Ferde Grofé
Encyclopedia
Ferde Grofé (27 March 18923 April 1972) was a prominent American composer
, arranger
and pianist
. During the 1920s and 1930s, he went by the name Ferdie Grofé.
, Grofe came by his extensive musical interests naturally. Of French Huguenot
extraction, his family had four generations of classical music
ians. His father, Emil von Grofé, was a baritone
who sang mainly light opera; his mother, Elsa Johanna Bierlich von Grofé, a professional cellist, was also a versatile music teacher who taught Ferde to play the violin and piano. Elsa's father, Bernardt Bierlich, was a cellist in the Metropolitan Opera
Orchestra in New York and Elsa's brother, Julius Bierlich, was first violin
ist and concertmaster
of the Los Angeles Symphony
.
and composition
in Leipzig
, Germany. Ferde became proficient on a wide range of instruments including piano (his favored instrument), violin, viola (he became a violist in the LA Symphony), baritone horn
, alto horn
and cornet
. This command of musical instruments and composition gave Ferde the foundation to become first an arranger
of other composers' music and then a composer in his own right.
Grofé left home at age 14 and variously worked as a milkman, truck driver, usher, newsboy, elevator operator, helper in a book bindery, iron factory worker, and as a piano
player in a bar
for two dollars a night and as an accompanist. He continued studying piano and violin
. When he was 15 he was performing with dance bands. He also played the alto horn in brass bands. He was 17 when he wrote his first commissioned work.
piano with the Paul Whiteman
orchestra. He served as Whiteman's chief arranger from 1920-1932. He made hundreds of arrangements of popular songs, Broadway show music, and tunes of all types for Whiteman.
Grofé's most memorable arrangement is that of George Gershwin
's Rhapsody in Blue
, which established Grofé's reputation among jazz musicians. Grofé took what Gershwin had written for two pianos and orchestrated it for Whiteman's jazz orchestra. He transformed Gershwin's musical canvas with the colors and many of the creative touches for which it is so well known. He went on to create two more arrangements of the piece in later years. Grofé's 1942 orchestration for full orchestra of Rhapsody in Blue is the one most frequently heard today. In 1928, George Gershwin wrote a letter to ASCAP complaining that Grofé had listed himself as the composer of Rhapsody in Blue. In spite of this misunderstanding, Grofé served as one of the pallbearers at Gershwin's funeral in 1937.
In 1932, The New York Times
called Grofé "the Prime Minister of Jazz". This was an oblique reference to the fact that Whiteman was widely called "King of Jazz", especially after the appearance of the 1930 film of that name which featured Whiteman's music.
Due to Grofé's ubiquity in arranging large-scale musical works and a perceived paucity of American achievements in serious music, the German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler
complained that "America has no composers, only arrangers."
During this time, Grofé also recorded piano rolls for the American Piano Company (Ampico) company in New York. These captured performances were embellished with additional notes after the initial recording took place to attempt to convey the thick lush nature of his orchestra's style. Hence the published rolls are marked "Played by Ferde Grofé (assisted)".
Not everybody appreciated Grofé's flowery arrangements during this time. In a review of a Whiteman jazz concert in New York, one writer said the music was expected to be pleasing, and "it proved so when it was repeated last night, in spite of the excessive instrumentation of Ferde Grofé." A writer of a later generation said "the Grofé and Gould pieces were the essence of slick commercialism..."
in RCA Victor's transcription series His Majesty's Voice of the Air in 1932.
On the Trail (from Grand Canyon Suite) was also recorded in the His Majesty's Voice of the Air transcriptions.
In 1943, he was a guest on Paul Whiteman Presents. During the 1930s, he was the orchestra leader on several radio programs, including Fred Allen
's show and his own The Ferde Grofé Show. The "On the Trail" segment of Grand Canyon Suite was used for many years as the "musical signature" for radio programs sponsored by Philip Morris
cigarettes, beginning with their 1933 program featuring Grofé and his orchestra. Jon Hendricks
wrote lyrics for "On the Trail", and the song was recorded for Hendricks' album To Tell the Truth (1975). The piano version sheet music of the suite includes lyrics to the central section of "On the Trail" by songwriter Gus Kahn
.
Several times he conducted orchestral programs in New York's Carnegie Hall
. In January 1933 the premiere of his Tabloid, an orchestral suite in 4 movements, was presented in Carnegie Hall. In 1937, he conducted a concert tribute to George Gershwin at Lewisohn Stadium
. The turnout (20,223 people) was the largest in that stadium's history.
