Pauline Edeth Alpert Rooff (December 27, 1905 – April 6, 1988) was a pianist who performed, composed, recorded, and produced Duo-Art piano rolls in the United States. Known by her fans as the "Whirlwind Pianist", she performed in several films and made recordings with a few record labels. She did radio shows in New York City and toured.
Career She made numerous Victor Records recordings. She recorded the album Sparkling Piano Melodies on Sonora Records. She sometimes recorded under the pseudonym Peggy Anderson. She produced more than 500 piano rolls for the Duo-Art. She toured across the United States, Canada, and South America. She played in the White House three times, performing for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
She performed during the intermission of the Broadway show Rufus LeMaire's Affairs in 1927. She featured in two Vitaphone Varieties short film episodes dated March 1927. This included What Price Piano, a collection of popular songs. She later performed in 1935 in the Vitaphone Varieties short film Katz' Pajamas with Fifi D'Orsay, directed by Joseph Henabery.
The collection Pauline Alpert's folio of modern piano songs includes her compositions:
"Night of Romance" (1927) "Perils of Pauline" (1927) "Dream of a Doll" (1934) "March of the Blues" (1935) "Piano Poker" (1935) "The Merry Minnow" (1935) "Ivory Tips" (1937)
Her later compositions include A Million Stars Just Can't Be Wrong (1937), Mindin' the Baby (1938), A Happy New Year to Love (1938), and Tut Tut (1944).
She performed for NBC and CBS, including in guest solo spots with Paul Whiteman, Rudy Vallée, and Fred Allen. She had her own semi-weekly program for the WOR Radio Network in New York City.
A recording of her playing Doll Dance is on the 1981 album Ragtime Piano Novelties of the 20's.
Discography Pauline's known discography is listed below. YearTitleComposerMatrix number1926ValenciaJosé PadillaVictor Trial 12-14-011926When You and I Were Young, MaggieGeorge W. Johnson, James Austin ButterfieldVictor Trial 12-14-021927Tonight You Belong to MeLee DavidVictor BVE-375251927The Little White House (At the End of Honeymoon Lane)James F. HanleyVictor BVE-375261927Night of RomancePauline AlpertVictor BVE-06-03-011927Perils of PaulinePauline AlpertVictor BVE-06-03-021927HallelujahVincent YoumansVictor BVE-388581927Magnolia (Mix the lot - what have you got?)Ray HendersonVictor BVE-388591927Dancing TambourineWilliam Conrad PollaVictor BVE-405411927Doll DanceNacio Herb BrownVictor BVE-405421932Saint Louis BluesW. C. HandyVictor BRC-722101932Song of IndiaRimsky-KorsakovVictor BRC-722111944Where or WhenRodgers and HartSonora SR15161944Dream of a DollPauline AlpertSonora SR15171944The Parade of the Wooden SoldiersBallard MacDonald, Leon JesselSonora SR15181944Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2Franz LisztSonora SR15191944Toy TrumpetRaymond ScottSonora SR15201944ChopsticksEuphemia AllenSonora SR15211944Sweet SueVictor YoungSonora SR15221944In a Country GardenPercy GraingerSonora SR15231944The Donkey Serenade, The Very Thought of You, The PiccolinoAllan Jones; Ray Noble; Ginger Rogers, Fred AstaireMuzak 61-0811946MinuetIgnacy Jan PaderewskiPilotone 50331946March MilitaireFranz SchubertPilotone 50341946HumoresqueAntonín DvořákPilotone 50351946Blue Danube WaltzJohann Strauss IIPilotone 50361946La CinquantaineJean Gabriel-MariePilotone 50371946Song of IndiaRimsky-KorsakovPilotone 50381946Dancing DollEde PoldiniPilotone 50391946The Minute WaltzFrédéric ChopinPilotone 50401955Piano MoodsWaldorf Music Hall MH 33-1151955Piano MoodsSparton 33-4919
Personal life Pauline was born in Rochester, New York on December 27, 1905, and spent her childhood there. Her father was Samuel Alpert, a Russian immigrant and painter, and her mother was Anna Rosk, a native New Yorker and skilled musician. To support her family's poor finances, as an 11 year old, she would give piano lessons for 25 cents. She won a four year scholarship to the Eastman School of Music and received training as a classical pianist, where her primary instructor was Selim Palmgren.
Pauline married Sidney Rooff in 1940. They had no children.
She died at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx on April 6, 1988.
Legacy Pauline's work is included in the 2014 book by Peter Mintun compiling popular piano roll and novelty song artists from the 1920s and 1930s, Novelty Masterpieces of the Gershwin Era: The Music of Zez Confrey, Pauline Alpert and Rube Bloom.
See also Novelty piano
References
External links