Sigmund Romberg facts for kids
Sigmund Romberg (born July 29, 1887 – died November 9, 1951) was a composer from Hungary who became an American citizen. He is famous for writing music for stage shows called musicals and operettas. Some of his most popular works include The Student Prince (1924), The Desert Song (1926), and The New Moon (1928).
Early on, he worked for the Shubert brothers, who were big names in theater. He wrote music for their shows, including some for the famous performer Al Jolson. He also helped bring popular European operettas like Maytime (1917) and Blossom Time (1921) to American stages. His big operettas from the 1920s sounded a lot like Viennese operettas, which were popular in Austria. However, many of his other works were more like American musicals of their time. He also wrote music for movies.
Contents
About Sigmund Romberg
Early Life and Education
Sigmund Romberg was born Siegmund Rosenberg in 1887 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary. His family was Jewish. When he was two years old, his family moved to Belišće, also in Hungary.
Romberg started playing the violin at age six and the piano at age eight. He went to high school in Osijek and was part of the school orchestra. Later, he went to Vienna to study engineering. But while there, he also took lessons in music composition.
Moving to America
In June 1909, Romberg moved to New York City in the United States. At first, he worked in a pencil factory. Soon after, he found work as a pianist in cafés and restaurants.
He eventually started his own orchestra. He also published a few songs. Even though these songs were not huge hits, they helped him get noticed by the Shubert brothers. In 1914, they hired him to write music for their Broadway theatre shows.
Broadway Success
In 1914, Romberg wrote his first successful Broadway show, The Whirl of the World. He then added songs to American versions of European operettas. One of these was the popular The Blue Paradise (1915). Even more successful was the musical Maytime in 1917. Both shows featured love stories across different generations and included old-fashioned waltzes mixed with newer American dance music.
At the same time, Romberg wrote songs for the Shuberts' popular shows called The Passing Show of 1916 and The Passing Show of 1918. He also wrote music for two shows starring Al Jolson: Robinson Crusoe, Jr. (1916) and Sinbad (1918). In 1921, Romberg wrote another show for Jolson called Bombo. He also wrote music for the comedy Poor Little Ritz Girl, which also had songs by Richard Rodgers.
Famous Operettas and Musicals
Romberg adapted melodies by Franz Schubert for Blossom Time (1921). This show was a big hit. After that, he wrote his most famous operettas: The Student Prince (1924), The Desert Song (1926), and The New Moon (1928). These operettas sounded similar to the Viennese operettas of Franz Lehár.
He also wrote Princess Flavia (1925), an operetta based on the story The Prisoner of Zenda. Other works by Romberg include My Maryland (1927), a successful romance; Rosalie (1928), which he wrote with George Gershwin; and May Wine (1935), with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. His show Up in Central Park (1945) was more like an American musical. Romberg also wrote music for movies and adapted his own stage works for film.
Recordings and Legacy
Columbia Records asked Romberg to conduct his own music for recordings between 1945 and 1950. These recordings are now very special to music collectors. Much of Romberg's music was released on records in the 1950s and 1960s. Famous singers like Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, who starred in a movie version of The New Moon, often recorded and performed his music. His operettas have also been performed again many times over the years.
Sigmund Romberg passed away in 1951 at the age of 64 from a stroke in New York City. He is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. He was married twice and had no children.
Selected Songs
Here are some of Sigmund Romberg's well-known songs:
- Her Soldier Boy – 1917
- Home Again – 1916, lyrics: Augustus Barratt
- Kiss Waltz – 1916, lyrics: Rida Johnson Young
- Mother – 1916, lyrics: Rida Johnson Young
- Sister Susie's Started Syncopation – 1915, lyrics: Harold Atteridge
- Won't You Send a Letter to Me? – 1917, lyrics: Harold Atteridge
- Lover, Come Back to Me – 1928, lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
- One Kiss – 1928, lyrics: Hammerstein
- Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise – 1928, lyrics: Hammerstein
- Stout Hearted Men – 1928, lyrics: Hammerstein
Romberg in Media
Sigmund Romberg was the subject of a 1954 movie called Deep in My Heart. In the film, he was played by actor José Ferrer. The movie was based on a book about Romberg's life.
His operetta The New Moon was made into two movies, both called New Moon. The 1930 version starred Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore. The 1940 version starred Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.
Two songs from The New Moon, "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" and "Lover, Come Back to Me", are still popular jazz songs today. Many jazz musicians have performed them.
Romberg is also mentioned in the lyrics of a funny song from 1963 called "The Mexican Hat Dance" by Allan Sherman.
Radio Appearances
Romberg had his own radio show called An Evening with Romberg. It aired on NBC from 1945 to 1948. The show featured three singers, a large orchestra, and a host. They played many types of music, including opera songs, classical pieces, popular songs, and even some jazz.
Honors and Recognition
Since 1970, the town of Belišće in Hungary has held musical evenings to honor Romberg. Similar events have been held in Osijek since 1995. He is recognized as an important citizen of Osijek. In 1970, Sigmund Romberg was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Sigmund Romberg para niños
