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Bronisław Kaper

April 26, 2024

Bronisław Kaper (Polish pronunciation: [brɔˈɲiswaf ˈkapɛr]; February 5, 1902 – April 26, 1983)[1] was a Polish film composer who scored films and musical theater in Germany, France, and the USA. The American immigration authorities misspelled his name as Bronislau Kaper. He was also variously credited as Bronislaw Kaper, Bronislaw Kapper, Benjamin Kapper, and Edward Kane.

Bronisław Kaper
Birth nameBronisław Kaper
Also known asBronislau Kaper, Bronislaw Kaper, Bronislaw Kapper, Benjamin Kapper, and Edward Kane
Born(1902-02-05)February 5, 1902
OriginWarsaw, Poland
DiedApril 26, 1983(1983-04-26) (aged 81)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Composer

Kaper is perhaps best remembered as the composer of the jazz standards "On Green Dolphin Street" (lyrics by Ned Washington) and "Invitation" (lyrics by Paul Francis Webster) which were the respective title songs for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Green Dolphin Street (1947) and Invitation (1952). He also scored the MGM film musical Lili (1953) for which he received the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Kaper's later works include Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) and the TV series The F.B.I. (1965–1974).

Biography edit

Bronisław Kaper was born in Warsaw, Poland,[1] to an Ashkenazi Jewish family, and began playing the piano at the age of six, and soon demonstrated considerable talent on this instrument. He studied composition and piano at the Warsaw Conservatory,[1] and law at Warsaw University, in deference to his father's wishes. Soon after completing his studies, Kaper went to Berlin—then a city teeming with theaters and cabarets, where many artists from other parts of Europe lived.

In Berlin, in the late 1920s, Kaper met another young composer, the Austrian Walter Jurmann. The two worked as a team, first in Berlin and then, after the Nazis took power in Germany, in Paris, France.[1] The emergence of sound film created a major market for their talents. In Paris, they composed music for films directed by persons who had fled the rise of Nazism and consequent persecution of Jews and other minorities.[citation needed]

In 1935, upon being offered a seven-year contract with MGM by studio head Louis B. Mayer, Kaper and Jurmann emigrated to the United States, where they continued their work.[1] One of their first American films was the Marx Brothers comedy A Night at the Opera (1935), for which they composed the song "Cosi-Cosa".[1] Kaper and Jurmann also co-wrote the theme song for the 1936 film San Francisco.[1] They worked again with the Marx Brothers on their follow-up film, A Day at the Races (1937), for which Kaper, Jurmann, and Gus Kahn wrote the song "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm",[1] which became a minor jazz standard.

Kaper was part of a significant community of refugees in Los Angeles during the 1940s who had fled Nazi-occupied/war-torn Europe for the United States. This community included composers, writers, and filmmakers such as Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Bertolt Brecht, Arnold Schoenberg, Lion Feuchtwanger, Max Reinhardt, Hanns Eisler, and Berthold and Salka Viertel.

His sole musical theater venture in New York was 1946's Polonaise, for which he both adapted music by Chopin,[1] and composed many numbers himself.[2]

In 1947, Kaper scored the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Green Dolphin Street, whose title song "On Green Dolphin Street" (lyrics by Ned Washington) is perhaps Kaper's most enduring and popular composition.[1] It has since become a jazz standard,[1] recorded by artists including Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane, Tony Bennett, and Eric Dolphy. Kaper composed perhaps his second most-enduring song "Invitation (song)" (lyrics by Paul Francis Webster) for director George Cukor's melodrama A Life of Her Own; but it was not until its use as the theme song for the 1952 film Invitation that the song became popular.[1] "Invitation" has been widely recorded, by artists including Quincy Jones, Rosemary Clooney, Dinah Washington, and Jaco Pastorius as the title track of his 1983 album Invitation (Jaco Pastorius album). In 1954, Kaper won an Oscar for scoring of the musical Lili (1953) starring Leslie Caron, and featuring Kaper's song "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" with lyrics by Helen Deutsch.[1] Kaper also scored Caron's next film, The Glass Slipper,[1] a musical adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella.

In 1959, Kaper composed most of the music for MGM's production of Green Mansions with Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins, after MGM had asked Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos to write the score. Only some of Villa-Lobos' music was used in the film; much of the rest was later arranged as the secular cantata Forest of the Amazons, which Villa-Lobos recorded in stereophonic sound for United Artists Records with the Symphony of the Air. One of Kaper's last projects under his MGM contract was also his most ambitious: the big-budget 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando, for which he wrote epic seafaring melodies as well as native Polynesian music (Nominated for Academy Award for Best Musical Score).[1] MGM had originally wanted composer Miklós Rózsa (who was known for lush epics) to score this remake, but Rózsa declined. The film's love theme "Love Song from Mutiny on the Bounty (Follow Me)" has found a place in the repertoire of popular Polynesian music and is occasionally performed for tourists at Luaus. Kaper's interest in melding exotic indigenous music with traditional styles continued in Lord Jim, where he introduced Western audiences to the unique sound of the southeast-Asian gamelan orchestra. For television, Kaper composed the theme music and several scores for the Quinn Martin-produced series The F.B.I.[1] In total, Kaper composed music for nearly 150 Hollywood films.

