Trio Lescano
Encyclopedia
Trio Lescano or Lescano Trio was a vocal trio
singing close harmony
. The trio became extremely popular in Italy
in the 1930s and 1940s. The trio was an Italian version of American groups such as the Andrews Sisters or Boswell Sisters
, and was formed by three Dutch
sisters Alexandra (1910-1987), Judith (1913-2007), and Kitty Leschan (1919-1965), whose names were italianized into Alessandra, Giuditta and Caterinetta (Caterina) Lescano.
The three girls were born of a Hungarian
contortionist and a Dutch Jewish operetta
singer. They grew up in the Netherlands
, where they worked as acrobats before forming a vocal trio.
They arrived in Italy
in the mid-1930s, and took up the name Trio Lescano. Directed by maestro Carlo Prato and thanks to the radio
, they became immediately so famous that even Benito Mussolini
, passing by their balcony one day, recognized them and stopped to greet them.
In 1939, the year of the hit song Se potessi avere mille lire al mese ("If I had thousand liras a month"), Trio Lescano made one thousand liras a day! In 1941 the Lescano sisters became Italian citizens. This made big news on the Italian papers, who had invented for them such definitions as "the three graces of the microphone", "the century's sensation", "the sisters who materialize the mystery of the heavenly trinity".
But just two years later, their golden period ended: because of their mother's Jewish origins, they were first cancelled from all radio programs, then stripped of their newly acquired Italian citizenship, arrested and imprisoned on allegations of espionage
. The accusation was that their songs contained encoded messages for the enemy.
Once the war
was over, after two years of silence, Trio Lescano bade farewell to their Italian audience with a final performance broadcast live on radio on 1 September 1945. In 1947, two of the three sisters moved to South America
, where their artistic career continued.
The Trio Lescano's style was based on sophisticated vocal virtuosity - a technique called vocalese
- on swing
and jazz
harmonizations. Their greatest hits include Signorine Grandi Firme, Maramao perché sei morto, Ma le gambe, Pippo non lo sa, Camminando sotto la pioggia, La famiglia canterina, C’è un’orchestra sincopata, Tulipan, Il pinguino innamorato.
A documentary film
Tulip Time: The Rise and Fall of the Trio Lescano
premiered at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
on 30 July 2008.
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
singing close harmony
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
. The trio became extremely popular in 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...
in the 1930s and 1940s. The trio was an Italian version of American groups such as the Andrews Sisters or Boswell Sisters
Boswell Sisters
The Boswell Sisters were a close harmony singing group, consisting of sisters Martha Boswell , Connee Boswell , and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell , noted for intricate harmonies and rhythmic experimentation...
, and was formed by three Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sisters Alexandra (1910-1987), Judith (1913-2007), and Kitty Leschan (1919-1965), whose names were italianized into Alessandra, Giuditta and Caterinetta (Caterina) Lescano.
The three girls were born of a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
contortionist and a Dutch Jewish operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
singer. They grew up in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where they worked as acrobats before forming a vocal trio.
They arrived in 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...
in the mid-1930s, and took up the name Trio Lescano. Directed by maestro Carlo Prato and thanks to the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, they became immediately so famous that even Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, passing by their balcony one day, recognized them and stopped to greet them.
In 1939, the year of the hit song Se potessi avere mille lire al mese ("If I had thousand liras a month"), Trio Lescano made one thousand liras a day! In 1941 the Lescano sisters became Italian citizens. This made big news on the Italian papers, who had invented for them such definitions as "the three graces of the microphone", "the century's sensation", "the sisters who materialize the mystery of the heavenly trinity".
But just two years later, their golden period ended: because of their mother's Jewish origins, they were first cancelled from all radio programs, then stripped of their newly acquired Italian citizenship, arrested and imprisoned on allegations of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. The accusation was that their songs contained encoded messages for the enemy.
Once the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was over, after two years of silence, Trio Lescano bade farewell to their Italian audience with a final performance broadcast live on radio on 1 September 1945. In 1947, two of the three sisters moved to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, where their artistic career continued.
The Trio Lescano's style was based on sophisticated vocal virtuosity - a technique called vocalese
Vocalese
Vocalese is a style or genre of jazz singing wherein lyrics are written for melodies that were originally part of an all-instrumental composition or improvisation. Whereas scat singing uses improvised nonsense syllables, such as "bap ba dee dot bwee dee" in solos, vocalese uses lyrics, either...
- on swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
harmonizations. Their greatest hits include Signorine Grandi Firme, Maramao perché sei morto, Ma le gambe, Pippo non lo sa, Camminando sotto la pioggia, La famiglia canterina, C’è un’orchestra sincopata, Tulipan, Il pinguino innamorato.
A documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Tulip Time: The Rise and Fall of the Trio Lescano
Tulip Time: The Rise and Fall of the Trio Lescano
Tulip Time: The Rise and Fall of the Trio Lescano is a documentary film about the Italian close harmony group Trio Lescano, their rise, downfall, and eventual arrest by Italian fascists. After a farewell radio broadcast on September 1, 1945, the trio moved to South America to resume their...
premiered at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is the oldest and largest Jewish film festival in the world. The three-week summer festival is held in San Francisco, California, usually at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and other cinemas in San Francisco, Berkeley, San Rafael, and Palo Alto, and features...
on 30 July 2008.