SIGMUND ROMBERG - COLLECTION WITH OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II - HFSID 91023

THE DESERT SONG:  SIGMUND ROMBERG and OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Hammerstein and Romberg both inscribe and sign Romberg's handwritten musical quotation from the musical, with Hammerstein adding, "I'm only the guy who wrote the words …" Framed with an inscribed and signed photo of Romberg to 34½x25½
Comprises: (1) SIGMUND ROMBERG and OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II. Autograph Musical Quotation inscribed and signed: "To John/With the composers (sic)/best wishes/Sigmund Romberg", 1p, 7½x9½. Above his signature, Romberg has drawn 5 bars of music and written "etc -". Above them, he has written "from the 'Desert Song'/Valse Mod". ANS: "Oscar Hammerstein 2 -" at lower portion of sheet. To "Dear John". In full: "I'm only the guy who wrote the words to the above notes - and they don't matter. Best regards". Slightly creased. Fine condition. (2) SIGMUND ROMBERG. Photograph inscribed and signed: "To Mr. James C. Stratton/Sincerely/Sig Romberg". B/w, 8x9¾ overall, image 7½x8½ (one surface). Publicity photograph by James J. Kriegsmann, N.Y. Typed caption at lower margin: "Sigmund Romberg and his Concert Orchestra". Minor surface creases, else fine condition. The stage operetta, The Desert Song, was the second collaboration between composer Romberg and lyricist Hammerstein. The operetta, which included the title song and such popular tunes as "The Riff Song" and "One Alone", was later filmed in 1929, 1943 and 1953. Romberg and Hammerstein also composed The New Moon (1928), East Wind (1931) and Sunny River (1941). Operetta composer SIGMUND ROMBERG (1887-1951) had achieved earlier success with The Student Prince in Heidelberg in 1924 and its popularized numbers, "The Drinking Song" and "Serenade". As the public support of the operetta musical declined, Romberg went on to conduct his own radio show and Broadway scores. His last complete Broadway musical was My Romance in 1948. Born in Hungary, Romberg had studied engineering in Vienna before journeying to America in 1909, at which time he went to work as a staff composer for J.J. Shubert (1914), for whom he composed song revues, including Auf Wiedersehen (1915). Following his first collaborating efforts with Romberg, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II (1895-1960) achieved Broadway success as a librettist and lyricist with Jerome Kern in Show Boat (1927). Going on to partner with Richard Rodgers in the early 1940s, Rodgers and Hammerstein had a hit with their first effort, Oklahoma! (1943). Works with Rodgers also include the popular musicals Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951) and The Sound of Music (1959). As librettist, Hammerstein was largely responsible for Oklahoma! winning a special Pulitzer Prize in 1944 and for South Pacific winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. Two items. Framed to an overall size of 34½x25½.