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Trude Rittmann facts for kids

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Gertrud Rittmann (born September 24, 1908, died February 22, 2005) was a talented German-Jewish musician. She was a composer, a musical director, and she arranged music for many shows. Gertrud spent most of her life working in the United States. She became very successful, especially in the famous Broadway theater world.

Early Life and Moving to America

Trude Rittmann was born in Mannheim, Germany. She started playing the piano when she was eight years old. She studied music with famous teachers like Ernst Toch. In 1932, she finished her studies and was already known as a promising composer.

In 1933, Trude had to leave Germany because of the Nazis. She worked in France, Belgium, and England before moving to the United States in 1937. Her mother and sister also managed to escape Germany. Sadly, her father passed away while imprisoned during that difficult time.

A Career in Music and Broadway

When Trude arrived in New York, she got a job with Lincoln Kirstein. She played piano for George Balanchine's American Ballet Caravan. She later became their musical director. She toured with them for four years. During this time, she worked with many great composers. These included Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.

In 1941, Trude helped compose music for a film called Palestine at War. Also in 1941, she started working with Agnes de Mille. Agnes de Mille was a famous choreographer, who creates dance routines. In 1943, Trude arranged music for Agnes's dances in the musical One Touch of Venus.

Trude Rittmann went on to work on many well-known musicals. She was an orchestrator, which means she decided which instruments would play each part of the music. Some of her famous works include:

She also worked closely with composer Frederick Loewe. Together, they created music for shows like:

Working with Richard Rodgers

Trude began a long partnership with composer Richard Rodgers when she worked on Carousel (1945). She then helped arrange music for many more of his famous shows:

For "Do-Re-Mi," Trude Rittmann helped make the song special. She worked with the choreographer Joe Layton. They figured out how Maria would teach each child a musical note. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote the main tune and the line "when you know the notes to sing..." But much of the rest came from Trude. She was given credit for the choral arrangements, which means she arranged the music for the singers.

Trude Rittmann retired in 1976. She passed away on February 22, 2005, in Lexington, Massachusetts. Her music has been featured in shows like Great Performances (1972).

Musical Works and Contributions

Here are some of the musicals and pieces Trude Rittmann worked on:

  • Adagio
  • Carousel - Dance Arrangements
  • Finian's Rainbow - Dance Arrangements
  • Brigadoon - Musical Assistant
  • Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'! - Ballet Arrangements
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Dance Arrangements
  • Peter Pan - Dance Arrangements
  • South Pacific - Assistant to Richard Rodgers
  • Miss Liberty -"Train" Dance Arrangement
  • Out of this World - Incidental Music
  • Dayenu : folk song
  • Dayeynu
  • The King and I - Ballet Arrangements
  • Paint Your Wagon - Dance Arrangements
  • The Climate of Eden - Incidental Music
  • The Girl in Pink Tights - Ballet Arrangements
  • The cherry tree legend : for baritone and soprano voices, mixed chorus and piano
  • My Fair Lady - Dance Arrangements
  • A suite of moods : for piano solo
  • The Sound of Music - Choral Arrangements
  • Christine - Dance and Vocal Arrangements
  • Camelot - Dance and Choral Arrangements
  • A Canticle of Carols. For women's voices
  • Hot Spot - Dance and Vocal Arrangements
  • Jennie - Dance and Vocal Arrangements
  • Darling of the Day - Dance Arrangements
  • Maggie Flynn - Dance Arrangements
  • Come Summer - Vocal Arrangements
  • Two By Two - Dance and Vocal Arrangements
  • Ambassador - Dance Arrangements
  • Gigi - Dance Arrangements
  • Four Marys
  • Sh'tu haadarim
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