Richard Hageman
Encyclopedia
Richard Hageman was a Dutch-born American conductor, pianist
, composer
, and actor
.
, Netherlands
. He was the son of Maurits Hageman of Zutphen and Hester Westerhoven of Amsterdam
. A child prodigy, he was a concert pianist by the age of six. He studied in Amsterdam and gave lessons as a piano teacher. As a young man he was an accompanist for singers and with the Amsterdam Royal Opera Company, of which he became the conductor in 1899. For a short time he was accompanist to Mathilde Marchesi
in Paris
. He travelled to the United States
in 1906 to accompany Yvette Guilbert
on a national tour. He stayed and eventually became an American citizen.
He was a conductor for the Metropolitan Opera
between 1914 and 1932, head of the opera department at the Curtis Institute from 1932 to 1936, and music director of the Chicago Civic Opera
and the Ravinia Park
Opera for seven years. He was a guest director of orchestras like the Chicago
, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles symphony orchestras
. He conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra summer concerts for four years and from 1938 on he conducted at the Hollywood Bowl
summer concerts for six seasons.
He is known to the film community for his work as an actor and film score composer, most notably for his work on several John Ford
films in the late 1930s. He shared an Academy Award for his score to Ford’s 1939 western Stagecoach. He also had minor roles in eleven movies, for example as opera conductor in The Great Caruso
. He became a member of ASCAP in 1950.
Hageman also composed more serious vocal music. His 1931 opera
Caponsacchi, first performed in Freiburg
with the title Tragödie in Arezzo in 1932, was staged at the Metropolitan Opera
in 1937 with Lawrence Tibbett
in the title role. His "concert drama" The Crucible was performed in Los Angeles
in 1943. While his large musical compositions are rarely heard today, a few of his art song
s are well-known and highly regarded, especially "Do Not Go, My Love", a setting of a Rabindranath Tagore
poem.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
Orchestra:
Chamber:
:
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Biography
Hageman was born and raised in Leeuwarden, FrieslandFriesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He was the son of Maurits Hageman of Zutphen and Hester Westerhoven of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. A child prodigy, he was a concert pianist by the age of six. He studied in Amsterdam and gave lessons as a piano teacher. As a young man he was an accompanist for singers and with the Amsterdam Royal Opera Company, of which he became the conductor in 1899. For a short time he was accompanist to Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi
Mathilde Marchesi was a German mezzo-soprano, a renowned teacher of singing, and a proponent of the bel canto vocal method.-Biography:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He travelled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1906 to accompany Yvette Guilbert
Yvette Guilbert
Yvette Guilbert was a French cabaret singer and actress of the Belle Époque.-Biography:...
on a national tour. He stayed and eventually became an American citizen.
He was a conductor for the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
between 1914 and 1932, head of the opera department at the Curtis Institute from 1932 to 1936, and music director of the Chicago Civic Opera
Chicago Civic Opera
The Civic Opera Company was a Chicago company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in the Auditorium Theater from 1922 to 1928, and three seasons at its own Civic Opera House from 1929 to 1931 before falling victim to financial difficulties brought on in part by the Great Depression.-...
and the Ravinia Park
Ravinia Park
Ravinia Festival is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936...
Opera for seven years. He was a guest director of orchestras like the Chicago
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles symphony orchestras
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
. He conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra summer concerts for four years and from 1938 on he conducted at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
summer concerts for six seasons.
He is known to the film community for his work as an actor and film score composer, most notably for his work on several John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
films in the late 1930s. He shared an Academy Award for his score to Ford’s 1939 western Stagecoach. He also had minor roles in eleven movies, for example as opera conductor in The Great Caruso
The Great Caruso
The Great Caruso is a 1951 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as associate producer from a screenplay by Sonya Levien and William Ludwig. The original music was by Johnny Green and the cinematography by...
. He became a member of ASCAP in 1950.
Hageman also composed more serious vocal music. His 1931 opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Caponsacchi, first performed in Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
with the title Tragödie in Arezzo in 1932, was staged at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in 1937 with Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett was a great American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang with the New York Metropolitan Opera company more than 600 times from 1923 to 1950...
in the title role. His "concert drama" The Crucible was performed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1943. While his large musical compositions are rarely heard today, a few of his art song
Art song
An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the genre of such songs....
s are well-known and highly regarded, especially "Do Not Go, My Love", a setting of a Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
poem.
