Oscar Hammerstein I

Oscar Hammerstein I ( born May 8, 1847 in Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia, † August 1, 1919 in New York City ) was an American theater and opera producer German origin.

Life

Hammerstein comes from a Jewish family from Stettin and emigrated in 1864 to New York City. He had over 50 inventions for tobacco manufacturing patented and made ​​a fortune with the royalties. So he could dedicate himself to the theater with a passion. He promoted the German language theaters in New York and built in 1893, the first Manhattan Opera House. In 1900 he founded the Theatre Republic near the Broadway, which was soon taken up by David Belasco. Another 8 theater followed.

Hammerstein produced, among others, the U.S. premieres of Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande and Richard Strauss' Elektra. In addition to the European opera he also promoted local theater genres such as the U.S. or the American Vaudeville operetta.

On April 13, 1909 Hammerstein traveled with obligated by him opera singers Mario Sammarco, Giuseppe Taccani and Fernando Gianoli - Galetti on the Lloyd steamer Kronprinz Wilhelm from New York to Bremerhaven, as a fellow traveler was his friend, the conductor Cleofonte Campanini, on board. Hammerstein had before, Richard Strauss to meet in Berlin to win him with his works Elektra and Salome for the next New York opera season. On June 23, 1909 Hammerstein drove from Cherbourg from the same steamer back to New York. In addition to the American First production of "Salome" he had also regulated the performance of this piece at the Théâtre du Châtelet for the upcoming season during his stay in Europe. He could also perform the " Feuersnot " by Strauss.

Hammerstein died in 1919 in Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital from kidney problems.

His grandson Oscar Hammerstein became a famous American librettist.