Rosalie Balmer Smith Cale facts for kids

Rosalie Balmer Smith Cale (born September 24, 1875 – died January 4, 1958) was a talented American musician. She was a pianist and a composer. Her musical plays, called operettas, were performed in cities like St. Louis, Missouri, and New York.

Early Life and Musical Family

Rosalie Cale was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She came from a very musical family. Her mother, Rosalie T. Balmer, was also a composer who wrote music for the violin. Her grandfather, Charles Balmer, was part of a music company called Balmer & Weber in St. Louis. Her other grandfather, Sol Smith, was an actor who owned a theater in St. Louis. In 1897, Rosalie married Charles Allen Cale, who was a violinist.

Education and Teaching Career

Rosalie Cale started learning music from her mother and grandparents. Later, she studied with other teachers like Abraham I. Epstein and Ernest R. Kroeger. She loved sharing her musical knowledge. Rosalie taught music in St. Louis for more than 30 years. Her important papers, including her music and writings, are kept safe at the Missouri Historical Society. This helps people learn about her life and work today.

Rosalie Cale's Compositions

Rosalie Cale's music was published by Balmer & Weber, the company her grandfather helped run. She wrote many different kinds of music, including pieces for piano, songs, and operettas. An operetta is like a mini-opera, a musical play with singing and speaking.

Operettas

• Four Pecks or A Bushel of Fun (This was performed in New York with the title Cupid’s Halloween)
• Love, Powder and Patches (The words for this operetta were written by Alice E. Hellmers)
• Summer: A Flirtation (The words for this operetta were written by William C. Unger)

Other Musical Works

• Dance: Masque of Pandora (This piece was inspired by a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
• Piano: Idyl
• Vocal: “Master and Pupil” (The words for this song were written by William C. Unger)