He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
Larger musical works and chamber music
Stage:- Caponsacchi (Op. 3, R. Browning), 1931
- I Hear America Call (oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
, R.V. Grossman), Bar, SATB, orch, 1942 - The Crucible (oratorio, B.C. Kennedy), 1943
Orchestra:
- Overture ‘In a Nutshell’; Suite, str
Chamber:
- October Musings, violin and piano, G. Schirmer, 1937
- Recit and Romance, vc, pf, 1961
Published songs
- Do Not Go, My Love (Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
), Winthrop Rogers/G. SchirmerG. SchirmerG. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
, 1917 - May Night (TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
), 1917 - The Cunning Little Thing (Unknown Author), Winthrop Rogers, 1917
- At the Well (TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
), Winthrop Rogers/G. Schirmer, 1919 - Happiness (Jean IngelowJean IngelowJean Ingelow , was an English poet and novelist.- Early life and education :Born at Boston, Lincolnshire, she was the daughter of William Ingelow, a banker...
), Winthrop Rogers/G. Schirmer, 1917/1920 - Charity (Emily DickinsonEmily DickinsonEmily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
), G. Schirmer, 1921 - Nature’s Holiday (T. Nash), 1921
- Ton coeur est un tombeau (Jacques Boria), G. Schirmer 1921
- Animal Crackers (C. Morley), G. Schirmer, 1922
- Evening (Anonymous text), RicordiCasa RicordiCasa Ricordi is a classical music publishing company founded in 1808 as G. Ricordi & Co. by violinist Giovanni Ricordi in Milan, Italy...
, 1922 - Christ Went Up Into the Hills (Katherine Adams), Carl FischerCarl Fischer MusicCarl Fischer Music is a major publisher of sheet music based in New York City that has been in business since 1872. As one of the few remaining family-owned music publishers, it supplies educational materials to professional and beginning musicians of all ages, as well as new music works.Notable...
, 1924 - Me Company Along (James StephensJames StephensJames Stephens may refer to:*James Stephens , 17th century MP for Gloucester*James Stephen , English lawyer associated with the abolition of slavery* James B...
), Carl Fischer, 1925 - Grief (Ernest Dowson), Carl Fischer, 1928
- Dawn shall over Lethe Break (Hillaire Belloc), Boosey & HawkesBoosey & HawkesBoosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
, 1934 - The Donkey (G. K. ChestertonG. K. ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
), Boosey & HawkesBoosey & HawkesBoosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
, 1934 - The little dancers (Laurence BinyonLaurence BinyonRobert Laurence Binyon was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. His most famous work, For the Fallen, is well known for being used in Remembrance Sunday services....
), Boosey & HawkesBoosey & HawkesBoosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
, 1935 - The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (F.W. Bourdillon), Boosey & HawkesBoosey & HawkesBoosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
, 1935 - Christmas Eve (Joyce KilmerJoyce KilmerAlfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
), Galaxy, 1936 (arranged for mixed chorus by Philip James, Galaxy, 1937) - The Rich Man (Franklin P. Adams), Galaxy, 1937
- Song without words (vocalise for coloratura voice with piano), Carl Fischer, 1937
- This thing I do: a soliloquy for baritone voice with piano accompaniment (Arthur Goodrich), Carl Fischer, 1937
- Music I Heard with You (Conrad AikenConrad AikenConrad Potter Aiken was an American novelist and poet, whose work includes poetry, short stories, novels, a play and an autobiography.-Early years:...
), Galaxy, 1938 - To a golden-haired girl (Vachel LindsayVachel LindsayNicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. He is considered the father of modern singing poetry, as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted...
), Carl Fischer, 1938 - Miranda (Hillaire Belloc), Galaxy, 1940
- Mother (Margaret Widdemer), Galaxy, 1940
- Love in the winds (Richard Hovey), Galaxy, 1941
- Little Things (Witter BynnerWitter BynnerHarold Witter Bynner was an American poet, writer and scholar, known for his long residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at what is now the Inn of the Turquoise Bear.-Early life:...
), Galaxy, 1943 - Voices (Witter BynnerWitter BynnerHarold Witter Bynner was an American poet, writer and scholar, known for his long residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at what is now the Inn of the Turquoise Bear.-Early life:...
