Anthony Galla-Rini
Encyclopedia
Anthony Galla-Rini was a celebrated American
accordion
ist, arranger, composer, conductor, author, and teacher, and is considered by many to be the first American accordionist to promote the accordion as a "legitimate" concert instrument.
, the third of seven children to John and Angela Galla-Rini, an Italian
immigrant family. His father started teaching Galla-Rini the cornet
at the age of four. In the same year, he made his debut on the Vaudeville
circuit with the family band, and an encore performance of "Casey Jones" on the cornet. It was at this time that Galla-Rini also learned to play the accordion, a three-row button instrument.
Galla-Rini performed on the Vaudeville circuit for twenty years, in that time learning to play 11 woodwind and brass
instruments in addition to the accordion, as well as theory in harmony and counterpoint, and operatic and symphonic conducting. He toured the United States with his family, playing with such Vaudeville stars as Mae West
, The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny
, Jimmy Durante
, and Eddie Cantor
.
After his sisters dropped out of the family's act when he was twelve, Galla-Rini's accordion playing became more important to the act as his father John played a more diverse range of instruments. It was at this time Galla-Rini realized the accordion was a complete musical instrument in itself, devoting more time and attention to the accordion and eventually abandoning all other musical instruments in favor of the accordion.
The Vaudeville ended with the advent of motion pictures with sound, forcing Galla-Rini's family to find other forms of work. Galla-Rini decided to open an accordion studio in San Francisco. He established himself as a teacher, writing both accordion instruction books and also various music for the instrument.
In 1933, Galla-Rini married Dina Petromilli, and their son Ronald Pascal was born three years later. Eventually Galla-Rini moved from California
to New York City
, to be closer to various music publishers, Galla-Rini eventually writing music for more than 30 publishing houses.
Galla-Rini was one of the founding members of the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) in 1938 in New York City, and is in fact their first member. He also founded the International Accordion Teachers' Guild (ATG), in 1941 in Chicago serving as President Emeritus of that society throughout his career. In addition, Galla-Rini also served as a Vice-President of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA), a member of the United Nations
' International Music Council
(IMC).
In 1941 Galla-Rini also composed his Accordion Concerto in G Minor (no. 1), and premiered it with the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 1941. Since then there have been more than 39 performances of this concerto in the United States as well as additional performances in England, Finland, Norway and Canada.
This concerto was recorded by Swedish accordionist and Galla-Rini protege Jörgen Sundeqvist
with organist Håkan Dahlen and released in 2005 on a CD by Courthourse Music of Sweden.
Galla-Rini returned to California in 1942, and began teaching accordion again. He joined a rumba band playing at the Trocadero
on Sunset Boulevard
, leading to invitations to record soundtracks for the Hollywood film industry, playing in many films, including Rhapsody in Blue
, High Noon
, and The Gunfighter
.
During the next decade, he performed on concert tours in various theaters across the United States. He also toured England
, Scotland
, Norway
and Sweden
in 1950, taking his family with him.
In 1951 he represented the ATG at the CIA General Assembly and Coupe Mondiale in Paris
, resulting in the CIA accepting the ATG as a member organization. In 1958 and 1959, he performed as a guest artist in Carnegie Hall.
In 1968, Dina Galla-Rini died. Three years later, Anthony married Dolly Cortella. He was married to her until she died at the age of 101.
In 1975, the President of Italy conferred on him the title of "Cavalier of the Star of Solidarity" in recognition of his efforts towards strengthening the cultural bonds between Italian and American people and for his interest in the development of the Italian accordion in America. Galla-Rini was also the first person to be inducted in the ATG Hall of Fame on his 99th birthday in 2003.
In 1976 he composed "Accordion Concerto No. 2 in E minor" (in three movements) for the free-bass system. And in 1983 he composed "Sonata in D minor" for accordion (also in three movements).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist, arranger, composer, conductor, author, and teacher, and is considered by many to be the first American accordionist to promote the accordion as a "legitimate" concert instrument.
Early life
Galla-Rini was born in Manchester, ConnecticutManchester, Connecticut
Manchester is a township and city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 58,241.- History :...
