Harold Levey
Harold Levey (17 June 1894, New York City – 18 June 1967, New York City) was an American composer, lyricist, arranger, orchestrator, clarinetist, and conductor. He is best remembered for composing the scores to several Broadway musicals in the 1920s, and for creating music for Warner Bros. during the early years of sound films.
Life and career
[edit]Harold Albert Levey was born into a Jewish-American family on 17 June 1894 in New York City.[1] A child prodigy, he was trained in his youth as a clarinetist at the National Conservatory of Music of America. He began his professional career at the age of 13 as a clarinetist in the New York Symphony Orchestra under conductor Walter Damrosch.[2] He later studied composing and conducting with Victor Herbert.[3]
At the age of 19 Levey became band leader of the Brighton Beach Band. He worked as a conductor of radio orchestras, and as a conductor and composer of music for Warner Brothers in the early years of sound films.[2] Some of the films he scored included The Girl in the Glass Cage (1929) and The Royal Box (1929). He served as music director for Armstrong's Theatre of Today;[4] a radio program active from 1941-1954.[5] He wrote the theme song for the 1963 television series The Dakotas.
As a composer and arranger, Levey is best known for his contributions to Broadway musicals during the 1920s.[2] He wrote the music for Lady Billy (1920–1921, Liberty Theatre),[6] The Clinging Vine (1922–1923, Knickerbocker Theatre),[7] The Magic Ring (1923, Liberty Theatre),[8] The Magnolia Lady (1924–1925, Shubert Theatre),[9] The Greenwich Village Follies of 1925 (1925–1926, Chanin's 46th Street Theatre; also lyricist),[10] Rainbow Rose (1926, Forrest Theatre; also lyricist),[11] and Lovely Lady (1927–1928, Sam H. Harris Theatre).[12][13]
Levy died of a heart attack at the age of 73 in New York City on 18 June 1967.[2]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Marcus, p. 369
- ^ a b c d "HAROLD LEVEY DIES, COMPOSED MUSICALS". The New York Times. June 16, 1967. p. 43.
- ^ Stern, p. 148
- ^ "Radio Talent: New York". Billboard. March 7, 1942. p. 7. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.407
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.428
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.433
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.448
- ^ Bloom. p. 428
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.464
- ^ Bordman & Norton, p.490
- ^ Dietz, p. 436-437
Bibliography
[edit]- Bloom, Ken. American Song: The Complete Musical Theatre Companion, Vol. 1. Schirmer Books. ISBN 9780028645735.
- Bordman, Gerald Martin; Norton, Richard (2010). American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199729708.
- Dietz, Dan (2019). The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781442245280.
- Marcus, Jacob Rader, ed. (1994). "Levey, Harold Albert". The Concise Dictionary of American Jewish Biography, Volume II. Carlson Publishing. p. 369.
- Stern, Lee, ed. (1941). "Levey, Harold". Who is Who in Music: 1941 Edition. Lee Stern Press.
External links
[edit]- 1894 births
- 1967 deaths
- American clarinetists
- American film score composers
- American music arrangers
- American musical theatre composers
- American musical theatre lyricists
- Broadway composers and lyricists
- Composers from New York City
- Jewish American composers
- Jewish American songwriters
- Songwriters from New York (state)