From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oscar Rasbach (August 2, 1888 – March 23, 1975)
[1]
[2] was an
American
pianist and
composer and
arranger of
art songs and works for
piano .
Biography
Oscar was born in Kentucky, but studied "academic subjects in Los Angeles".
[3] He also studied music with Ludwig Thomas, Julius Albert Jahn, José Anderson, and A. J. Stamm.
[4] He became a businessman, but went to
Vienna to study
piano with
Theodor Leschetizky and
music theory with Hans Thorton.
[5] He returned to the
United States in 1911 and settled in
San Marino, California . There he worked as a pianist, accompanist, teacher, and choral director.
[6] His obituary in the local news and the Musical Times claimed that he was a founding member of
ASCAP ,
[7] but the 1966
ASCAP Dictionary says that he joined in 1932.
[8]
Music
Rasbach composed two
operettas , around 20 published songs, solos for student pianists, and a few arrangements and instrumental pieces. His most important musical composition was his 1922 setting of Trees , the popular poem by
Joyce Kilmer , published by
G. Schirmer . It was performed and recorded by many important singers of the 20th century, such as
Ernestine Schumann-Heink ,
John Charles Thomas ,
Nelson Eddy ,
Robert Merrill ,
Paul Robeson ,
Richard Tauber and
Mario Lanza . More recently, tenor
John Aler recorded it on a program entitled Songs we Forgot to Remember , and
Julian Lloyd Webber included an instrumental version for cello and piano on his
Unexpected Songs cd.
Musical compositions
Songs for voice and piano
[9]
April (text by Elsie M. Fowler), 1932
Beloved (text by Josephine Johnson), 1941
Crossing the Bar (text by
Alfred, Lord Tennyson ), 1939
Debt (text by
Sara Teasdale ), 1926
Discovery (text by Gilean Douglas), 1945
The Eagle, (text by Alfred, Lord Tennyson), unpublished manuscript
[10]
Gifts (text by Juliana Horatia Ewing), 1930
The Greater Thing (text by C.T. Davis), 1941
The Laughing Brook (text by Elizabeth Ellis Scantlebury), 1926, B.F. Wood Music Co. publisher
The Look (text by
Sara Teasdale ), 1925
Love Shall Light the Haven (Prothalamium) (text by Leigh Hanes), 1936
Motherhood
Mountains (text by Leigh Hanes), 1930
Overtones (text by
William Alexander Percy ), 1929
Prelude in March (text by Gilean Douglas), 1941
Promise, 1932
The Redwoods (text by J. B. Strauss), 1937, Sherman, Clay & Co. publisher
Trees (text by
Joyce Kilmer ), 1922
[11]
A Wanderer's Song (text by
John Masefield )
When I am dead, my dearest (text by
Christina Rossetti ), 1941
Piano solo
Barefoot Boy, 1939
Day Dreams, 1938, Willis Music publisher (John Thompson's students series for the piano)
El Burrito, 1941
Étude Mélodique, 1946
Evening at Padua Hills, 1939
Folk-Song Sonatinas (In Colonial Days, etc.), 1943
From 'way Down South (Turkey in the Straw), 1934
The Old Mill Wheel, 1934
Pleading, 1934
Scherzo, 1921
Spanish Nights, 1934
Tango, 1936
[12]
Valse Charlene, 1936
Valse Elaine, 1938
The Village Blacksmith, 1939
Waltz Improvisation
Wishing
Woods at Night, 1938
Musical arrangements
España (
Emmanuel Chabrier ), for piano solo
Sigh No More, Ladies (James H. Rogers/Shakespeare), for women's chorus, 1959
The Skaters (
Emil Waldteufel ), for piano solo, 1941
Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! (text by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ) (
Engelbert Humperdinck , "Abends, will ich schlafen gehn" from Hansel and Gretel), for women's chorus, 1943
You and You (
Johann Strauss II ,
Die Fledermaus ), for piano solo
Other works
Dawn Boy , Indian Operetta in 2 Acts and 3 Scenes (book and lyrics by C. Allen), 1933
Gifts, violin and piano
Open House , operetta
[13]
Songs Without Words, string ensemble with piano (arr. by Louis Hintze), 1937
Filmography
His song Trees was used in 10 film and television productions:
[14]
The In-Laws , 1979 (uncredited)
All in the Family (TV series), "The Bunkers Go West", 1978 (uncredited)
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (TV series), Episode dated 21 March 1959 (uncredited)
Melody Time , 1948
Blondie in Society , 1941
Woman Chases Man , 1937 (uncredited)
Toyland Broadcast (short), 1934 (uncredited)
The Tree's Knees (short), 1931
Dorothy Whitmore (short), 1928
Mme. Ernestine Schumann-Heink (short), 1927
^ Oscar Rasbach at IMDb web site
^ Musical Times , May 1975, Vol. 116, p. 470
^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476
^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476, and Claghorn, p. 367
^ Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476
^ ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, p. 588
^ Musical Times , May 1975, Vol. 116, p. 470
^ ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, p. 588
^ All published by
G. Schirmer unless noted
^ Copy located in the New York Public Library, OCLC number 24412285.
^ Also published in versions for vocal duet, 7 various choral settings, 2 piano duet versions, piano solo, solo instrument and piano (violin, cornet, and saxophone), and full orchestra.
^ Also arranged for violin and piano by Josef Piastro-Borisov.
^ Mentioned in Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476, and Claghorn, p. 367
^ IMDb web site
References
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (1966). The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary (Third ed.). New York, New York: ASCAP. p. 588.
Baker, Theodore (1992), "Rasbach, Oscar", in Slonimsky, Nicolas (ed.), Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition , New York: Schirmer Books, p. 1476,
ISBN
0-02-872415-1 .
Claghorn, Charles Eugene (1973).
Biographical Dictionary of American Music . West Nyack, New York: Parker Publishing Company. p.
367 .
ISBN
0-13-076331-4 .
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711017/
Unknown author (March 25, 1975).
"Composer Oscar Rasbach Dies" . The Modesto Bee . Modesto, California. Retrieved 27 September 2011 .
Unknown author (March 1975), "Obituary, Oscar Rasbach", The Musical Times , 116 : 470
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