Sigmund Romberg Collection Span: 1918-1950 Bulk: 1920-1940 English collection 6 ft. Sigmund Romberg (1887-1951) was an American composer and conductor of Hungarian birth. Romberg's sense of melody, feeling for opulent harmony and romantic richness, and his ability to create a full-blooded and energetic musical score place him in the forefront of composers for the musical stage. One of the most prolific writers of popular music in the 20th century, he wrote over seventy operettas and two thousand songs. Romberg's primary significance lies in the operettas he created during the 1920s, notably The Student Prince, from which "Deep in My Heart" and the "Drinking Song" are well known. Also remembered are the tango "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," and the march "Stouthearted Men." His legacy includes the adaptation of the Viennese operetta style into American musical ideals. Romberg's personal collection of 543 phonodiscs are held by the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. Noncommercial recordings account for approximately half of the collection and include transcriptions of radio shows featuring Romberg as a conductor and of Romberg's Swift programs from the 1934 to 1935 season. Some of the discs preserve performances and informal conversations of Romberg and his friends Jerome Kern, Deems Taylor, and Alexander Woollcott. Original manuscripts including sketches for instrumental works from as early as 1918, piano-vocal scores for his operettas, copyists' manuscripts, printed music, librettos, film scripts, manuscript fragments and sketches, photocopies of unknown pieces, libretti, photographs, and miscellaneous material documenting his career. Holographs of The Magic Melody, The Girl from Brazil, The Lonely Heart, The Student Prince, The Desert Song and many others. Unprocessed, but holographs are available under LC call number ML96.R745 Case. Sigmund Romberg Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress Romberg, Sigmund Manuscripts and sketches of this prolific operetta composer. Researchers wishing to work with special collections are advised to inquire in advance about availability of material since many special collections are stored off-site. American Musical Theater Popular Music Songs Film Music Romberg, Sigmund Kern, Jerome Taylor, Deems Woollcott, Alexander Hammerstein, Oscar Fields, Dorothy Performing Arts Encyclopedia scdb Music Division, Library of Congress IHAS 110201 loc.natlib.scdb.200033710