Ralph Hermann (February 9, 1914 – July 28, 1994) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and conductor. He also used the pseudonym Richard Hale. Hermann worked as head of the music department of the

American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...

(ABC) since 1952 until his retirement in 1971.

Life

Hermann was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and graduated from South Division High School. While in high school, he was awarded the Milwaukee Civic Music Medal for his outstanding musical commitment. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music under

Vittorio Giannini Vittorio Giannini (October 19, 1903 – November 28, 1966) was an American neoromantic composer of operas, songs, symphonies, and band works. Life and work Giannini was born in Philadelphia on October 19, 1903. He began as a violinist under the t ...

. His career began at his high school, where he composed, among other music, ''Kiddie Revue'' and played in several local bands, eventually playing under national band leaders including

Freddy Martin Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist. Early life Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...

and

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People ...

. In 1940 he started working for WTMJ as an arranger; when he left for World War II military service in 1943, he had a Sunday morning show of his own. During his military service he worked in interrogation and organized an orchestra of German prisoners that played to American troops and displaced persons in France; he later organized a symphony orchestra in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

. On his return to the US,

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

hired him and recommended him to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

in 1945. In 1952 he moved to

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, where Hermann worked as head of the music department until his retirement in 1971. Beginning in 1954 he also wrote works for symphonic band, and works for soloists such as

Al Gallodoro Alfred J. Gallodoro, (June 20, 1913 – October 4, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who performed from the 1920s up until his death. He is notable for having played lead alto sax with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and ba ...

(saxophone and clarinet) and Eugene Rousseau (saxophone). His adaptations of well-known classical works for concert band are still programmed regularly, such as '' Porgy and Bess Medley '' for saxophone and band, '' Ellington Fantasy '' Rossini's '' Introduction, Theme, and Variations '' and '' Tosca Fantasy '' for saxophone and band. He won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1963 for his ''Symphony No. 3—From the Scriptures''. Ralph Hermann was married and had three children. He died at home in

Manhasset Manhasset is a hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in D ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, after an illness following a stroke.

Compositions

;Works for orchestra * '' Concerto for Doubles '', for bass clarinet and orchestra * '' Jewish Melodies '' for clarinet and orchestra ;Works for wind band * '' Arlinton Overture '' * '' Belmont Overture '' * '' Circus Time '' * '' Clarinet Cake '' * '' Concerto for Horn, '' for horn and band * '' Fight Song '' (Fight for UWM) 1965 * '' International Airport '' * '' Kiddie Ballet '' *# Overture *# Baby Baptism *# Strolling the Baby Stroller *# Lullaby for a Naughty Girl *# Cops and Robbers *# Nightmare and Finale * '' Little Suite No. 1 '' * '' North Sea Overture '' * '' Percussion Discussion '' * '' Prelude and Caprice '' * '' Pulchinello '', for bass clarinet and wind band * '' Sleighride Express '' * '' Star Journey '' * '' Straw Flower, '' concerto for alto saxophone and wind band * ''Winter Bells'' * '' Yellow Rose Of Texas '' ;Works for choir * '' Christmas Fantasy '', for mixed choir and brass ;Chamber music * '' Clarinet on the Town '', for clarinet and piano * '' Concertino for saxophone-Quartet '' ;Film music * 1960 '' Directions '' television series

References

Bibliography

* Wolfgang Suppan,

Armin Suppan Armin Suppan (born 16 October 1959) is an Austrian brass musician and composer. Life Born in Graz, son of the musicologist Wolfgang Suppan, Suppan studied music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz as well as at the Hochschule ...

, '' Das Neue Lexikon des Blasmusikwesens '', 4. Auflage, Freiburg-Tiengen, Blasmusik Schulz Verlag GmbH, 1994, * Paul E. Bierley, William H. Rehrig: '' The heritage encyclopedia of band music: composers and Their music '', Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1991, * Jaques Cattell Press: '' ASCAP biographical dictionary of composers, authors and publishers '', Fourth Edition, New York: RR Bowker, 1980, 589 p, . * Jean-Marie Londeix: '' Musique pour saxophone, Volume II: répertoire général des oeuvres et des ouvrages d'enseignement pour le saxophone '' Cherry Hill: Roncorp Publications, 1985 * Norman E. Smith: '' Band musicnotes '', Revised Edition, San Diego, California: Niel A. Kjos, Jr., 1979, {{DEFAULTSORT:Hermann, Ralph 1914 births 1994 deaths American male composers South Division High School alumni Musicians from Milwaukee 20th-century American male musicians