Sadie Koninsky


Sadie G. Koninsky was an American composer, music publisher, and music teacher who lived most of her life in Troy, New York. A prolific composer, she is thought to have authored over 300 pieces of music, including waltzes and marches. "Eli Green's Cakewalk", which became a popular hit when it appeared in 1898, was also the first cakewalk published by a woman. Some of her work was published under her male pseudonym, Jerome Hartman.

Biography

Sadie was the youngest of the five children born to Harris and Mary Koninsky of Troy, New York. Both parents were of European extraction. As a child, she received classical training in violin.
Her first published compositions, "The Belles of Andalusia" and "The Minstrel King" appeared in 1894 and 1895, respectively. In 1896, she sold "Eli Green's Cake Walk" to Joseph W. Stern, a music publisher in New York City, who published it with lyrics added by a staff writer. After studying piano with Harriet Brower, she took a job at Stern's company as an arranger.
Soon afterward, Sadie and her brother Maurice went into the music business. By 1899, the family business, then known as "Edw. M. Koninsky & Brothers", was publishing music, including Sadie's sequel titled "Phoebe Thompson's Cake Walk". She became the main arranger and composer at Koninsky Music. During this time, her marches appeared under the name of "Jerome Hartman".
During the 1920s, Sadie launched a publishing house of her own and also taught music and violin. She was still teaching in 1947. She died on January 2, 1952, and was buried at B'rith Sholom Cemetery in Troy.

List of compositions

In chronological order:
  • "Belles of Andalusia" — Valse Espagnole
  • "The Minstrel King" — March
  • "Eli Green's Cake Walk"
  • "Where Love is King" — Waltzes
  • "I'll Be Your Friend Through All"
  • "Eli Green's Cake Walk" — March and Two Step
  • "Boardin' House Johnson" — Cake Walk
  • "Phoebe Thompson's Cake Walk"
  • "When I Return We'll Be Wed"
  • "Sing Me a Song of Other Days"
  • "You Alone" — Ballad
  • "Beneath the Starry Flag"
  • "I Didn't Think You Cared to Have Me Back"
  • "The Grasshopper's Hop" — A Bugtown Society Event
  • "In a Japanese Tea House" — Japanese Waltzes
  • "When Mammy Puts Little Coons to Bed"
  • "I Wants a Man Who Ain't Afraid to Work"
  • "Cleopatra" — An Egyptian Intermezzo
  • "Forever"
  • "The Return of the Troops"
  • "A Wigwam Courtship" — Intermezzo
  • "I Am Lonely Here Without You, Nellie Dear"
  • "When You Are Near"
  • "If You Loved Me as I Love You"
  • "On To Victory"
  • "Old Glory" — March and Two Step
  • "Maid of the Mist" — Waltzes
  • "June Roses" — Waltzes
  • "'Tis You"
  • "'Cause the Sandman's Comin Around"
  • "In Lover's Lane" — Waltzes
  • "Life in Camp" — March
  • "College Days" — Waltzes
  • "Love Tales" — Waltzes
  • "Uncle Sam's Boys" — March
  • Musical Moments
  • * Valsette
  • * Melodie
  • * Barcarolle
  • "La Cascade" — Valse Caprice
  • "Heart of the Rose" — Waltzes
  • "The River of Dreams"
  • "Joys of the Dance" — Waltz
  • "If I Had All the World Besides I'd Still Want You!"
  • "Mae Marsh" — Waltzes
  • "In Yucatan" — Novelty Fox Trot