Alfredo Antonini
Encyclopedia
Alfredo Antonini was a leading Italian
/American
symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS
radio and television networks from the 1930s through the 1960s. In 1971 he received an Emmy Award
for best musical performance on television for his conducting of the premiere of Ezra Laderman
's opera And David Wept for CBS television.
, Italy
and pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory in Milan
. He was a student of the legendary Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini
.
During the 1940s he distinguished himself as a conductor of several leading orchestras while performing on the CBS
radio network
. These included: the CBS Pan American Orchestra (1940–1949), the Columbia Concert Orchestra (1940–1949) and the CBS Symphony Orchestra.
He also conducted live radio broadcasts of the popular program Viva America
http://radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Viva+America on the CBS
radio network and La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) in collaboration with such noted artists as Nestor Chayres (Mexican tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico")http://www.bassanonline.com/1946-Nestor-Chayres-photo,i180061834647,c108730.html Terig Tucci
(Argentine composer/arranger) and John Serry, Sr.
(Italian-American concert accordionist). He also appeared with Nestor Chayres (tenor) at the Night of the Americas Concert series at Carnegie Hall
. His performances with the Carnegie Hall Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
were eagerly anticipated by the general public.. Additional performances in collaboration with Juan Arvizu ("El Troubador de las Americas") and the CBS Tipica Orchestra for the Inter-America Music Fiesta at Carnegie Hall
attracted widespread acclaim..
As a musical director at CBS
Television
during the 1950s
Mr. Antonini was instrumental in presenting an extensive
program of classical and operatic music to the general public. His collaboration with Julie Andrews
, Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II
in a production of Cinderella
for CBS television was critically acclaimed in 1957 and was telecast live to an audience of 107 million people.. During this decade he also appeared in concert with such operatic divas as Eileen Farrell
(soprano) and Beverly Sills
(soprano).
Later in this decade (1957) Mr. Antonini emerged as the musical director and conductor of the Tampa Philharmonic in Florida
.
Maestro Antonini also served as a conductor of the popular open air
summer concerts held at the landmark Lewisohn Stadium
in New York City during the 1950s. His appearances with the New York Philharmonic
Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisohn Stadium Orchestra during the series of Italian Night concerts frequently attracted audiences which exceeded 13,000 guests. These performances featured arias from the standard Italian operatic repertoire and showcased such operatic luminaries as: Jan Peerce
, Eileen Farrell
, Richard Tucker
, Beverly Sills
and Robert Merrill
In addition to performing as a conductor on WOR
radio in New York
during the 1940s, he appeared as a guest conductor for leading symphonic orchestras in Chicago
, IL
, Milwaukee, WI
, Oslo
, Norway
, and Chile
during the 1950s. In the 1960s Maestro Antonini also appeared as a guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic
at Philharmonic Hall
during a grand opera benefit concert which featured the artistry of Jan Peerce
and Robert Merrill
. Throughout the 1960s he continued to collaborate with such operatic luminaries as Jan Peerce
(tenor), Robert Merrill
(baritone)and Franco Corelli
(tenor) in a variety of gala concerts. He also performed with Roberta Peters
at the Lewisohn Stadium
at City College
for an audience of thousands..
Maestro Antonini's musical legacy has been preserved on a variety of LP
recordings which reflect his interest in symphonic compositions, popular music from Latin-America and grand opera. He has recorded for Coral Records, Columbia Masterworks and SESAC
Records.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
/American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio and television networks from the 1930s through the 1960s. In 1971 he received an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for best musical performance on television for his conducting of the premiere of Ezra Laderman
Ezra Laderman
Ezra Laderman is an American composer of classical music.-Biography:His parents, Isidor and Leah, both emigrated to the United States from Poland. Though poor, the family had a piano. Ezra writes, "At four, I was improvising at the piano; at seven, I began to compose music, writing it down...
's opera And David Wept for CBS television.
Biography
Maestro Antonini was born in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. He was a student of the legendary Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
.
During the 1940s he distinguished himself as a conductor of several leading orchestras while performing on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
. These included: the CBS Pan American Orchestra (1940–1949), the Columbia Concert Orchestra (1940–1949) and the CBS Symphony Orchestra.
He also conducted live radio broadcasts of the popular program Viva America
Viva América
Viva América was an American musical radio program which was broadcast live over the CBS radio network and to South America over the La Cadena de las Americas during the 1940s...
http://radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Viva+America on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio network and La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) in collaboration with such noted artists as Nestor Chayres (Mexican tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico")http://www.bassanonline.com/1946-Nestor-Chayres-photo,i180061834647,c108730.html Terig Tucci
Terig Tucci
Terig Tucci was an Argentine composer, violinist, pianist, and mandolinist.Tucci was born in Buenos Aires, in 1897. His first composition, Cariños de Madre was performed for a zarzuela at the Avenida Theatre, in 1917...