In 1934, Grofé announced that he was working on an opera
, to be based on the Edgar Allan Poe
story "The Fall of the House of Usher
".
In 1944, he was a panelist on A Song Is Born, judging the works of unknown composers. Before that time he had served several times as judge or co-judge in musical contests.
Grofé was later employed as a conductor
and faculty member at the Juilliard School of Music
where he taught orchestration
.
, which Whiteman recorded in shortened format in 1927. He wrote a number of other pieces, including a theme for the New York World's Fair
of 1939 and suites for Niagara Falls
and the Hudson River
. Possibly as a result of his World's Fair theme, 13 October 1940 was designated Ferde Grofé Day at the American pavilion of the World's Fair. Grofé conducted his Niagara Falls Suite as part of the ceremony marking the opening of the first stage of the Niagara Falls Power Generation project.
In 1960, work was announced on a musical production based on the life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The music was first assigned to Victor Young
, but Grofé was later brought in to complete the work.
Today, Grofé remains most famous for his Grand Canyon Suite
(1931), a work regarded highly enough to be recorded for RCA Victor with the NBC Symphony conducted by Arturo Toscanini
(in Carnegie Hall in 1945, with the composer present). The earlier Mississippi Suite
is also occasionally performed and recorded. Grofé conducted the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
in his Grand Canyon Suite and his piano concerto (with pianist Jesús Maria Sanromá
) for Everest Records
in 1960; the recording was digitally remastered and issued on CD in 1997.
s in 1930, when he provided arrangements (and perhaps portions of the score) for the film King of Jazz
. Published data for this movie do not list Grofé as the score's composer, however. He is also credited with the film score for the 1930 movie Redemption.
A review for the 1944 Joseph Lewis film Minstrel Man
stated "the music, scored by Ferde Grofé, is an outstanding item." Grofe was nominated, along with Leo Erdody, for an Academy Award in the category "Scoring of a Musical Picture" for this film.
His other original film scores included Early to Bed (1928), Time Out of Mind (1947), Rocketship X-M
(1950) and The Return of Jesse James (1950).
and working in and around New York City, by 1945 he had moved to Los Angeles full time. In 1945 he sold his Teaneck, New Jersey
home.
Grofé was married to his first wife Mildred Grizzelle a singer in 1916 and divorced in 1928. He filed for divorce in Las Vegas, Nevada
from his second wife Ruth, whom he married in 1929 in May 1951. The day after the divorce was granted, he married his third wife Anna May Lampton (13 January 1952).
Ferde Grofé died in Santa Monica, California
on 3 April 1972, at age 80, and was buried in the Mausoleum of the Golden West at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California
. He left four children, Ferdinand Rudolf Jr., Anne, Robert and Delight, all of the Los Angeles area.
His soundtrack to the 1950 science fiction film Rocketship X-M
included the use of the theremin
. His monumental Grand Canyon Suite
is his best known work, a masterpiece in orchestration and evocation of mood and location.
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...
, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and pianist
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:...
. During the 1920s and 1930s, he went by the name Ferdie Grofé.
Early life
Born Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé, in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Grofe came by his extensive musical interests naturally. Of French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
extraction, his family had four generations of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
ians. His father, Emil von Grofé, was a baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
who sang mainly light opera; his mother, Elsa Johanna Bierlich von Grofé, a professional cellist, was also a versatile music teacher who taught Ferde to play the violin and piano. Elsa's father, Bernardt Bierlich, was a cellist in 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...
Orchestra in New York and Elsa's brother, Julius Bierlich, was first violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
of the Los Angeles Symphony
LA Symphony
L.A. Symphony is an independent hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Current members of L.A. Symphony are FLYNN , UNO Mas, CookBook, Joey the Jerk, and Sharlok Poems. Past members include Pigeon John and BTwice, J-Beits a.k.a...
.
Musical education
Ferde's father died in 1899, after which his mother took Ferde abroad to study piano, violaViola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany. Ferde became proficient on a wide range of instruments including piano (his favored instrument), violin, viola (he became a violist in the LA Symphony), baritone horn
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
, alto horn
Alto horn
The alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...
and cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
. This command of musical instruments and composition gave Ferde the foundation to become first an arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
of other composers' music and then a composer in his own right.
