The Musical Worlds of Victor Herbert December 21, 2012

While Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein have more immediate name recognition, their musicals would not have been possible without the pioneering work of Victor Herbert, who almost single-handedly moved Broadway into, through and out of its operetta phase. 'The Musical Worlds of Victor Herbert' examines the multifaceted life of this influential musician through materials selected from the vast Victor Herbert Collection at the Library of Congress. The exhibition explores his remarkable career through a display of original Herbert scores of both concert and show music, printed copies of his music, programs, publicity materials and photographs, as well as the composer's death mask. The exhibition also will include material about Herbert's role as the founder of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). An audiovisual program featuring selections of Herbert's music and clips from films of his operettas will complement the exhibition objects.