Manuel Klein

Passport photograph, 1915

Manuel Joachim Klein (December 6, 1876 – June 1, 1919) was an English-born composer of musical theatre and incidental music who worked primarily in New York City.

Biography

Klein was born in London, England, to parents Herman and Adelaide (née Soman). Apparently, the elder Klein emigrated from Riga, Lativa.^[1] Once in Norwich, Hermann became a professor of foreign languages at the King Edward VI Grammar School, and Adelaide taught dance.^[2] The younger Klein's five brothers included Max, a violinist; Charles, a playwright; Herman, a music critic and music teacher;^[3] Alfred, an actor; and Philip. They had a sister, Adelaide.^[4] He was the uncle of producer Philip Klein (1888–1935). Klein was educated in London and at Tivoli House Academy, Gravesend, Kent, England.^[5]

Sheet music (1908)

Career

Klein moved to the U.S. on April 11, 1896.^[6] He was the music director for David Belasco's theatre company in New York City for several years^[7] before devoting himself to composing. His first Broadway success was the musical Mr. Pickwick, starring De Wolf Hopper.^[8] Grant Stewart wrote the lyrics, and Klein's brother Charles wrote the book. He also conducted for Charles Frohman, with whom Klein's brother, Charles, was later killed on the RMS Lusitania, among others.

Tin Pan Alley songwriter and publisher Gus Edwards helped Klein to obtain the position of musical director of the prestigious New York Hippodrome theater in 1905. Klein was soon composing songs and music for numerous spectacles presented at the Hippodrome consisting of different acts, each one with their own thematic musical concept. He collaborated with L. Frank Baum on The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, beginning in 1909, which was finally produced in 1913 without Klein's music.^[9] He left the Hippodrome in 1915 after a disagreement with its manager, Jacob J. Shubert, over the orchestra. Shubert asked Klein to send some drums, trumpets and other instruments over to the Winter Garden Theater, where he was producing another show. Klein refused to send them, as he needed them for his own orchestra. After an argument, Klein offered his resignation and Shubert accepted it. The Hippodrome company sided with Klein, and Shubert was forced to sell his interest.^[10] Klein went back to England the same year and became music director of the Gaiety Theatre, London. He suffered a trauma at the bombing of the theatre during World War I by the Zeppelins and never fully recovered.^[11]

Klein returned to New York and died in Yonkers, New York on June 1, 1919, as a result of the earlier trauma.^[11] After his death, the Klein family sued the German government for the loss of Manuel and his brother Charles (a victim of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania).^[12]

Family Life

Klein married his wife, Helen (born September 16, 1884 in Cincinnati, Ohio),^[13] in approximately in 1905.^[14] They had a daughter, Marjorie, born March 28, 1909 and a son, Gerald, born March 18, 1912.^[15] Klein became a naturalized American citizen on August 9, 1910.^[15]

As of the 1930 United States Federal Census, the family had moved to Beverly Hills, California. Helen was working as a teacher, Marjorie as a stenographer for the movie industry, and Gerald as a radio repairman.^[16]

List of works

1899 Zaza[17] 1899 Hope On! 1903 Mr. Pickwick (including "Boys Will Be Boys") 1903 Captain Barrington 1905 A Yankee Circus on Mars / The Raiders / Tomorrowland 1905 A Society Circus (including "Moon Dear"). Words by Manual Klein 1905 "I Want to Go Home Now". Words by John Kendrick Bangs 1906 The Man from Now (including "The Dainty Music Maid"), starring De Wolf Hopper. Words by Bangs 1906 Pioneer Days / Circus Events 1906 Neptune's Daughter including "Lucia" ("My Italian Maid"). Words by Manuel Klein 1906 The Only Way to Love 1907 The Top O' Th' World 1907 The Auto Race. Words by Manuel Klein 1907 O'Neill of Derry 1907 If You Are True to Me 1907 Starlight Maid 1908 Sporting Days. Words by Manuel Klein 1908 The Battle in the Skies. Words by Manuel Klein 1908 The Pied Piper, starring De Wolf Hopper (including "I'm Looking For a Sweetheart, and I Think You'll Do" and "Tell Me, Whose Little Girl Are You"?)

1909 A Ballet of Jewels 1909 A Trip to Japan 1909 "Meet Me When the Lanterns Glow", words and music by Klein. 1910 Ragged Robin 1910 The International Cup / Ballet of Niagra / The Earthquake 1910 "Love is Like a Rainbow", words and music by Klein 1910 Loving ("Love Comes at Morning, Love Comes at Noon") 1911 It's a Long Lane That Has No Turning 1911 Bow Sing 1911 Around the World 1911 Undine 1912 Under Many Flags (including "Sweetheart (Let's Go A-Walking)"), words and music by Klein. 1912 "Home is Where the Heart Is", words and music by Klein 1912 Fishing 1913 The Hippodrome Tango 1913 America (including "The Girl in the Gingham gown") 1913 Hop o' My Thumb, starring De Wolf Hopper 1914 The Wars of the World 1914 "In Siam", words and music by Klein 1914 You're Just the One I've Waited For 1919 High and Dri 1920 It's Up to You (revised version of High and Dri)

Legacy

Although many individual songs by Klein were published, much of his incidental music remains in manuscript. Since he worked "for hire" at the Hippodrome, Charles Frohman and later R. H. Burnside retained his music manuscripts. They now form part of the Burnside collection of American theater music manuscripts in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Notes

1. ^ Stone, Christopher. "Herman Klein, July 23, 1856 – March 10, 1934", reprinted in Moran, p. 603
2. ^ Who's Who in New York (City and State). Lewis Historical Publ. Co., 1909, p. 787. A petition from the Jews of Norwich, Norwich Petition For the Removal of the Disabilities of the Jews, January 24, 1848, includes the signature of a David Soman, boot and shoemaker, who could have been the father of Adelaide. Transcription in the archives of JewishGen.
3. ^ Klein and Moran, Introduction
4. ^ 1871 and 1881 England Census, available on Ancestry.com.
5. ^ Hines and Hanaford, p. 185
6. ^ Date based on Klein's passport application at U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry.com.
7. ^ Klein and Moran, p. 5
8. ^ Complete Midi files for Mr. Pickwick
9. ^ Hearn, Michael Patrick. The Annotated Wizard of Oz. W.W. Norton, 2000, pp. 388–89
10. ^ "Manuel Klein" at the Composers and Lyricists Database
11. ^ ^{a b} "Death of Manuel Klein", The New York Times, June 2, 1919, p. 15.
12. ^ Gänzl, p. 1100
13. ^ Date from New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957: S. S. Philadelphia, November 26, 1916
14. ^ Date based on information supplied in the 1910 United States Federal Census available at Ancestry.com
15. ^ ^{a b} Information based on U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry.com.
16. ^ 1930 United States Federal Census available at Ancestry.com
17. ^ This list is assembled from Gänzl and the Internet Broadway Database, http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=7484.

References

• Gänzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, 2nd ed. (New York: Schirmer Books, 2001), vol. 2
• Hines, Dixie and Harry Prescott Hanaford (eds.) Who's Who in Music and Drama New York: H. P. Hanaford (1914)
• Klein, Herman and William R. Moran. "Herman Klein and The Gramophone", Amadeus Press, 1990. ISBN 0931340187

External links

• Links to sheet music for several Klein songs
• Sheet music for "Sweetheart let's go a-walking"
• Sheet music for "The Girl in the Gingham gown"
• BroadwayWorld profile
• Manuel Klein at the Internet Broadway Database

Persondata
Name	Klein, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 6, 1876
Place of birth
Date of death	June 1, 1919
Place of death