Grofé left home at age 14 and variously worked as a milkman, truck driver, usher, newsboy, elevator operator, helper in a book bindery, iron factory worker, and as a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
player in a bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
for two dollars a night and as an accompanist. He continued studying piano and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. When he was 15 he was performing with dance bands. He also played the alto horn in brass bands. He was 17 when he wrote his first commissioned work.
Arranger for Paul Whiteman
Beginning about 1920, he played the jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
piano with the Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
orchestra. He served as Whiteman's chief arranger from 1920-1932. He made hundreds of arrangements of popular songs, Broadway show music, and tunes of all types for Whiteman.
Grofé's most memorable arrangement is that of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
, which established Grofé's reputation among jazz musicians. Grofé took what Gershwin had written for two pianos and orchestrated it for Whiteman's jazz orchestra. He transformed Gershwin's musical canvas with the colors and many of the creative touches for which it is so well known. He went on to create two more arrangements of the piece in later years. Grofé's 1942 orchestration for full orchestra of Rhapsody in Blue is the one most frequently heard today. In 1928, George Gershwin wrote a letter to ASCAP complaining that Grofé had listed himself as the composer of Rhapsody in Blue. In spite of this misunderstanding, Grofé served as one of the pallbearers at Gershwin's funeral in 1937.
In 1932, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Grofé "the Prime Minister of Jazz". This was an oblique reference to the fact that Whiteman was widely called "King of Jazz", especially after the appearance of the 1930 film of that name which featured Whiteman's music.
Due to Grofé's ubiquity in arranging large-scale musical works and a perceived paucity of American achievements in serious music, the German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler was a German conductor and composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. By the 1930s he had built a reputation as one of the leading conductors in Europe, and he was the leading conductor who remained...
complained that "America has no composers, only arrangers."
During this time, Grofé also recorded piano rolls for the American Piano Company (Ampico) company in New York. These captured performances were embellished with additional notes after the initial recording took place to attempt to convey the thick lush nature of his orchestra's style. Hence the published rolls are marked "Played by Ferde Grofé (assisted)".
Not everybody appreciated Grofé's flowery arrangements during this time. In a review of a Whiteman jazz concert in New York, one writer said the music was expected to be pleasing, and "it proved so when it was repeated last night, in spite of the excessive instrumentation of Ferde Grofé." A writer of a later generation said "the Grofé and Gould pieces were the essence of slick commercialism..."
Radio
Mardi Gras (from Mississippi Suite) was recorded in the radio transcription series Shilkret Novelties in 1931. and again by Nathaniel ShilkretNathaniel Shilkret
Nathaniel Shilkret was an American composer, conductor, clarinetist, pianist, business executive, and music director born in New York City, New York to an Austrian immigrant family.-Early career:...
in RCA Victor's transcription series His Majesty's Voice of the Air in 1932.
On the Trail (from Grand Canyon Suite) was also recorded in the His Majesty's Voice of the Air transcriptions.
In 1943, he was a guest on Paul Whiteman Presents. During the 1930s, he was the orchestra leader on several radio programs, including Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
's show and his own The Ferde Grofé Show. The "On the Trail" segment of Grand Canyon Suite was used for many years as the "musical signature" for radio programs sponsored by Philip Morris
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
cigarettes, beginning with their 1933 program featuring Grofé and his orchestra. Jon Hendricks
Jon Hendricks
Jon Hendricks is an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is considered one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces many instruments with vocalists...
wrote lyrics for "On the Trail", and the song was recorded for Hendricks' album To Tell the Truth (1975). The piano version sheet music of the suite includes lyrics to the central section of "On the Trail" by songwriter Gus Kahn
Gus Kahn
Gustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
.
Several times he conducted orchestral programs in New York's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. In January 1933 the premiere of his Tabloid, an orchestral suite in 4 movements, was presented in Carnegie Hall. In 1937, he conducted a concert tribute to George Gershwin at Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York. It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973.-History:...
. The turnout (20,223 people) was the largest in that stadium's history.
In 1934, Grofé announced that he was working on an 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...
, to be based on the Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
story "The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
".
In 1944, he was a panelist on A Song Is Born, judging the works of unknown composers. Before that time he had served several times as judge or co-judge in musical contests.
Grofé was later employed as a conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and faculty member at the Juilliard School of Music
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
where he taught orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
.
