Otto Abels Hauerbach (1873-1963) was a lyricist who collaborated with some of the leading composers of the early twentieth century. His mentorship of Oscar Hammerstein II, who in turn mentored Stephen Sondheim, gives him a unique importance in the history of American musical theatre.
Harbach abandoned early plans to become an academic and, in 1902, co-wrote his first operetta with Karl Hoschna. The pair worked together until Hoschna’s death in 1911. Harbach’s most important collaborations were with Rudolf Friml, with whom he composed The Firefly (1912), with Jerome Kern, on The Cat and the Fiddle (1931), and with Hammerstein, with whom he wrote Rose-Marie (1924) and The Desert Song (1926).
Otto Harbach stepped away from writing after providing the lyrics for Roberta (1935), though he remained active with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adapted several of Harbach’s stage musicals for the screen: The Cat and the Fiddle, Rose-Marie (and its remake, Rose Marie) and The Firefly. His lyrics also featured in the Jerome Kern biopic Till the Clouds Roll By.
Leave a Reply