Credits on Broadway edit

Recordings - film scores edit

Recordings of many of Kaper's film scores were not available in his lifetime but, in recent decades, many of these previously unavailable recordings have been re-released and/or re-recorded on compact disc for labels like Monstrous Movie Music (Them!), and Film Score Monthly (Lili, Home from the Hill, The Swan and others).

Legacy edit

The Bronisław Kaper Awards edit

The Bronisław Kaper Awards For Young Artists are held annually by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the piano and strings instrumental categories, which alternate each year. Named in honor of Bronisław Kaper, who served for more than 15 years as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association's Board of Directors, the Awards encourage the development of young and gifted musicians. Award winners receive monetary awards: first place receiving $2,500, second place receiving $2,000 and Most Promising Musician winning $500.

The 2007 Bronisław Kaper Awards competition has been for string players.

Selected filmography edit

See also edit

Sources edit

  • Viertel, Salka, The Kindness of Strangers (New York: Rinehart,1969), pp. 250–251
  • Elisabeth Buxbaum: Veronika, der Lenz ist da. Walter Jurmann – Ein Musiker zwischen den Welten und Zeiten. Mit einem Werkverzeichnis von Alexander Sieghardt. Edition Steinbauer, Wien 2006, ISBN 3-902494-18-2

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1343. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ "Polonaise, New Musical, Billed for Erlanger." Buffalo (NY) Courier-Express, 3 February 1946.