Grofé's compositions
In addition to being an arranger, Grofé was also a serious composer in his own right. While still with Whiteman, in 1925, he wrote Mississippi SuiteMississippi Suite
The Mississippi Suite is an orchestral suite in four movements by Ferde Grofé, depicting scenes along a journey down the Mississippi River from its headwaters of Minnesota down to New Orleans.-History:...
, which Whiteman recorded in shortened format in 1927. He wrote a number of other pieces, including a theme for the New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
of 1939 and suites for Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
and the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Possibly as a result of his World's Fair theme, 13 October 1940 was designated Ferde Grofé Day at the American pavilion of the World's Fair. Grofé conducted his Niagara Falls Suite as part of the ceremony marking the opening of the first stage of the Niagara Falls Power Generation project.
In 1960, work was announced on a musical production based on the life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The music was first assigned to Victor Young
Victor Young
Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
, but Grofé was later brought in to complete the work.
Today, Grofé remains most famous for his Grand Canyon Suite
Grand Canyon Suite
The Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
(1931), a work regarded highly enough to be recorded for RCA Victor with the NBC Symphony conducted by Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
(in Carnegie Hall in 1945, with the composer present). The earlier Mississippi Suite
Mississippi Suite
The Mississippi Suite is an orchestral suite in four movements by Ferde Grofé, depicting scenes along a journey down the Mississippi River from its headwaters of Minnesota down to New Orleans.-History:...
is also occasionally performed and recorded. Grofé conducted the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music....
in his Grand Canyon Suite and his piano concerto (with pianist Jesús Maria Sanromá
Jesús Maria Sanromá
Jesús María Sanromá was a Puerto Rican pianist. He is considered by many to be one of the 20th century's most accomplished and important pianists.-Early years:...
) for Everest Records
Everest Records
Everest Records was a stereophonic record label based in Bayside, Long Island started by Harry D. Belock and Bert Whyte in May 1958. It was devoted mainly to classical music.-History:...
in 1960; the recording was digitally remastered and issued on CD in 1997.
Films
He began his second career as composer of film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s in 1930, when he provided arrangements (and perhaps portions of the score) for the film King of Jazz
King of Jazz
King of Jazz is a 1930 motion picture starring Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. The film's title was taken from Whiteman's controversial, self-conferred appellation...
. Published data for this movie do not list Grofé as the score's composer, however. He is also credited with the film score for the 1930 movie Redemption.
A review for the 1944 Joseph Lewis film Minstrel Man
Minstrel Man (1944 film)
Minstrel Man is a 1944 American film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and produced by Producers Releasing Corporation. It was nominated for two Academy Awards ....
stated "the music, scored by Ferde Grofé, is an outstanding item." Grofe was nominated, along with Leo Erdody, for an Academy Award in the category "Scoring of a Musical Picture" for this film.
His other original film scores included Early to Bed (1928), Time Out of Mind (1947), Rocketship X-M
Rocketship X-M
Rocketship X-M was the second of the American science fiction feature films of the space adventure genre begun in the post-war era, in 1950...
(1950) and The Return of Jesse James (1950).
Personal life
Although he spent the first half of his life living in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and working in and around New York City, by 1945 he had moved to Los Angeles full time. In 1945 he sold his Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
home.
Grofé was married to his first wife Mildred Grizzelle a singer in 1916 and divorced in 1928. He filed for divorce in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
from his second wife Ruth, whom he married in 1929 in May 1951. The day after the divorce was granted, he married his third wife Anna May Lampton (13 January 1952).
Ferde Grofé died in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
on 3 April 1972, at age 80, and was buried in the Mausoleum of the Golden West at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
. He left four children, Ferdinand Rudolf Jr., Anne, Robert and Delight, all of the Los Angeles area.
Composition list
Grofé composed a large number of works in a variety of styles, commonly in symphonic jazz.- Four Rags for piano (1906) Grofe's first compositions, written at the age of 14
- I. Harlem
- II. Rattlesnake
- III. Persimmon
- IV. Hobble
- Souvenir (1907) for solo cello, written for Grofe's grandfather
- Evening Shadows (1907–08, pub. 1915) for solo piano
- The Grand Reunion March (1909) his first commissioned work, for an Elks Club Convention in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos 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...
- Wonderful One (1920; pub. 1923) for female vocalist and piano
- Broadway at Night (1924)
- Mississippi Suite (Tone Journey)Mississippi SuiteThe Mississippi Suite is an orchestral suite in four movements by Ferde Grofé, depicting scenes along a journey down the Mississippi River from its headwaters of Minnesota down to New Orleans.-History:...