, the third of seven children to John and Angela Galla-Rini, an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrant family. His father started teaching Galla-Rini the cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
at the age of four. In the same year, he made his debut on the Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit with the family band, and an encore performance of "Casey Jones" on the cornet. It was at this time that Galla-Rini also learned to play the accordion, a three-row button instrument.
Galla-Rini performed on the Vaudeville circuit for twenty years, in that time learning to play 11 woodwind and brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
instruments in addition to the accordion, as well as theory in harmony and counterpoint, and operatic and symphonic conducting. He toured the United States with his family, playing with such Vaudeville stars as Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
, The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
, Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
, and Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
.
After his sisters dropped out of the family's act when he was twelve, Galla-Rini's accordion playing became more important to the act as his father John played a more diverse range of instruments. It was at this time Galla-Rini realized the accordion was a complete musical instrument in itself, devoting more time and attention to the accordion and eventually abandoning all other musical instruments in favor of the accordion.
Career
In 1924 Galla-Rini dropped out of his father's Vaudeville act due to disputes over salary, and joined his sisters, forming a separate act that lasted until 1932. Their salary peaked at around $600 per week.The Vaudeville ended with the advent of motion pictures with sound, forcing Galla-Rini's family to find other forms of work. Galla-Rini decided to open an accordion studio in San Francisco. He established himself as a teacher, writing both accordion instruction books and also various music for the instrument.
In 1933, Galla-Rini married Dina Petromilli, and their son Ronald Pascal was born three years later. Eventually Galla-Rini moved from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, to be closer to various music publishers, Galla-Rini eventually writing music for more than 30 publishing houses.
Galla-Rini was one of the founding members of the American Accordionists' Association (AAA) in 1938 in New York City, and is in fact their first member. He also founded the International Accordion Teachers' Guild (ATG), in 1941 in Chicago serving as President Emeritus of that society throughout his career. In addition, Galla-Rini also served as a Vice-President of the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes (CIA), a member of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' International Music Council
International Music Council
The International Music Council was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization...
(IMC).
In 1941 Galla-Rini also composed his Accordion Concerto in G Minor (no. 1), and premiered it with the Oklahoma City University Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 1941. Since then there have been more than 39 performances of this concerto in the United States as well as additional performances in England, Finland, Norway and Canada.
This concerto was recorded by Swedish accordionist and Galla-Rini protege Jörgen Sundeqvist
Jörgen Sundeqvist
Jörgen Sundeqvist, born 1962, is a Swedish Accordionist. He toured the USA and Great Britain in 2006 with Øivind Farmen.- References :...
with organist Håkan Dahlen and released in 2005 on a CD by Courthourse Music of Sweden.
Galla-Rini returned to California in 1942, and began teaching accordion again. He joined a rumba band playing at the Trocadero
Trocadero
The stylish connotations of the name "Trocadero" derive from the Battle of Trocadero in southern Spain, a citadel held by liberal Spanish forces that was taken by the French troops sent by Charles X, in 1823...
on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
, leading to invitations to record soundtracks for the Hollywood film industry, playing in many films, including Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
, High Noon
High Noon
High Noon is a 1952 American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. The film tells in real time the story of a town marshal forced to face a gang of killers by himself...
, and The Gunfighter
The Gunfighter
The Gunfighter is a 1950 western film starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden . This film was directed by Henry King...
.
During the next decade, he performed on concert tours in various theaters across the United States. He also toured England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 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 Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1950, taking his family with him.
In 1951 he represented the ATG at the CIA General Assembly and Coupe Mondiale in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, resulting in the CIA accepting the ATG as a member organization. In 1958 and 1959, he performed as a guest artist in Carnegie Hall.
In 1968, Dina Galla-Rini died. Three years later, Anthony married Dolly Cortella. He was married to her until she died at the age of 101.
In 1975, the President of Italy conferred on him the title of "Cavalier of the Star of Solidarity" in recognition of his efforts towards strengthening the cultural bonds between Italian and American people and for his interest in the development of the Italian accordion in America. Galla-Rini was also the first person to be inducted in the ATG Hall of Fame on his 99th birthday in 2003.
In 1976 he composed "Accordion Concerto No. 2 in E minor" (in three movements) for the free-bass system. And in 1983 he composed "Sonata in D minor" for accordion (also in three movements).