Ernö Rapée

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Ernö Rapée (actually Ernest Rappaport ; born June 4, 1891 in Budapest , Austria-Hungary ; died June 26, 1945 in New York ) was an American pianist , composer and conductor of Hungarian origin.

Life

He studied piano and conducting at the Budapest Conservatory . Later he was Ernst von Schuch's assistant in Dresden . After a trip to America, he became Hugo Riesenfeld's assistant at the Rialto-Lichtspieltheater in New York . There he began to compose for the film and to conduct cinema orchestras. After engagements at the Rialto and the Rivoli-Lichtspieltheater, Samuel Rothafel brought him to his Capitol-Lichtspielhaus Roxy Theater as music director , where Rappée had to conduct a 77-man orchestra.

It was in this theater that he composed his famous symphonic arrangement of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 by Franz Liszt . As concertmaster and second conductor, he hired his compatriot Jenö Blau, who later achieved fame as Eugène Ormándy . The Capitol Orchestra made a number of recordings for the Brunswick-Balke-Collender company from 1923 to 1924 under the direction of Rapée. After another change of location, Rapée led a 68-strong orchestra in the Fox Cinema in Philadelphia . One of the guest artists during his engagement there was Percy Grainger .

Then he went back to Europe and conducted the cinema orchestra in the Ufa-Palast with 85 musicians in Berlin , with international success . During his stay there he was invited to conduct a concert by the Berliner Philharmoniker . Later he also appeared as a conductor of the Budapest Philharmonic and other well-known orchestras.

After notable success in Europe, he returned to the USA in 1926, where he conducted the Roxy Symphony Orchestra with 110 musicians at the opening of the Roxy Theater in New York in March 1927 (at that time the largest permanent orchestra in the world, surpassing it the New York Philharmonic by three musicians). Millions of radio listeners listened to his symphony concerts during the broadcasts in the "Roxy hour" on Sunday afternoon. But Rappée climbed the peak of his career as chief conductor and music director of Roxy's “Radio City Music Hall” symphony orchestra. He held this position until his death on June 26, 1945 as a result of a heart attack.

Works

As a composer

During his years as director of cinema orchestras on Broadway , Rappée composed and arranged illustration music for photoplayer for the then silent film . The publishing house Robbins-Engel began in 1923 to publish its music under the brand "Capitol Photoplay Series" as a cinema library .

In the same year, his composition When Love Cometh Stealing was published in the “Gold Seal” series (carefully selected pieces, printed on high-quality paper). It became the theme song in Paul Leni's film The Man Who Laughs with Conrad Veidt five years later . Rapée wrote an important collection of film illustration music in collaboration with Dr. William ax . This included pieces such as A Series of Three Agitatos , Appassionato No. 1 , Debutante , Frozen North , Screening Preludes No. 1 and 2 and Tender Memories .

In 1928 Rapée worked with the composer Lou Pollack . It came Charmaine , the theme song for the film War rivals , and Diane , a Waltz for the Fox production Luck in the attic .

As an author

During the 1920s Rapée also wrote several books on the subject of cinema music . Most famous are the Encyclopedia of Music for Pictures (Belwin, NY 1925, Reprint 1974 by Arno Press, ISBN 0-405-01634-4 ) and Motion Picture Moods for Pianists and Organists. A rapid-reference collection of selected pieces, adapted to 52 moods and situations (G. Schirmer, NY 1924, Reprint 1974 by Arno Press, ISBN 0-405-01635-2 ).

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Rapée, Ernö
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rappaport, Ernest (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pianist, composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH June 4, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH Budapest , Hungary
DATE OF DEATH June 26, 1945
Place of death New York , USA