Mana-Zucca facts for kids
Mana-Zucca (born Gussie Zuckermann) was an amazing American musician. She was an actress, singer, pianist, and composer. She lived from December 25, 1885, to March 8, 1981.
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Biography
Mana-Zucca was born in New York City on December 25, 1885. Her parents were immigrants from Poland. She was a child prodigy, meaning she was super talented from a very young age. She started composing music when she was just a little kid.
Mana-Zucca loved music even when she was tiny. At age three, she got upset because her toy piano couldn't play all the notes. Her first piano teacher was a neighbor named Patotnikoff. Soon after, Platon Brounoff became her teacher.
She gave her first piano recital at three and a half years old. At age four, she earned a scholarship to the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. There, she studied with different teachers, like Misses Margulies and Okell.
Studying with Famous Teachers
When she was seven, Mana-Zucca began studying piano with Alexander Lambert. He was a famous Polish pianist and teacher. Lambert taught at the New York College of Music. He was not just her teacher but also her manager and mentor.
Lambert made sure she practiced a lot. To help her stick to her schedule, Mana-Zucca lived with him. They stayed close friends throughout his life. Lambert suggested she use the stage name Augusta, but she later changed it. She chose Mana-Zucca, which was a fun way to rearrange her last name.
At the same time, she also studied music theory and composing with Herman Spielter. Her first published song was Moment Musicale. It was for violin and piano, and she wrote it when she was only seven. Her Etude de Concert was written when she was eight. She also wrote her first art song, Frage, at age nine. Other songs like Moment Triste and Moment Orientale were also published.
Early Performances and Travels
At eight years old, she played the piano solo in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. She performed with the New York Symphony Orchestra. In 1914, she started acting and singing on stage. Her first role was in The Count of Luxembourg by Franz Lehár.
As a teenager, Mana-Zucca sailed to Europe with her older sister, Bess. They lived in Berlin, Germany. She quickly became part of the exciting music scene there. Her first performance in Berlin was a big success. This opened doors for her to play concerts all over Europe.
She got to play with the famous Spanish violinist Juan Manén. They performed many successful concerts together. They even signed a contract to play sixty concerts over three years. They toured all over Germany and Russia.
While in Berlin, Mana-Zucca studied with other great teachers. She learned about Brahms' music from Josef Weiss. She also studied with the famous Ferruccio Busoni and Leopold Godowsky. She also took voice lessons in Berlin and later in London.
After Berlin, Mana-Zucca and her sister lived in London for several years. In England and later in the United States, she sang in musical comedies. These included The Count of Luxembourg, The Rose Maid, and The Geisha.
Family Life and Later Years
Mana-Zucca started a new part of her life when she married Irwin M. Cassel. She had known him since she was young. They got married on September 21, 1921. Irwin promised they would spend seven months a year in New York City. The other five months would be in Miami, Florida, where he lived.
Irwin supported Mana-Zucca's music career. He even wrote the words for her famous song "I Love Life" (1923). Famous singers like John Charles Thomas performed this song. After her son, Marwin, was born in 1925, Miami became her main home. She spent many happy hours there composing music. She also held musical events at her home, "Mazica Hall." She taught piano to Ruth W. Greenfield.
Mana-Zucca had three main careers that were all connected. She was a well-known concert pianist. She was a singer who performed in musical comedies. And she was a very busy composer. She published more than four hundred musical works. These included music for piano, orchestra, and voice. She also wrote music for young students.
The University of Miami gave Mana-Zucca an honorary music degree on May 19, 1974. She passed away in Miami on March 8, 1981. Her musical papers and copies of her songs are kept at Florida International University.
Works
Mana-Zucca wrote over 1,000 musical pieces! These included two operas, music for orchestras, and a ballet. She also wrote three choral works and more than 20 chamber works. She composed solo pieces too, like a piano concerto and a violin concerto.
One of her big projects was "My Musical Calendar." This was a collection of 366 piano pieces. Her most famous works are her popular songs. These include "There's Joy in My Heart," "Big Brown Bear," "Honey Lamb," and "Time and Time Again." Her husband, Irwin M. Cassel, wrote the words for many of these songs, including "I Love Life."
See also
In Spanish: Mana-Zucca para niños
