Gustave Kerker
Encyclopedia
Gustave Adolph Kerker was a German
composer and conductor who made a career in London and America. He became a musical director for Broadway theatre productions and wrote the music for a series of musicals
.
in 1867, settling in Louisville, Kentucky
. Kerker played in pit orchestras at local theatres and then began to conduct. His early operetta
, Cadets, toured the South in 1879. Kerker then moved to New York City
, where he was engaged as the principal conductor at the Casino Theatre
. There, he began to add his own songs into the scores of foreign operettas, notably Charles Lecocq's The Pearl of Pekin, since these works had no effective copyright in the U.S.
Kerker's first complete operetta
in New York was Castles in the Air in 1890. He wrote over twenty shows, the most successful of which were the London musical burlesque Little Christopher Columbus
(1893), and the international musical hit The Belle of New York
(1897). Other notable musicals included An American Beauty (1896), The Girl from Up There (1901), Winsome Winnie (1903), The Tourists (1906), and Fascinating Flora (1907).
Kerker died in New York City
at the age of 66.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer and conductor who made a career in London and America. He became a musical director for Broadway theatre productions and wrote the music for a series of musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
.
Life and career
Kerker was born in Herford, Germany and began to study the cello at the age of seven. His family emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1867, settling in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Kerker played in pit orchestras at local theatres and then began to conduct. His early operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
, Cadets, toured the South in 1879. Kerker then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he was engaged as the principal conductor at the Casino Theatre
Casino Theatre
The Casino Theatre was a Broadway theatre from 1882 to 1930 in New York City. It was located at 1404 Broadway, at W. 39th Street. It originally seated approximately 875 people, but after a fire in 1903 and rebuilding in 1905, it seated 1,300...
. There, he began to add his own songs into the scores of foreign operettas, notably Charles Lecocq's The Pearl of Pekin, since these works had no effective copyright in the U.S.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in New York was Castles in the Air in 1890. He wrote over twenty shows, the most successful of which were the London musical burlesque Little Christopher Columbus
Little Christopher Columbus
Little Christopher Columbus is a burlesque opera in two acts, with music by Ivan Caryll and Gustave Kerker and a libretto by George R. Sims and Cecil Raleigh. It opened on 10 October 1893 at the Lyric Theatre in London and then transferred to Terry's Theatre, running for a total of 421...
(1893), and the international musical hit The Belle of New York
The Belle of New York (theatre)
The Belle of New York is a musical comedy in two acts, with book and lyrics by Hugh Morton and music by Gustave Kerker, about a Salvation Army girl who reforms a spendthrift, makes a great sacrifice and finds true love....
(1897). Other notable musicals included An American Beauty (1896), The Girl from Up There (1901), Winsome Winnie (1903), The Tourists (1906), and Fascinating Flora (1907).
Kerker died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the age of 66.
Theater credits
- 1879 - The Cadets
- 1888 - Pearl of Pekin (libretto by Charles Alfred Byrne)
- 1890 - Castles in the Air (libretto by Byrne)
- 1893 - Little Christopher ColumbusLittle Christopher ColumbusLittle Christopher Columbus is a burlesque opera in two acts, with music by Ivan Caryll and Gustave Kerker and a libretto by George R. Sims and Cecil Raleigh. It opened on 10 October 1893 at the Lyric Theatre in London and then transferred to Terry's Theatre, running for a total of 421...
, with Ivan CaryllIvan CaryllFélix Marie Henri Tilkin , better known by his pen name Ivan Caryll, was a Belgian composer of operettas and Edwardian musical comedies in the English language...
, libretto by George Robert SimsGeorge Robert SimsGeorge Robert Sims was an English journalist, poet, dramatist, novelist and bon vivant.Sims began writing lively humour and satiric pieces for Fun magazine and The Referee, but he was soon concentrating on social reform, particularly the plight of the poor in London's slums...
and Cecil Raleigh - 1894 - Prince Kam or A Trip to Venus (libretto by Byrne and Louis Harrison)
- 1895 - Kismet or Two Tangled Turks (libretto by Richard F. Carroll)
- 1896
- In Gay New York (musical revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
; libretto by Hugh MortonHugh MortonHugh MacRae Morton was a photographer and nature conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.-Personal life:...