(1925) - Theme and Variations on Noises from a Garage (1925)
- Three Shades of Blue (1927)
- Metropolis: a Fantasy in Blue (1928)
- Free Air (1928)
- Redemption (1930) film score
- Grand Canyon SuiteGrand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
(1931) - Knute Rockne (1931) tone poem
- Sonata for Flute and Bicycle Pump
- Rip Van Winkle (1932–1954) Grofe worked on this tone poem for over two decades, before starting over and reworking the thematic material into the Hudson River Suite
- Tabloid Suite: Four Pictures of a Modern Newspaper (1933)
- A Day At The Farm, for orchestra (1934–1935)
- Diamond JimDiamond JimDiamond Jim is a 1935 biographical film based on the published biography Diamond Jim Brady by Parker Morell. It follows the life of legendary entrepreneur James Buchanan Brady, including his romance with entertainer Lillian Russell, and stars Edward Arnold, Jean Arthur, Cesar Romero and Binnie...
(1935) movie score - Christmas Eve, for orchestra
- Hot LipsHot Lips"Hot Lips" is a popular song written by jazz trumpeter Henry Busse, Henry Lange, and Lou Davis. The song was a #1 hit for Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra...
popular song - Miss Mischief (1937) for piano, dedicated to Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
- Jungle Ballet (1937) written at the request of Dmitri Tiomkin
- Diana, for solo saxophone and piano
- Templed Hills (pub. 1940) popular song
- Hollywood Ballet
- Rudy Vallee Suite
- Ode to Freedom, for orchestra (1937)
- Yankee Doodle Rhapsody (American Fantasie) film score (1936)
- Café Society (1938) a ballet, score rediscovered and repremiered in 2010
- Tin Pan Alley: The Melodic Decades (1938)
- Killarney: Irish Fanstasie for Orchestra (1938)
- Kentucky Derby Suite (1938)
- Saxophone Concerto (1939) unfinished, unpublished work written for Cecil LeesonCecil LeesonCecil Leeson , a musician and teacher, was widely credited with establishing the saxophone as a legitimate concert instrument....
- Trylon and Perisphere one movement tone poem the New York World's Fair1939 New York World's FairThe 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
of 1939-40 (later rennamed Black Gold) - Wheels, for orchestra (1939) dedicated to the Ford dealers of America
- An American Biography, for orchestra (1939–1940) about the life of and dedicated to Henry FordHenry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
- Six Pictures of Hollywood also known as the Hollywood Suite, reworked thematic material from his earlier Hollywood Ballet
- Ode to the Star Spangled Banner, for orchestra
- Valsanne, for solo saxophone and piano
- Blue Flame
- Over There Fantasie (WWI Patriotic Medley) (c.1929) also known as the Ode to the American Solder
- Uncle Sam Stands Up a patriotic cantata, based on a text by Ben HechtBen HechtBen Hecht was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood", he received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some 70 films and as a prolific storyteller, authored 35 books and created some of...
, for baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra - Billy the Kid, unfinished and unpublished, some of this material may have been used in his score for the movie The Return of Jesse James
- Aviation Suite (1944)
- Minstrel Man (film)|Minstrel Man (1944) movie score. Grofe was nominated for his only Academy Award for this score
- A Symphony in Steel
- Deep Nocturne, for orchestra (1947)
- Death Valley SuiteDeath Valley SuiteThe "Death Valley Suite" is a short symphonic suite written by Ferde Grofe in 1952 depicting the westward travels of pioneers through the 'harsh lands' of Death Valley in California.The movements are titled:...
(1949) - Time Out of Mind (1950) rejected movie score
- Rocketship X-MRocketship X-MRocketship X-M was the second of the American science fiction feature films of the space adventure genre begun in the post-war era, in 1950...
movie score - The Return of Jesse James (1951) movie score
- Blue Fantasy in B Flat
- Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (1954)
- March for Americans
- Halloween Fantasy for Strings also known as Trick or Treat for orchestra
- Atlantic Crossing a tone poem for orchestra, chorus with both male and female narrators
- Hudson River Suite (1955)
- Scalawag for concert band (1956)
- Dawn at Lake Mead, for orchestra (1956)
- Valley of Enchantment Suite for concert band (1956)
- Valley of the Sun Suite (1957)
- Gallodoro's Serenade for Saxophone and Piano (1958) written for the virtuoso Al Gallodoro
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in D (1959) a long one-movement concerto
- Yellowstone Suite (1960)
- San Francisco Suite (1960)
- Niagara Falls SuiteNiagara Falls SuiteThe Niagara Falls Suite is a musical composition written by Ferde Grofe in 1960, and performed at Niagara Falls in 1961.- Composition :Grofe was commissioned in 1960 by the Niagara Falls Power Generation project to compose a symphonic suite...
