Ferde Grofé facts for kids
Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé, known as Ferde Grofé (born March 27, 1892 – died April 3, 1972), was an American composer, arranger, pianist, and musician. He is most famous for his 1931 musical piece called Grand Canyon Suite. He also helped make George Gershwin's famous Rhapsody in Blue ready for its first performance in 1924 by arranging it for an orchestra.
In the 1920s and 1930s, he often went by the name Ferdie Grofé.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Ferde Grofé was born in New York City in 1892. Music was a big part of his family! His family had musicians for four generations. His father, Emil von Grofé, was a singer. His mother, Elsa Johanna Bierlich von Grofé, played the cello and taught music. She taught Ferde to play the violin and piano. Ferde's grandfather and uncle were also talented musicians.
Ferde's father passed away in 1899. After that, his mother took him to Leipzig, Germany, to study piano, viola, and how to compose music. Ferde became very good at many instruments. These included the piano (his favorite), violin, viola, baritone horn, alto horn, cornet, and drums. Knowing so many instruments helped him become a great arranger and composer.
When Ferde was 14, he left home. He worked many different jobs, like a milkman, truck driver, and elevator operator. He even played piano in a bar for two dollars a night! He kept studying piano and violin. By age 15, he was playing in dance bands. He was 17 when he wrote his first commissioned piece, "Elks' Grand Reunion March & Two-step."
Working with Paul Whiteman
In 1920, Ferde Grofé started playing piano with the Paul Whiteman orchestra. He became Whiteman's main arranger from 1920 to 1932. He created hundreds of arrangements for popular songs, Broadway shows, and all kinds of tunes for Whiteman.
Grofé's most famous arrangement was for George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. This work made Grofé very well-known among musicians. Gershwin had written Rhapsody in Blue for two pianos. Grofé then arranged it for Whiteman's orchestra. He added many creative touches and colors that made the piece so famous. He even made two more arrangements of it later on. The version of Rhapsody in Blue that you hear most often today was arranged by Grofé in 1942 for a full orchestra.
In 1932, The New York Times newspaper called Grofé "the Prime Minister of Jazz." This was because Paul Whiteman was often called the "King of Jazz."
Radio, TV, and Teaching
During the 1930s, Ferde Grofé led the orchestra for several radio shows. These included Fred Allen's show and his own program, The Ferde Grofé Show. A part of his Grand Canyon Suite, called "On the Trail," was used for many years as the theme music for radio and TV shows sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes. This included the popular show I Love Lucy (1951–57).
Grofé also conducted orchestral concerts several times at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 1937, he led a concert to honor George Gershwin at Lewisohn Stadium. More than 20,000 people attended, which was the largest crowd in the stadium's history! Later, Grofé taught at the Juilliard School of Music, where he taught students how to arrange music for orchestras.
Grofé's Famous Compositions
Besides being an arranger, Ferde Grofé was also a talented composer. In 1926, while still with Whiteman, he wrote the Mississippi Suite.
Grofé is best known for his Grand Canyon Suite (1931). This piece is so highly regarded that it was recorded by the NBC Symphony Orchestra with famous conductor Arturo Toscanini. The earlier Mississippi Suite and the later Death Valley Suite are also sometimes performed and recorded.
In 1958, Walt Disney released a short film about the Grand Canyon. This film, simply called Grand Canyon, used no actors or talking. It just showed beautiful shots of the Grand Canyon and its animals, with Grofé's music playing along. The film won an Academy Award! Today, you can hear the "On the Trail" part of the Grand Canyon Suite playing on the Disneyland Railroad as it passes the Grand Canyon sections.
Grofé also wrote music for the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair. For the 1964 fair, he composed the "World's Fair Suite."
Music for Films
Ferde Grofé also composed music for movies. In 1930, he worked on the film King of Jazz. He also wrote the music for the 1930 movie Redemption.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for his music in the 1944 film Minstrel Man. His music for Rocketship X-M (1950) was special because it was one of the first science fiction movies to use the electronic instrument called the theremin.
Other movies he scored include Diamond Jim (1935) and The Return of Jesse James (1950).
Personal Life and Legacy
Ferde Grofé lived in New Jersey and worked in New York City for the first half of his life. By 1945, he moved to Los Angeles permanently.
He was married three times. He passed away in Santa Monica, California, on April 3, 1972, at the age of 80. He is buried in the Mausoleum of the Golden West in Inglewood, California. He left behind four children.
Selected Compositions
Grofé wrote many different types of musical pieces, often blending classical music with jazz.
Orchestral Works
- Broadway at Night (1924)
- Mississippi Suite (Tone Journey) (1926)
- Grand Canyon Suite (1931)
- Tabloid Suite: Four Pictures of a Modern Newspaper (1933)
- A Symphony in Steel (1936)
- Jewel Tones Suite (1936)
- Trylon and Perisphere (1939) for the 1939 New York World's Fair
- Death Valley Suite (1949)
- Hudson River Suite (1955)
- Niagara Falls Suite (1960–61)
- World's Fair Suite (1964)
Concertos
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor (1958)
Ballets
- Jungle Ballet (1937)
- Café Society (1938)
Movie Scores
- King Of Jazz (1930)
- Diamond Jim (1935)
- Minstrel Man (film) (1940)
- Rocketship X-M (1950)
- The Return of Jesse James (1950)
- A Christmas Story (1983) (used parts of Grand Canyon Suite)
Works for Concert Band
- Elks' Grand Reunion March & Two-step (1909)
Chamber Music and Solo Works
- Four Rags for Piano (1906)
- Souvenir (1907) for solo cello
- Miss Mischief (1937) for piano, dedicated to Shirley Temple
Images for kids
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Ferde Grofé, a famous American composer and arranger.
See also
In Spanish: Ferde Grofé para niños
- List of jazz arrangers
