Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) 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 early 1970s.[1][2][3][4] In 1972 he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming on television for his conducting of the premiere of Ezra Laderman's opera And David Wept for CBS television during 1971.[5][6] In addition, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1980 [7][8]
External audio
You may listen to Alfredo Antonini with tenor Nestor Mesta Chayres and the CBS Pan American Orchestra performing Agustin Lara's bolero Granada in 1946 here
Maestro Antonini was born in Alessandria and pursued his musical studies at the Royal Conservatory in Milan.[9][10] He was a student of Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini. In addition, he distinguished himself as both an organist and pianist with La Scala Orchestra in Milan prior to emigrating to the United States in 1929.[11][12][13] His musical talents were shared by his father who served as a member of the Buenos Aires Opera company at the Teatro Colon after leaving Italy for Argentina.[14]
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), as part of the cultural diplomacy initiative of the Department of State and the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs during World War II, the Columbia Concert Orchestra (1940–1949) and the CBS Symphony Orchestra.[15][16] His performances with the CBS Pan American Orchestra were noteworthy for helping to introduce Latin American music and the Mexican bolero to large audiences in the United States.[17]
Carnegie Hall, New York City, Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern
He also conducted live radio broadcasts of the program Viva AmericaArchived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine on the CBS radio network and La Cadena de las Americas (Network of the Americas) in collaboration with such noted artists as Nestor Mesta Chayres (Mexican tenor aka "El Gitano De Mexico")Terig Tucci (Argentine composer/arranger), Juan Arvizu (Mexican tenor), Elsa Miranda (Puerto Rican vocalist/actress),[18]Eva Garza (Mexican American vocalist/actress)[19][20] and John Serry, Sr. (Italian-American concert accordionist).[21][22] He also appeared with Nestor Mesta Chayres (tenor) and the New York Philharmonic in the Night of the Americas Concert series at Carnegie Hall.,[23][24] which, according to The New York Times, was eagerly anticipated by the general public.[25][26] 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.[27][28] In 1946, Antonini recorded several popular Latin American songs with Serry on the album Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra for Alpha Records (catalogue #'s 12205A, 12205B, 12206A, 12206B) including: Tres Palabras (Osvaldo Farres), Caminito de Tu Casa (Julio Alberto Hernández), Chapinita (Miguel Sandoval) and Noche De Ronda (Augustin Lara).[29][30] Critical review of the albums in The New Records praised his conducting talents and hailed the collection as among the best new albums of Latin American music.[31]
Later in the 1940s, Antonini collaborated with the vocalist Victoria Cordova and John Serry Sr. in a series of recordings for Muzak, featuring compositions familiar to audiences in both North and South America. Included among these were: What a Difference a Day Made - Maria Grever, You Belong to My Heart - Agustin Lara, Siboney - Ernesto Lecuona, Amor - Gabriel Ruiz, Edelma Passilo - Terig Tucci, Say It Isn't So - Irving Berlin, How Deep is the Ocean - Irving Berlin and A Perfect Day - Carrie Jacobs-Bond[32][33][34][35] He also collaborated with the Latin group Los Panchos Trio in a recording of the Chilean cueca dance La Palma for Pilotone records (#P45-5067).[36] In addition, he recorded several songs for Columbia records with operatic baritone Carlo Morelli which included La Spagnola (#17192-D), Alma Mia (#17192-D) Canta Il Mare (#17263-D), Si Alguna Vez (#17263-D).[37] Additional collaborators included: the Italian operatic tenor Nino Martini for a recording of the song Amapola (Columbia, #17202-D)[38] and the Mexican tenor Nestor Chayres for a recording of Granada (Decca, #23770 A)[39]
It was during the 1950s that Maestro Antonino was Professor of Music at St. John's University, then in Brooklyn, NY. He taught the Music Appreciation course.</ref>[St.John's College Yearbook,1954]
As a musical director at the College of Arts and Science, CBS Television during the 1950s, Antonini was instrumental in presenting a 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 telecast live in color on March 31, 1957 to an audience of 107 million people.[40][41][42] During this decade he also appeared in concert with such operatic divas as Eileen Farrell (soprano) and Beverly Sills
(soprano).[43]
