Clara Amely “Lala” Ryckoff (2 August 1878 - 3 December 1977) was an American composer who wrote more than 200 vocal works (both text and music), including spoken word performances with musical accompaniment, also known as pianologues or musical readings. She also composed works for children. She published under the name Lalla Ryckoff.[1][2][3]
Ryckoff was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Julie Wolff Rindskopf and Samuel Rindskopf. The family name was later changed to Ryckoff. Little is known about Ryckoff’s education or personal life. She first performed as a pianist in Chicago when she was nine years old. She was active in women’s clubs, worked as a piano teacher in New York City in 1922, and in 1932 was living in Kansas City. The 1950 census lists her as divorced. She died in Newport Beach, California, in 1977. [1][3][4][5][6]
Ryckoff’s works were published by Walter Anderson, Oliver Ditson, and Clayton F. Summy Company.[7][8] They include:
Piano
edit- Fairy Tales for Fairy Fingers[1]
- Hansel and Gretel[9]
- Ivan in Russia[9]
- Juvenile Scenes in Foreign Lands[1]
- Liesel[9]
- Our American Cousins[1]
- Our Little Cousins Abroad[1]
- Pepi and Mitzi[9]
- Street Scenes[1]
- Turkish Veil Dancers[9]
Vocal
edit- “Autumn Leaves” (text by anonymous)[10]
- “Grandma Pays the Bill” (text by anonymous)[11]
- “I Doubt It”[14]
- “Invy” (text by anonymous)[15]
- “It’s Just for You”[16]
- “Musical Campaign Speech”[17]
- “Poor Jane”[18]
- “This World Seems a Great Old World to Me”[18]
- “Tit for Tat” (text by anonymous)[20]
- “To Marry or Not Marry” (text by anonymous)[21]
- “Why Don’t You Ask Me” (text by Samuel Lover)[22]
- “Um-Hm” (text by anonymous)[22]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers. 2: Sai - Zyb, Appendices (2. ed., revised and enl ed.). New York: Books & Music. p. 607. ISBN 978-0-9617485-1-7.
- ^ Stern, Susan (1978). Women composers: a handbook. Metuchen London: the Scarecrow press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-8108-1138-6.
- ^ a b "Clara Ryckoff". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ The Musical Blue Book of America, ...: Recording in Concise Form the Activities of Leading Musicians and Those Actively and Prominently Identified with Music in Its Various Departments ... Musical Blue Book Corporation. 1922.
- ^ Kimber, Marian Wilson (24 October 2021). "In a Woman's Voice: Musical Readings by Women Composers" (PDF). islandora.lib.uiowa.edu.
- ^ "Clara "Lala" Ryckoff". geni_family_tree. 1878-08-02. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ Library of Congress. Copyright Office. (1926). Catalog of Copyright Entries, 1926 Music For the Year 1926 New Series Vol 21 Part 3. United States Copyright Office. U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
- ^ The Musical Leader. J. French Demerath and E. French Smith. 1932.
- ^ a b c d e Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1933.
- ^ The Musician. Hatch Music Company. 1926.
- ^ Music News. Music News Corporation. 1926.
- ^ "Inventory of the Christopher A. Reynolds Collection of Women's Song". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ Ryckoff, Lalla. "DPL Sheet Music 8-2020". www.denverlibrary.org.
- ^ Ryckoff, Lalla (2019). "AMS Boston 2019 Abstracts" (PDF). cdn.ymaws.com. p. 160. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Invy". cudl.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers: A checklist of works for the solo voice. A reference publication in women's studies. Boston, Mass: Hall. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-8161-8498-9.
- ^ The Spectator. C.D. Lakey and J.H. Goodsell. 1912.
- ^ a b Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1917). Catalogue of Title-entries of Books and Other Articles Entered in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, Under the Copyright Law ... Wherein the Copyright Has Been Completed by the Deposit of Two Copies in the Office. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ The Pacific Coast Musician. Colby and Pryibil. 1924.
- ^ The Musician. Hatch Music Company. 1926.
- ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1916). Catalog of Copyright Entries. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ a b "Invy Sheet Music - Readings With Music by Lalla Ryckoff (1920)". eBay. Retrieved 2023-09-16.