboration with the librettists Lorenz Hart (Hart, Lorenz) and Oscar Hammerstein (Hammerstein, Oscar, II) II.

      As a youth Rodgers composed songs for amateur boys' club shows. In 1918 he entered Columbia University. There he met Hart, with whom he collaborated on Columbia's varsity show of 1919, Fly with Me. After a year and a half he left Columbia, intending to work full time composing for the musical theatre. He studied composition for two years at the Institute of Musical Art (now Juilliard School of Music), New York City, and produced several amateur shows with Hart.

      Rodgers and Hart's first professional success was a revue, The Garrick Gaieties (1925), which included the song "Manhattan." In 1936 their comedy On Your Toes was produced. This production, with the jazz ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (choreography by George Balanchine (Balanchine, George)), introduced ballet and established serious dance as a permanent part of musical comedy. Among their other collaborations were Babes in Arms (1937), including the songs "My Funny Valentine" and "The Lady Is a Tramp" ; I Married an Angel (1938); and The Boys from Syracuse (1938), adapted from Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. Their Pal Joey (1940), adapted by John O'Hara from a series of his short stories, turned away from purely escapist entertainment to serious drama. Too realistic for its time when first produced, it was revived in 1952 with enormous success. Among its songs was "Bewitched." Their final collaboration, one year before Hart's death, was By Jupiter (1942).

 In 1942 Rodgers began working with Hammerstein on an adaptation of Lynn Riggs's play Green Grow the Lilacs. The result, the 1944 Pulitzer Prize-winning Oklahoma! (1943; film, 1955), enjoyed a then-unprecedented Broadway run of 2,248 performances. Choreographed by Agnes de Mille (de Mille, Agnes) and including the songs "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," and "People Will Say We're in Love," it marked the beginning of a 17-year partnership that ended with Hammerstein's death. Carousel (1945) and the experimental Allegro (1947) were somewhat less successful, but South Pacific (1949) had a Broadway run almost as long as that of Oklahoma! and won a second Pulitzer Prize (1950). Unusual in its treatment of racial prejudice and skillful matching of music to character, it included the songs "Younger than Springtime," "Some Enchanted Evening," and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair." There followed The King and I (1951), remarkable for its exotic character; Pipe Dream (1955); The Flower Drum Song (1958); and one of their major successes, The Sound of Music (1959).

      Rodgers also wrote the music for the documentary film Victory at Sea (1952).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • RODGERS, RICHARD — (1902–1979), U.S. composer. Born in New York, Rodgers studied at Columbia University and at the Institute of Musical Art. In collaboration with the lyricist Lorenz Hart, he wrote many musical comedies including: The Girl Friend (1926), Babes in… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Rodgers, Richard — (1902 1979)    Songwriter Richard Rodgers was born in Arverne, New York, and studied at Columbia College, where he met lyricist Lorenz Hart and formed a successful partnership that lasted until 1942. After leaving Columbia College in 1921,… …   Historical Dictionary of the Roosevelt–Truman Era

  • Rodgers, Richard — (1902–79)    US composer. For nearly two decades New York born Richard Rodgers, in partnership with Oscar HAMMERSTEIN II, gave musical comedy in the United States a new dimension. In 1943 their Oklahoma won a Pulitzer prize. Among their other… …   Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament

  • Rodgers, Richard — (28 jun. 1902, Nueva York, N.Y., EE.UU.–30 dic. 1979, Ciudad de Nueva York). Compositor estadounidense. Estudió en la Universidad de Columbia, donde conoció a su futuro colaborador Lorenz Hart, y más tarde estudió composición en el Instituto de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rodgers,Richard — Rod·gers (rŏjʹərz), Richard. 1902 1979. American composer known for his musical comedies, especially his collaborations with Oscar Hammerstein II, including Oklahoma! (1943), South Pacific (1949), and The Sound of Music (1959). * * * …   Universalium

  • Rodgers, Richard — (1902 79)    American composer of musicals. He began writing songs at an early age. He studied at Columbia University, and collaborated with Lorenz Milton Hart on a varsity show. Later they produced a variety of musicals. When Hart died, he… …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Rodgers, Richard —  (1902–1979) American composer, collaborated often with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Richard Charles Rodgers — Richard Rodgers (links) und Lorenz Hart (rechts) (1936) Richard Charles Rodgers (* 28. Juni 1902 in New York, USA; † 30. Dezember 1979 in New York) war ein US amerikanischer Komponist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Richard Rodgers — Richard Charles Rodgers (* 28. Juni 1902 in New York, USA; † 30. Dezember 1979 ebenda) war ein amerikanischer Komponist. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rodgers & Hammerstein — Rodgers (links) und Hammerstein (rechts), mit Irving Berlin bei Proben im St. James Theater New York Rodgers und Hammerstein ist eine Bezeichnung für das „Songwriting Team“, bestehend aus dem Komponisten Richard Rodgers und dem Liedtexter …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”