), Galaxy, 1943 - Don Juan Gomez (Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth), Galaxy, 1944
- Fear not the night (Robert Nathan), Carl Fischer, 1944
- Lift Thou the Burdens, Father, a sacred song (Katherine Call Simonds), Galaxy, 1944
- En una noche serena/Alone in the night (Andres de Segurola, tr. Robert B. Falk), Galaxy, 1945
- Contrasts (Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth), Galaxy, 1946
- The Fiddler of Dooney (William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
), G. Schirmer, 1946 - A lady comes to an inn (Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth), Galaxy, 1947
- The fox and the raven (Guy Wetmore Carryl), Galaxy, 1948
- The summons (TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
), Galaxy, 1949 - Is it you? (Robert Nathan), Galaxy, 1951
- Trade Winds (John MasefieldJohn MasefieldJohn Edward Masefield, OM, was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967...
), Galaxy, 1952 - Scherzetto (Alfred KreymborgAlfred KreymborgAlfred Francis Kreymborg was an American poet, novelist, playwright, literary editor and anthologist.-Early life and associations:...
), Galaxy, 1952 - All paths lead to you (Blanche Shoemaker Wagstaff), Galaxy, 1953
- Let me grow lovely (Karle Wilson Baker), Carl Fischer, 1953
- Sleep Sweet (Ellen Huntington Gates), Galaxy, 1953
- Walk slowly (Adelaide Love), Carl Fischer, 1953
- I see His blood upon the rose (Joseph M. Plunkett), Galaxy, 1954
- Velvet Shoes (Elinor WylieElinor WylieElinor Morton Wylie was an American poet and novelist popular in the 1920s and 1930s. "She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensuous poetry."...
), Galaxy, 1954 - How to go and forget (Edwin MarkhamEdwin MarkhamCharles Edwin Anson Markham was an American poet. From 1923 to 1931 he was Poet Laureate of Oregon.-Life:Edwin Markham was born in Oregon City, Oregon and was the youngest of 10 children; his parents divorced shortly after his birth...
), G. Schirmer, 1956 - Praise (Seumas O'Sullivan), G. Schirmer, 1956
- Under the willows: Shoshone love song (Mary Hunter Austin), G. Schirmer, 1957
- When the wind is low (Cale Young Rice), Galaxy, 1957
- Die Stadt/The Town (Theodor StormTheodor StormHans Theodor Woldsen Storm , commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German writer.-Life:Storm was born in Husum, at the west coast of Schleswig than an independent duchy and ruled by the king of Denmark...
, tr. Robert Nathan), G. Schirmer, 1958 - Betterliebe/Beggar's love (Theodor StormTheodor StormHans Theodor Woldsen Storm , commonly known as Theodor Storm, was a German writer.-Life:Storm was born in Husum, at the west coast of Schleswig than an independent duchy and ruled by the king of Denmark...
, tr. Robert Nathan), G. Schirmer, 1958 - Am Himmelstor/At Heaven's Door (Conrad F. Meyer, tr. Robert Nathan), G. Schirmer, 1958
- Nocturne (Jean MoréasJean MoréasJean Moréas , was a Greek poet, essayist, and art critic, who wrote mostly in the French language but also in Greek during his youth.-Background:...
, tr. Robert Nathan), G. Schirmer, 1960 - So love returns, (Robert Nathan), Ricordi, 1960
- Sundown (Lew Sarett), Carl Fischer, date unknown
Film scores
all directed by John FordJohn Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
:
- Stagecoach, 1939
- The Long Voyage HomeThe Long Voyage HomeThe Long Voyage Home is an American drama film and directed by John Ford. It features John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick, Ward Bond, among others....
, 1940 - Fort ApacheFort Apache (film)Fort Apache is a 1948 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Henry Fonda. The film was the first of the director's "cavalry trilogy" and was followed by She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande , both also starring Wayne...
, 1948 - 3 Godfathers, 1948
- She Wore a Yellow RibbonShe Wore a Yellow RibbonShe Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a 1949 Western film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne. The film was the second of Ford's trilogy of films focusing on the US Cavalry ; the other two films were Fort Apache and Rio Grande...
, 1949 - Wagon MasterWagon MasterWagon Master is a 1950 Western film directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond.-Plot:Learning of their ability as experienced horsemen, Mormon Elder Wiggs , hires Travis Blue and Sandy Owens to guide a small group of Mormons across the West to the...
, 1950