(1960–61) - World's Fair Suite (1964)
- Hawaiian Suite (1965)
- Virginia City: Requiem for a Ghost Town (1968)
- Lonely Castle for solo flute (1968)
- Christine for cello and piano (1969)
His soundtrack to the 1950 science fiction film Rocketship X-M
Rocketship X-M
Rocketship X-M was the second of the American science fiction feature films of the space adventure genre begun in the post-war era, in 1950...
included the use of the theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
. His monumental Grand Canyon Suite
Grand Canyon Suite
The Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
is his best known work, a masterpiece in orchestration and evocation of mood and location.
Selected discography
- Grofé's Grand Canyon SuiteGrand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
, performed by the NBC Symphony, conducted by Arturo ToscaniniArturo ToscaniniArturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
. On LP and on the recently out-of-print CD, it is coupled with works by George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, and (on the CD) Samuel BarberSamuel BarberSamuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
and John Philip SousaJohn Philip SousaJohn Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
. - Grofé's Grand Canyon SuiteGrand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
, performed by the New York PhilharmonicNew York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
(with John Corigliano, Sr.as the violin soloist) conducted by Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
. Coupled with Bernstein conducting Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (with Bernstein at the piano) and An American in Paris (Sony 63086) - Grofé's Grand Canyon Suite, performed by the Detroit Symphony OrchestraDetroit Symphony OrchestraThe Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
conducted by Antal DorátiAntal DorátiAntal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
. Coupled with Doráti conducting Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic PicturePorgy and Bess: A Symphonic PictureArranged by Gershwin's good friend and sometimes assistant Robert Russell Bennett in 1942, Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture includes most of the best-known songs from the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, although not exactly in the order of their appearance...
(London/Decca Jubilee 430712) - Symphonic Jazz: Grofé and Gershwin, performed by the Harmonie Ensemble/New York conducted by Steven Richman (Bridge Records 9212), playing:
- Grofé's Mississippi SuiteMississippi SuiteThe Mississippi Suite is an orchestral suite in four movements by Ferde Grofé, depicting scenes along a journey down the Mississippi River from its headwaters of Minnesota down to New Orleans.-History:...
(the original Whiteman Orchestra version) - Gershwin's Second RhapsodySecond RhapsodySecond Rhapsody is a concert piece for orchestra with piano by American composer George Gershwin, written in 1931. It is commonly referred to by its original title, Rhapsody in Rivets....
for Orchestra with Piano arranged by Grofé, with Lincoln MayorgaLincoln MayorgaLincoln Mayorga is an American pianist, arranger, conductor and composer who has worked in rock and roll, pop, jazz and classical music.-Pop music in the 1950s and 60s:...
on the piano (premiere recording) - Grofé's Gallodoro's Serenade for Saxophone and Piano with Al Gallodoro on alto saxophone and Mayorga on piano (premiere recording)
- Grofé's Grand Canyon SuiteGrand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
(original Whiteman Orchestra version; first complete recording)
- Grofé's Mississippi Suite
- Grofé's Grand Canyon SuiteGrand Canyon SuiteThe Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed during the period from 1929 to 1931. It consists of five parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon...
and Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (with Jesus Maria SanromaJesús Maria SanromáJesús María Sanromá was a Puerto Rican pianist. He is considered by many to be one of the 20th century's most accomplished and important pianists.-Early years:...
) with the Rochester Philharmonic OrchestraRochester Philharmonic OrchestraThe Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music....
conducted by Grofé. Out-of-print Everest LP, reissued on CD in 1997.
Sources
- Liner notes by Don Rayno for Symphonic Jazz: Grofé and Gershwin (Bridge Records 9212)
External links
- Ferde Grofé and the Grand Canyon Suite
- Biography of Ferde Grofé for the Songwriters Hall of FameSongwriters Hall of FameThe Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
- "Little Johnny a Famous Pitchman" by Frank Roberts. The Virginian-Pilot (27 October 1994)