Oscar Rasbach

Oscar Rasbach (Dayton, Kentucky, August 2, 1888 Pasadena, California, March 23, 1975)[1][2] was an American pianist and composer and arranger of art songs and works for piano.

Biography

Oscar was born in Kentucky, but studied "academic subjects in Los Angeles".[3] He also studied music with Ludwig Thomas, Julius Albert Jahn, José Anderson, and A. J. Stamm.[4] He became a businessman, but went to Vienna to study piano with Theodor Leschetizky and music theory with Hans Thorton.[5] He returned to the United States in 1911 and settled in San Marino, California. There he worked as a pianist, accompanist, teacher, and choral director.[6] His obituary in the local news and the Musical Times claimed that he was a founding member of ASCAP,[7] but the 1966 ASCAP Dictionary says that he joined in 1932.[8]

Music

Rasbach composed two operettas, around 20 published songs, solos for student pianists, and a few arrangements and instrumental pieces. His most important musical composition was his 1922 setting of Trees, the popular poem by Joyce Kilmer, published by G. Schirmer. It was performed and recorded by many important singers of the 20th century, such as Ernestine Schumann-Heink, John Charles Thomas, Nelson Eddy, Robert Merrill and Paul Robeson. Tenor John Aler recorded it more recently on a program entitled Songs we Forgot to Remember.

Musical compositions

Songs for voice and piano

[9]

Piano solo

Musical arrangements

Other works

Filmography

His song Trees was used in 10 film and television productions:[14]

Footnotes

  1. Oscar Rasbach at IMDb web site
  2. Musical Times, May 1975, Vol. 116, p. 470
  3. Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476
  4. Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476, and Claghorn, p. 367
  5. Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476
  6. ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, p. 588
  7. Musical Times, May 1975, Vol. 116, p. 470
  8. ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, p. 588
  9. All published by G. Schirmer unless noted
  10. Copy located in the New York Public Library, OCLC number 24412285.
  11. Also published in versions for vocal duet, 7 various choral settings, 2 piano duet versions, piano solo, solo instrument and piano (violin, cornet, and saxophone), and full orchestra.
  12. Also arranged for violin and piano by Josef Piastro-Borisov.
  13. Mentioned in Baker's Biographical Dictionary, p. 1476, and Claghorn, p. 367
  14. IMDb web site

References