(C. M. S. McLellan?)) - The Lady Slavey (libretto by George DanceGeorge DanceGeorge Dance may refer to:* George Dance the Elder, English architect* George Dance the Younger, English architect, son of George Dance the Elder* George Dance , Canadian politician* George Dance , English lyricist and librettist...
; lyrics by Morton) - An American Beauty (libretto by Morton)
- In Gay New York (musical revue
- 1897
- The Whirl of the Town (musical revue; libretto by Morton)
- The Belle of New YorkThe Belle of New York (theatre)The Belle of New York is a musical comedy in two acts, with book and lyrics by Hugh Morton and music by Gustave Kerker, about a Salvation Army girl who reforms a spendthrift, makes a great sacrifice and finds true love....
(libretto by Morton)
- 1898
- My Estelle (libretto by Morton)
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (libretto by Morton)
- The Telephone Girl (libretto by Morton)
- 1899 – The Man in the Moon (with Ludwig EngländerLudwig EngländerLudwig Engländer was an Austrian-born American composer of more than 30 musicals.He was born in Vienna, Austria. According to his obituary in the New York Times he had studied with Jacques Offenbach...
and Reginald de KovenReginald de KovenHenry Louis Reginald De Koven was an American music critic and prolific composer, particularly of comic operas.-Biography:...
) - 1901 - The Girl from Up There (libretto by Morton)
- 1902 - The Billionaire (libretto by Harry B. SmithHarry B. SmithHarry Bache Smith was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works were librettos for the composer Victor Herbert...
) - 1903
- "The Lobster Song (I Was Walking 'Round the Ocean)" in The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...
(libretto by Morton) - Winsome Winnie (contributor; libretto by Edward JakobowskiEdward JakobowskiEdward Jakobowski was an English composer best known for writing the comic opera Erminie. Jakobowski was a significant figure on the London musical stage during the last two decades of the 19th Century. He did not challenge Sullivan, nor quite equal Fred Clay or Alfred Cellier but his gift of...
; most of the music by Harry Paulton)
- "The Lobster Song (I Was Walking 'Round the Ocean)" in The Wizard of Oz
- 1904
- Burning to Sing, or Singing to Burn. A 'Very' Grand Opera (libretto by R. H. BurnsideR. H. BurnsideRobert Hubber Thorne Burnside was an American actor, director, producer, composer, and playwright. He was artistic director of the 5,200-seat New York Hippodrome from 1908 to 1923. He wrote and staged hundreds of dramas, musicals and theatrical spectacles.-Biography:Burnside was born in Glasgow,...
)
- Burning to Sing, or Singing to Burn. A 'Very' Grand Opera (libretto by R. H. Burnside
- 1906
- The Social Whirl (libretto by Charles Doty and Joseph Herbert; lyrics by Herbert)
- The Tourists (libretto by R. H. BurnsideR. H. BurnsideRobert Hubber Thorne Burnside was an American actor, director, producer, composer, and playwright. He was artistic director of the 5,200-seat New York Hippodrome from 1908 to 1923. He wrote and staged hundreds of dramas, musicals and theatrical spectacles.-Biography:Burnside was born in Glasgow,...
)
- 1907
- The White Hen (libretto by Roderic C. Penfield; lyrics by Penfield and Paul WestPaul WestPaul West may refer to:*Paul West , English soccer player*Paul West , British-born American writer*Paul West, pseudonym of Stephen Clarke...
) - Fascinating Flora (libretto by Burnside and Herbert)
- The White Hen (libretto by Roderic C. Penfield; lyrics by Penfield and Paul West
- 1909
- Die oberen Zehntausend (libretto by Julius Freund)
- 1912 – Two Little Brides (libretto by Arthur AndersonArthur Anderson (dramatist)Arthur Anderson was an English dramatist and lyricist, who is best known for his libretti for Edwardian musical comedies.-Biography:...
and Harold R. AtteridgeHarold R. AtteridgeHarold Richard Atteridge was a composer, librettist and lyricist primarily for musicals and revues. He wrote the book and lyrics for over 20 musicals and revues for the Shuberts, including several iterations of The Passing Show....
) - 1921 – The Whirl of New YorkThe Whirl of New YorkThe Whirl of New York is a Broadway musical that premiered at Winter Garden Theatre on June 13, 1921. It was an expanded and substantially re-worked version of The Belle of New York . The show was billed not as a revival but as "founded on The Belle of New York."...
, based on The Belle of New York (libretto by Morton and Edgar Smith.