Jacobi (real name, Jakabfi), Viktor

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Jacobi (real name, Jakabfi), Viktor

Jacobi (real name, Jakabfi), Viktor, Hungarian- born American composer; b. Budapest, Oct. 22, 1883; d. N.Y., Dec. 10, 1921. He studied in Budapest. While still a student, he attracted attention with his first light stage piece there, A rátartós királykisasszony (The Proud Princess; Dec. 17, 1904). Respectable hearings were then given to such Budapest scores as A legvitézebó huszár (The Bravest Hussar; Dec. 30, 1905), A tengerszem tundére (The Sea Fairy; Nov. 7, 1906), Tüskerozsa (Prickly Rose; March 23, 1907), Van de nines (There Is, But There Isn’t; Oct. 30, 1908), and Jánoska (May 7, 1909). His first major success came with Leányvásar (The Marr0iage Market; Nov. 14, 1911). Following the extraordinary success of Szibill (Feb. 27, 1914), Jacobi settled in the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen. His first score for Broadway was Rambler Rose (Sept. 10, 1917), which failed to attract much notice. He then collaborated with Fritz Kreisler on the successful Apple Blossoms (Oct. 7, 1919). His subsequent works, The Half Moon (Nov. 1, 1920) and The Love Letter (Oct. 4, 1921), were failures.

— Laura Kuhn/ Dennis McIntire

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Jacobi (real name, Jakabfi), Viktor

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