Louis Gruenberg

Like many of his contemporaries, Gruenberg spent much of his dramatic energies on operetta and the developing American musical; even his traditional operas are influenced by jazz and Broadway idioms.

The Emperor Jones, Gruenberg's best-known opera, was one of the most talked-about American works of its time, despite its unusual scoring and staging. Another work, Green Mansions, was written for radio and featured a prominent solo role for the musical saw.

Gruenberg also made considerable contributions to film music, winning three Academy awards for his work in Hollywood. He was also a prominent musical citizen in other ways, including as one of the founders of the LEague of Composers. Several of his operas remain unperformed, including The Dumb Wife, for which he failed to get permission to use the source material from author Anatole France.

The title of Gruenberg's Jack and the Beanstalk is given in some sources as Jack in the Beanstalk.

• The Bride of the Gods
  Libretto after Busoni, translated by C. H. Meltzer.
  1913
• The Dumb Wife, chamber opera
  Libretto after The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife, by Anatole France after Rabelais.
  1923
• Jack and the Beanstalk, children's opera
  Libretto by John Erskine.
  1931
• The Emperor Jones, opera in one act
  Libretto by the composer after the play by Eugene O'Neill.
  composed 1931; premiere January 7, 1933, Metropolitan Opera, New York, New York, Beusner, Windham, Tibbett, c. Serafin, d. Mielziner, p. Sanine (10 or 11 performances); also 17 Nov 1933, San Francisco; Chicago, 1946; Rome, 1950
• Queen Helen (1936)
• Green Mansions, radio opera
  Libretto after after the novel by W. H. Hudson.
  1937
• Helena's Husband
  Libretto by P. Moeller.
  1938
• Volpone
  Libretto by the composer after Ben Jonson.
  1945
• One Night of Cleopatra
  Libretto by the composer after after T. Gautier.
  1945
• The Miracle of Flanders, mystery play (1945)
• The Delicate King
  Libretto by the composer after Alexandre Dumas.
  1955
• Antony and Cleopatra
  Libretto by the composer after Shakespeare.
  1955; also revised version prem. 1961

• Signor Formica, operetta (1910)
• The Witch of Brocken, operetta (1912)
• Piccadillymädel, operetta (1913)
• Roly-boly Eyes, musical (1919)
• Hallo! Tommy!, operetta (1925)
  (as "George Edwards")
• Lady X., operetta (1927)
  (as "George Edwards")

Discography

Search for recordings of the music of Louis Gruenberg at Amazon.com

"Oh Lord!... Standin' in the need of prayer" from The Emperor Jones ((Lawrence Tibbett)) on Four American Baritones of the Past CD / Preiser 89957 (1999)	"Oh Lord!... Standin' in the need of prayer" from The Emperor Jones on Of Gods and Demons CD / Sony 62758 (1997)
"Oh Lord!... Standin' in the need of prayer" from The Emperor Jones (Lawrence Tibbett) on Souvenirs from American Opera CD / IRCC 818 (1998)	"Oh Lord!... Standin' in the need of prayer" from The Emperor Jones on Lawrence Tibbett: From Broadway to Hollywood CD / Nimbus NI7881 (1999)

Bibliography

Search for books by and about Louis Gruenberg at Amazon.com

"Oh, Lawd Jesus, heah my prayer" from The Emperor Jones in G. Schirmer American Opera Anthology: Baritone/Bass G. Schirmer 2004

O'Neill, Gruenberg and The Emperor Jones

An article on the creation of Gruenberg's opera from The Eugene O'Neil Review

Last update: January 1, 2009