Rodgers, Richard

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RODGERS, RICHARD

RODGERS, RICHARD (1902–1979), U.S. composer. Born in New York, Rodgers studied at Columbia University and at the Institute of Musical Art. In collaboration with the lyricist Lorenz Hart, he wrote many musical comedies including: The Girl Friend (1926), Babes in Arms (1936), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940, revived 1957). When Hart died, Rodgers began his long-time partnership with Oscar *Hammersteinii, with whom he created, among others, the greatly successful musicals: Oklahoma (1943) which won a Pulitzer prize, Carousel (1945), Annie Get Your Gun (1946), South Pacific (1948), The King and I (1951), The Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). The Rodgers and Hammerstein works established a style of music that proved highly influential and popular. Rodgers also composed No Strings (1962) and wrote the music for the television documentary for Victory at Sea (1952). Rodgers was one of the five recipients of the first award of the Kennedy Center Honors granted in December 1978.

bibliography:

D. Taylor, Some Enchanted Evenings: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein (1953); D. Ewen, Richard Rodgers (Eng., 1957), incl. bibl.; Baker, Biog Dict (incl. supplement).

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