ASCAP Celebrates 95th Anniversary and 150th Birthday of Founder: American Music Great Victor Herbert
| Source: ASCAP
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 5, 2009) - February 2009 marks two milestone
anniversaries for ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers). February 1 was the 150th birthday of Victor Herbert, the
great Irish-American composer of such operettas as "Babes in Toyland,"
"Naughty Marietta," "Sweethearts" and "The Red Mill." Herbert was also the
driving force behind the establishment of ASCAP and served as Vice
President of the organization from 1914 until his death in 1924. And
February 13 is the 95th anniversary of the formal founding of the Society
envisioned by Herbert and a small group of composers, lyricists and music
publishers at New York's Claridge Hotel in 1914. ASCAP made it possible
and practical for music creators in the United States to be compensated for
the public performance of their works in accordance with U.S. Copyright
Law.
Victor August Herbert was born in Dublin, Ireland on February 1, 1859. He
received his musical training at the Stuttgart Conservatory in Germany, and
became a cellist of great ability, playing in the orchestra of Johann
Strauss in Vienna. When Herbert's wife, Viennese soprano Therese Foerster,
was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1886, Herbert
relocated as well, joining the opera's orchestra. He soon became a
conductor of note, leading the 22nd Regimental Band of the New York
National Guard, the Pittsburgh Symphony and his own Victor Herbert
Orchestra. He was featured, both as conductor and cellist, on early
recordings issued by the Victor Talking Machine Company. As a composer,
Herbert wrote 43 operettas, two operas and many instrumental works for
ensemble and solo players. Herbert's most influential orchestral work was
his "Cello Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 30," which has been recorded
frequently. His operettas introduced a number of classic songs to the
American repertory, including "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life," "Gypsy Love
Song," "Sweethearts," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "Babes in Toyland" and the
beloved theme, "March of the Toys." Herbert died in New York City on May
26, 1924 at the age of 65. On February 1, 1927, ASCAP presented a statue
of Victor Herbert to the city of New York -- it still stands in Central
Park. In 1940, Victor Herbert was memorialized on a U.S. Postage Stamp.
Herbert's legacy of leadership in protecting the rights of music creators
runs as deep as his own music. It was Victor Herbert's participation in an
amicus brief in the case of White-Smith Music Publishing Company v. The
Apollo Company that helped pave the way for the Copyright Law of 1909,
which granted mechanical and performance rights to music creators and
publishers. In addition to spearheading the founding of ASCAP, the
lawsuit, Herbert v. Shanley's, served as the basis for the 1917 U.S.
Supreme Court decision that gave ASCAP the legal backing to license on
behalf of its members.
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights
Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over
8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more
than 340,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has
representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the
ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world
where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and
foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their
copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed
performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its
writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com