Oscar Hammerstein I.

Oscar Hammerstein I (1906)

Oscar Hammerstein (born May 8, 1847 in Stettin , Kingdom of Prussia , † August 1, 1919 in New York City ) was an American theater and opera producer of German origin.

Life

Hammerstein comes from a Jewish family in Stettin and emigrated to New York City in 1864. He had over 50 inventions for tobacco manufacture patented and made a fortune with the license fees . So he could dedicate himself to the theater with passion. He promoted the German-speaking theaters in New York and built the first Manhattan Opera House in 1893 . In 1900 he founded the Theater Republic near Broadway , which was soon taken over by David Belasco . Another eight theaters such as the Manhattan Opera House followed.

Hammerstein produced the US premieres of Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande and Richard Strauss ' Elektra , among others . In addition to European opera , he also promoted local theater genres such as US vaudeville and American operetta .

On April 13, 1909 Hammerstein traveled with the opera singers Mario Sammarco (1868–1930), Giuseppe Taccani (1885–1959) and Fernando Gianoli-Galletti on the Lloyd steamer Crown Prince Wilhelm of New York to Bremerhaven , who was his fellow traveler Freund, the conductor Cleofonte Campanini (1860-1919), on board. Hammerstein planned to meet Richard Strauss in Berlin in order to win him over for the next New York opera season with his works Elektra and Salome . On June 23, 1909, Hammerstein sailed from Cherbourg back to New York on the same steamer. In addition to the American first production of “Salome”, he also arranged the performance of this play at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris for the coming season during his stay in Europe . He was also able to perform Strauss' "Feuersnot".

Hammerstein died of kidney problems in Manhattan Lenox Hill Hospital in 1919. He found his final resting place in Woodlawn Cemetery ( Bronx , New York )

His grandson Oscar Hammerstein became a famous American librettist .

Web links

Commons : Oscar Hammerstein I - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ The New York Times, April 14, 1909, p. 11.
↑ The New York Times, June 27, 1909, p. C2.

personal data
SURNAME	Hammerstein, Oscar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Hammerstein, Oscar I.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American theater and opera producer of German origin
DATE OF BIRTH	May 8, 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH	Szczecin , Kingdom of Prussia
DATE OF DEATH	August 1, 1919
Place of death	New York City

[1] The New York Times, April 14, 1909, p. 11.

[2] The New York Times, June 27, 1909, p. C2.