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 Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

performances with musical accompaniment, also known as pianologues or musical readings. She also composed works for children. She published under the name Lalla Ryckoff. Ryckoff was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, 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. Ryckoff’s works were published by Walter Anderson,

Oliver Ditson Oliver Ditson (October 20, 1811 – December 21, 1888) was an American businessman and founder of Oliver Ditson and Company, one of the major music publishing houses of the late 19th century. Early life and career Oliver Ditson was born in Bos ...

, and Clayton F. Summy Company. They include:

Piano

*''Fairy Tales for Fairy Fingers'' *''Hansel and Gretel'' *''Ivan in Russia'' *''Juvenile Scenes in Foreign Lands'' *''Liesel'' *''Our American Cousins'' *''Our Little Cousins Abroad'' *''Pepi and Mitzi'' *''Street Scenes'' *''Turkish Veil Dancers''

Vocal

*“Autumn Leaves” (text by anonymous) *“Grandma Pays the Bill” (text by anonymous) *“He Met Her in the Meadow” (text by anonymous) *“I Doubt It” *“Invy” (text by anonymous) *“It’s Just for You” *“Musical Campaign Speech” *“Poor Jane” *“Quarrelsome Glee Club” (quartet for male voices) *“This World Seems a Great Old World to Me” *“Tit for Tat” (text by anonymous) *“To Marry or Not Marry” (text by anonymous) *“Why Don’t You Ask Me” (text by Samuel Lover) *“Um-Hm” (text by anonymous)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryckoff, Lalla American women composers 1878 births 1977 deaths Spoken word Musicians from Milwaukee