Frank La Forge

A native of Rockford, IL, American pianist, accompanist, composer, and teacher Frank La Forge studied overseas with <a href="spotify:artist:6VEp34NrMXFNzr2TzNrjS9">Theodor Leschetizky</a>. Returning to the United States about 1902, La Forge very shortly established himself as a first-rate piano accompanist to singers and began making records for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1906. Among the famous singers that La Forge supported, in many cases both in recitals and on record, were Johanna Gadski, <a href="spotify:artist:6wxf6TuooxRP8hYmcAZAX6">Marcella Sembrich</a>, Edmond Clément, <a href="spotify:artist:6EB6MnR0oAeCfAzvn0vREV">Frances Alda</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4zGy8vsDSvIiRpjvU39HpE">Lily Pons</a>, and Jessica Dragonette. Working as a vocal coach, La Forge also helped train the voices of <a href="spotify:artist:0txZ92f8KzKQUAoG4U7VoK">Lawrence Tibbett</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:670lYhY8JzIi5zTNdGtX3M">Marian Anderson</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:26Kcz3P3ONnOoPgZEu5i5j">Richard Crooks</a>; with <a href="spotify:artist:26Kcz3P3ONnOoPgZEu5i5j">Crooks</a>, La Forge made the first complete recording of <a href="spotify:artist:2p0UyoPfYfI76PCStuXfOP">Schubert</a>'s song cycle Die Schöne Mullerin in 1932, though not all of it was released at the time. La Forge also recorded numerous classical piano solos beginning in 1907, but few of these were issued. Some of La Forge's New York-based solo recitals were carried on radio as early as 1928.

La Forge was a composer, mainly of songs and character pieces, and in this aspect of his activity he was quite productive; his output stretches from 1906 into the late '40s. La Forge also made arrangements of the works of other composers and his collection compiled with Will Earhart, Pathways of Song (1934), was once a standard text for use by singers. La Forge also edited song folios that appeared under the names of <a href="spotify:artist:4zGy8vsDSvIiRpjvU39HpE">Lily Pons</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:670lYhY8JzIi5zTNdGtX3M">Marian Anderson</a>. Given his almost continuous contact with the piano, it makes sense that La Forge should die while playing one at an annual dinner thrown by the Musician's Club in New York in 1953. La Forge left an unfinished memoir, Among the Pleiades and Other Stars, which was completed by his wife and published just before her own death in 1993. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis, Rovi