Harbach, Otto, born Otto Abels Hauerbach, *16 (18?) August 1873 Salt Lake City, †24 January 1963 New York, American librettist of Danish origin. He graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and in 1902 received a PhD from Columbia University in New York. In the same year, he made his debut with the operetta The Daughter of the Desert to music by Karl Hoschna. In 1908, the two achieved success with The Three Twins, and in 1910 with Madame Sherry. After Hoschna’s death in 1911, Harbach began collaborating with Rudolf Friml, writing librettos for his operettas, including: The Firefly (1912), High Jinks (1913), Katinka (1915), You’re in Love (1916), Kitty Darlin’ (1917), Tumble In, The Little Whopper (1919), June Love (1921), The Blue Kitten (1922), Rose Marie (with O. Hammerstein II, 1924; Polish production in Warsaw, 1935 – the title duet became a hit), and The Wild Rose (1926). Harbach also collaborated with other composers: H. Stothart (Tickle Me, with O. Hammerstein II, 1920), V. Youmans (Wildflower, with O. Hammerstein II, 1923; No, No, Nanette!, 1925; Polish production in Warsaw, 1933), H. Tierney (Kid Boots, 1923), G. Gershwin (Song of the Flame, 1925), S. Romberg (The Desert Song, with O. Hammerstein II, 1926), and J. Kern (Sunny, with O. Hammerstein II, 1925; Criss Cross, 1926; The Cat and the Fiddle, 1931; Roberta, 1933). Many works with Harbach’s texts gained popularity in film adaptations, (especially Roberta), and numerous songs entered the repertoire of international popular music. Among the most famous are Yesterdays, The Touch of Your Hand, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes from Roberta, the last of which remains a jazz standard. The subjects of Harbach’s librettos often reflect connections to comic strips: adventures of bandits (The Desert Song), adventurers from the American frontier (Rose Marie), golfers, circus performers, and jazz enthusiasts. From 1948 to 1953, Harbach served as president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
