He studied at Columbia University (1919-21) and the Institute of Musical Art (1921-3). With Lorenz Hart, he aimed to use good poetry in place of the banal lyrics of current popular songs. Their association produced 30 stage musicals as well as films. On Hart's death in 1943 Rodgers formed a partnership with Oscar Hammerstein II which led to a series of musicals that enjoyed unprecedented success, from "Oklahoma!" (1943, which integrated song, dance and drama) to "South Pacific" (1949) and "The Sound of Music" (1959).

THE GROVE CONCISE DICTIONARY OF MUSIC
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