Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

HERBERT, Victor

(b 1 Feb. 1859, Dublin, Ireland; d 24 May '24, NYC) Composer. He was trained in Germany, moving to the USA in 1886. His first published composition was a suite for cello and orchestra; he played in the US premiSre of Brahms's Double Concerto. He was also a conductor in the USA, wrote the first original score for a full-length film (The Fall Of A Nation '16) and was one of the founders of ASCAP. At the famous Paul Whiteman 'jazz' concert at Aeolian Hall '24 he presented 'A Suite Of Serenades', probably put together from fragments in his trunk and completely overshadowed by the premiSre of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody In Blue' at the same concert. His greatest accomplishment was about 40 musical shows, some of which continued to be revived and filmed after his death; among the best-known shows and songs: Babes In Toyland '03 (filmed '34 with Laurel and Hardy), Mlle. Modiste '06 ('Kiss Me Again'; filmed '30), Naughty Marietta '10 ('Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life'; film '35 made stars of duo Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald), Sweethearts '13 (film '38 with Eddy/MacDonald), Orange Blossoms '22 ('A Kiss In The Dark'). His piano piece 'Indian Summer' from The Velvet Lady '19 became a hit '39 with lyrics by Al Dubin. 'Sweet Mystery' and 'Sweethearts' are the kind of operetta-type melodies with which not much can be done; one may as well have Eddy and MacDonald and their saccharine duets. Yet 'A Kiss In The Dark', 'Indian Summer' and several more ('When You're Away' from The Only Girl '14, and the title song from The Dream Girl '24) are wholly modern songs, as though from another, later time. Herbert brought the operetta to America and to the 20th century, paving the way for Jerome Kern.