External links edit

April 26, 2024
bronisław, kaper, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, march, 2013, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, p. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bronislaw Kaper Polish pronunciation brɔˈɲiswaf ˈkapɛr February 5 1902 April 26 1983 1 was a Polish film composer who scored films and musical theater in Germany France and the USA The American immigration authorities misspelled his name as Bronislau Kaper He was also variously credited as Bronislaw Kaper Bronislaw Kapper Benjamin Kapper and Edward Kane Bronislaw KaperBirth nameBronislaw KaperAlso known asBronislau Kaper Bronislaw Kaper Bronislaw Kapper Benjamin Kapper and Edward KaneBorn 1902 02 05 February 5 1902OriginWarsaw PolandDiedApril 26 1983 1983 04 26 aged 81 Beverly Hills California U S Occupation s Composer Kaper is perhaps best remembered as the composer of the jazz standards On Green Dolphin Street lyrics by Ned Washington and Invitation lyrics by Paul Francis Webster which were the respective title songs for the Metro Goldwyn Mayer films Green Dolphin Street 1947 and Invitation 1952 He also scored the MGM film musical Lili 1953 for which he received the Academy Award for Best Original Score Kaper s later works include Mutiny on the Bounty 1962 and the TV series The F B I 1965 1974 Contents 1 Biography 2 Credits on Broadway 3 Recordings film scores 4 Legacy 4 1 The Bronislaw Kaper Awards 5 Selected filmography 6 See also 7 Sources 8 References 9 External linksBiography editBronislaw Kaper was born in Warsaw Poland 1 to an Ashkenazi Jewish family and began playing the piano at the age of six and soon demonstrated considerable talent on this instrument He studied composition and piano at the Warsaw Conservatory 1 and law at Warsaw University in deference to his father s wishes Soon after completing his studies Kaper went to Berlin then a city teeming with theaters and cabarets where many artists from other parts of Europe lived In Berlin in the late 1920s Kaper met another young composer the Austrian Walter Jurmann The two worked as a team first in Berlin and then after the Nazis took power in Germany in Paris France 1 The emergence of sound film created a major market for their talents In Paris they composed music for films directed by persons who had fled the rise of Nazism and consequent persecution of Jews and other minorities citation needed In 1935 upon being offered a seven year contract with MGM by studio head Louis B Mayer Kaper and Jurmann emigrated to the United States where they continued their work 1 One of their first American films was the Marx Brothers comedy A Night at the Opera 1935 for which they composed the song Cosi Cosa 1 Kaper and Jurmann also co wrote the theme song for the 1936 film San Francisco 1 They worked again with the Marx Brothers on their follow up film A Day at the Races 1937 for which Kaper Jurmann and Gus Kahn wrote the song All God s Chillun Got Rhythm 1 which became a minor jazz standard Kaper was part of a significant community of refugees in Los Angeles during the 1940s who had fled Nazi occupied war torn Europe for the United States This community included composers writers and filmmakers such as Thomas and Heinrich Mann Bertolt Brecht Arnold Schoenberg Lion Feuchtwanger Max Reinhardt Hanns Eisler and Berthold and Salka Viertel His sole musical theater venture in New York was 1946 s Polonaise for which he both adapted music by Chopin 1 and composed many numbers himself 2 In 1947 Kaper scored the Metro Goldwyn Mayer film Green Dolphin Street whose title song On Green Dolphin Street lyrics by Ned Washington is perhaps Kaper s most enduring and popular composition 1 It has since become a jazz standard 1 recorded by artists including Miles Davis Sarah Vaughan John Coltrane Tony Bennett and Eric Dolphy Kaper composed perhaps his second most enduring song Invitation song lyrics by Paul Francis Webster for director George Cukor s melodrama A Life of Her Own but it was not until its use as the theme song for the 1952 film Invitation that the song became popular 1 Invitation has been widely recorded by artists including Quincy Jones Rosemary Clooney Dinah Washington and Jaco Pastorius as the title track of his 1983 album Invitation Jaco Pastorius album In 1954 Kaper won an Oscar for scoring of the musical Lili 1953 starring Leslie Caron and featuring Kaper s song Hi Lili Hi Lo with lyrics by Helen Deutsch 1 Kaper also scored Caron s next film The Glass Slipper 1 a musical adaptation of the fairy tale Cinderella In 1959 Kaper composed most of the music for MGM s production of Green Mansions with Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins after MGM had asked Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos to write the score Only some of Villa Lobos music was used in the film much of the rest was later arranged as the secular cantata Forest of the Amazons which Villa Lobos recorded in stereophonic sound for United Artists Records with the Symphony of the Air One of Kaper s last projects under his MGM contract was also his most ambitious the big budget 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando for which he wrote epic seafaring melodies as well as native Polynesian music Nominated for Academy Award for Best Musical Score 1 MGM had originally wanted composer Miklos Rozsa who was known for lush epics to score this remake but Rozsa declined The film s love theme Love Song from Mutiny on the Bounty Follow Me has found a place in the repertoire of popular Polynesian music and is occasionally performed for tourists at Luaus Kaper s interest in melding exotic indigenous music with traditional styles continued in Lord Jim where he introduced Western audiences to the unique sound of the southeast Asian gamelan orchestra For television Kaper composed the theme music and several scores for the Quinn Martin produced series The F B I 1 In total Kaper composed music for nearly 150 Hollywood films Credits on Broadway editPolonaise 1945 musical composer Mostly Sondheim 2002 concert featured songwriterRecordings film scores editRecordings of many of Kaper s film scores were not available in his lifetime but in recent decades many of these previously unavailable recordings have been re released and or re recorded on compact disc for labels like Monstrous Movie Music Them and Film Score Monthly Lili Home from the Hill The Swan and others Legacy editThe Bronislaw Kaper Awards edit The Bronislaw Kaper Awards For Young Artists are held annually by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the piano and strings instrumental categories which alternate each year Named in honor of Bronislaw Kaper who served for more than 15 years as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association s Board of Directors the Awards encourage the development of young and gifted musicians Award winners receive monetary awards first place receiving 2 500 second place receiving 2 000 and Most Promising Musician winning 500 The 2007 Bronislaw Kaper Awards competition has been for string players Selected filmography editThe Big Attraction 1931 A Mad Idea 1932 His Highness Love 1931 Marriage with Limited Liability 1931 Scandal on Park Street 1932 Three on a Honeymoon 1932 Honeymoon Trip 1933 Things Are Getting Better Already 1932 Madame Wants No Children 1933 A Song for You 1933 Today Is the Day 1933 All for Love 1933 A Man Has Been Stolen 1934 Moscow Nights 1934 A Day at the Races 1937 The Captain Is a Lady 1940 Above Suspicion 1943 Gaslight 1944 Mrs Parkington 1944 The Stranger 1946 The Great Sinner 1949 A Life of Her Own 1950 To Please a Lady 1950 The Red Badge of Courage 1951 The Naked Spur 1953 Lili 1953 Them 1954 The Prodigal 1955 The Glass Slipper 1955 The Adventures of Quentin Durward 1955 The Swan 1956 Somebody Up There Likes Me 1956 The Barretts of Wimpole Street 1957 Jet Pilot 1957 Don t Go Near the Water 1957 The Brothers Karamazov 1958 Auntie Mame 1958 Green Mansions 1959 The Scapegoat 1959 Home from the Hill 1960 BUtterfield 8 1960 Ada 1961 Mutiny on the Bounty 1962 Kisses for My President 1964 Lord Jim 1965 Tobruk 1967 The Way West 1967 Counterpoint 1968 A Flea in Her Ear 1968 See also edit nbsp Biography portal Cinema of Poland List of Polish Academy Award winners and nominees List of PolesSources editViertel Salka The Kindness of Strangers New York Rinehart 1969 pp 250 251 Elisabeth Buxbaum Veronika der Lenz ist da Walter Jurmann Ein Musiker zwischen den Welten und Zeiten Mit einem Werkverzeichnis von Alexander Sieghardt Edition Steinbauer Wien 2006 ISBN 3 902494 18 2References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Colin Larkin ed 1992 The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music First ed Guinness Publishing p 1343 ISBN 0 85112 939 0 Polonaise New Musical Billed for Erlanger Buffalo NY Courier Express 3 February 1946 External links editBronislaw Kaper at IMDb Bronislaw Kaper at the Internet Broadway Database Kaper filmography discography at Soundtrack Collector Bronislaw Kaper at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bronislaw Kaper amp oldid 1194200607, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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