佛斯特(1826～1864年)

Foster, Stephen (Collins)

美国作曲家，所写黑人表演歌曲与伤感民谣使他在美国音乐界获得声誉。虽从未受过正规音乐训练，但天生具有音乐天分，童年即开始创作歌曲。他的音乐灵感部分来自他随家里的佣人去参加的黑人教堂集会，部分来自黑人工人所唱的歌曲。1842年发表歌曲《打开你的窗户，亲爱的！》；1848年以一百美元的代价售出了他的歌曲《哦！苏珊娜》，在国际间取得成功。1849年与纽约弗思.庞德公司签订合同，还受托为克里斯蒂（E. P. Christy）的黑人表演团谱写歌曲，其中《双亲在家园》（1851）为当世纪最受欢迎的歌曲之一。1857年由於酗酒及经济拮据，他以约1,900美元的代价将往後所有歌曲的版权卖给了出版商。1860年移居纽约，在穷困潦倒中去世，享年仅三十七岁。他留下了约两百首歌曲，有《坎普顿赛马》、《我的肯塔基老家》、《玛莎在冰冷、冰泠的土地里》、《老黑爵》和《美丽的梦仙》等。

English version：

1826～1864年

Foster, Stephen (Collins)

U.S. songwriter. Born in Lawrenceville, Penn., Foster began writing songs as a child, despite his lack of formal tutoring. His musical influences came in part from black church services he attended with the family's servant and from songs sung by black laborers. In 1842 he published “Open Thy Lattice, Love,” and in 1848 he sold “Oh! Susanna” for $100; it quickly became an international hit. He later entered into a contract with the publisher Firth, Pond & Co. He was commissioned to write songs for Edwin P. Christy's minstrel show; his “Old Folks at Home” became one of the most popular songs of the century. In 1857, drinking heavily and in financial difficulties, he sold all rights to his future songs to his publishers for about $1,900. In 1860 he moved to New York; he died penniless at 37 from a fall in a Bowery hotel. He left about 200 songs, including “Camptown Races,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” and “Beautiful Dreamer,” and is universally regarded as the greatest American songwriter of the 19th century.