(Argentine composer/arranger) and John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr.
John Serry, Sr. was an accomplished concert accordionist virtuoso, arranger, composer, organist and educator who performed on the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks...
(Italian-American concert accordionist). He also appeared with Nestor Chayres (tenor) at the Night of the Americas Concert series at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. His performances with the Carnegie Hall Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
were eagerly anticipated by the general public.. Additional performances in collaboration with Juan Arvizu ("El Troubador de las Americas") and the CBS Tipica Orchestra for the Inter-America Music Fiesta at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
attracted widespread acclaim..
As a musical director at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
during the 1950s
Mr. Antonini was instrumental in presenting an extensive
program of classical and operatic music to the general public. His collaboration with Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
in a production of Cinderella
Cinderella (TV)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical written for television, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la Petite Pantoufle de Vair, by Charles Perrault...
for CBS television was critically acclaimed in 1957 and was telecast live to an audience of 107 million people.. During this decade he also appeared in concert with such operatic divas as Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell was an American soprano who had a nearly 60 year long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. While she was active as an opera singer, her concert engagements far outnumbered her theatrical appearances...
(soprano) and Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
(soprano).
Later in this decade (1957) Mr. Antonini emerged as the musical director and conductor of the Tampa Philharmonic in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Maestro Antonini also served as a conductor of the popular open air
summer concerts held at the landmark Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York. It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973.-History:...
in New York City during the 1950s. His appearances with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisohn Stadium Orchestra during the series of Italian Night concerts frequently attracted audiences which exceeded 13,000 guests. These performances featured arias from the standard Italian operatic repertoire and showcased such operatic luminaries as: Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is the father of film director Larry Peerce....
, Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell was an American soprano who had a nearly 60 year long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. While she was active as an opera singer, her concert engagements far outnumbered her theatrical appearances...
, Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
, Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
and Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone.-Early life:Merrill was born Moishe Miller, later known as Morris Miller, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland.His mother...
In addition to performing as a conductor on WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
radio in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the 1940s, he appeared as a guest conductor for leading symphonic orchestras in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Milwaukee, WI
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
during the 1950s. In the 1960s Maestro Antonini also appeared as a guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
at Philharmonic Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
during a grand opera benefit concert which featured the artistry of Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is the father of film director Larry Peerce....
and Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone.-Early life:Merrill was born Moishe Miller, later known as Morris Miller, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland.His mother...
. Throughout the 1960s he continued to collaborate with such operatic luminaries as Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce
Jan Peerce was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is the father of film director Larry Peerce....
(tenor), Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone.-Early life:Merrill was born Moishe Miller, later known as Morris Miller, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland.His mother...
(baritone)and Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a...
(tenor) in a variety of gala concerts. He also performed with Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters is an American coloratura soprano.One of the most prominent American singers to achieve lasting fame and success in opera, Peters is noted for her 35-year association with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York...
at the Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York. It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973.-History:...
at City College
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
for an audience of thousands..
Maestro Antonini's musical legacy has been preserved on a variety of LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
recordings which reflect his interest in symphonic compositions, popular music from Latin-America and grand opera. He has recorded for Coral Records, Columbia Masterworks and SESAC
SESAC
SESAC, originally the Society of European Stage Authors & Composers, is the smallest of the three performance rights organizations in the United States. SESAC was founded in 1930, making it the second-oldest performing rights organization in the U.S. SESAC is also the fastest-growing PRO in the...
Records.
Compositions
- The Great City
- SarabandeSarabandeIn music, the sarabande is a dance in triple metre. The second and third beats of each measure are often tied, giving the dance a distinctive rhythm of quarter notes and eighth notes in alternation...
- Sicilian Rhapsody
- Suite for Cello and Orchestra
- Preludes for Organ
- Suite for Strings
- The United States of America, Circa 1790
- Mambo Tropical
Albums
- CinderellaCinderella (TV)Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a musical written for television, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la Petite Pantoufle de Vair, by Charles Perrault...
, vocalist Julie AndrewsJulie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, Columbia Masterworks (OL5190), 12 Inch LP, 1957? - American Fantasy, SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195?
- Atmosphere, Coral Records, 33PRM LP, 195?
- Romantic Classics, SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195?
- Amapola, vocalist: Nino Matini, Columbia Masterworks, 78 RPM, 194?
- Alfredo Antonini & The Columbia Concert Orchestra, soloist Richard TuckerRichard TuckerRichard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
, Columbia Materworks, 78 RPM, 194? - Music of the Americas, Pilotone Album, 78 RPM LP, 194?