Later in 1957, Antonini became the musical director and conductor of the Tampa Philharmonic in Florida.[44]
City College of New York -Lewisohn Stadium, New York City (1973)
During the late 1950s and early '60s, Antonini conducted the CBS Orchestra on "American Musical Theater."[62] This was a TV show produced by the New York City Board of Education as a public service before the advent of the Public Television Network. It chronicled the evolution of musical theater in America in front of a small audience of high school students. Guests included Richard Rodgers, John Bubbles and many others.[63] During this time Antonini also collaborated as a guest conductor with instrumental soloists, including Benny Goodman in 1960 for a performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto at Lewisohn Stadium.[64] In addition, he conducted the Symphony of the Air in the live prime-time television special Spring Festival of Music for CBS Television. This collaboration with the pianist John Browning and the producer Robert Herridge showcased a virtuoso performance of a movement from Sergie Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto.[65] The performance was noted for its musical excellence as well as its dramatic visual presentation on television.[65]
In 1962, Antonini collaborated with First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy, director Franklin J. Schaffner, and journalist Charles Collingwood of CBS News for the groundbreaking television documentary A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy. The documentary television program was watched by more than 80 million viewers throughout the world and received wide critical acclaim.[66][67]
In 1964, Antonini appeared as conductor of the CBS Symphony Orchestra in an acclaimed adaptation of Hector Berlioz's sacred oratorio L'enfance du Christ for CBS Television. His operatic soloists included: Sherrill Milnes, Giorgio Tozzi, Ara Berberian and Charles Anthony as supported by the choral voices of the Camerata Singers.[68] At this time he also collaborated as conductor for a televised episode of The CBS Repertoire Workshop - "Feliz Borinquen", which showcased the talents of such leading Puerto Rican performers as: Martina Arroyo and Raul Davila[citation needed]
Philharmonic Hall - Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall with Henry Moore sculpture
In addition to performing as a conductor on WOR radio in New York City 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. During this time he also founded the Tampa Philharmonic Orchestra in Tampa, Florida, which eventually merged into the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony.[69] 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.[70] Throughout the 1960s he continued to collaborate with such operatic luminaries as Jan Peerce (tenor), Robert Merrill (baritone)and Franco Corelli (tenor), Nicolai Gedda, Giorgio Tozzi, Gabriella Tucci and Dorothy Kirsten in a variety of gala concerts.[70][71][72] He also performed with Roberta Peters at the Lewisohn Stadium at City College for an audience of thousands.[73][74]
In 1971, Antonini excelled once again as Musical Director on the CBS Television premier of Ezra Laderman's opera And David Wept, earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming (1972). He collaborated in this premier production with such operatic luminaries as Sherrill Milnes, Rosalind Elias and Ara Berberian.[75][76] Several years later in 1975 he joined forces once again with Berberian and the mezzo-soprano Elaine Bonazzi for the CBS Television movie, A Handful of Souls.[77][78]
Alfredo Antonini died at the age of 82 during heart surgery in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983. He was buried in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park cemetery in Clearwater and was survived by his wife Sandra and a son.[13][8][11]
Compositions
External audio
You may listen to Alfredo Antonini with lyric tenor Nino Martini performing the songTorna a Surriento by Ernesto De Curtis in 1941 here
Cinderella, vocalist Julie Andrews, Columbia Masterworks (OL5190), 12 Inch LP, 1957?
American Fantasy, SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195?
Atmosphere By Antonini - Alfredo Antonini and His Orchestra, Coral Records (LVA 9031), 33PRM LP, 1956[91]
Romantic Classics, SESAC Records, 33 RPM LP, 195?
Aaron Copland/Hugo Weisgall/Alfredo Antonini - Twelve Poems of Emily Dickenson, Columbia Masterworks (ML 5106), 33 RPM LP, 1956[91]
Songs from Sunny Italy - Richard Tucker with Alfredo Antonini Conducting the Columbia Concert Orchestra, Columbia Masterworks (ML 2155), 33 RPM LP, 1950[91]
Alfredo Antonini and His Orchestra - Dances of Latin America, London Records (LPB.294), 33 RPM LP, 1950[91]
Alfredo Antonini & The Columbia Concert Orchestra, soloist Richard Tucker, Columbia Masterworks (A-1540), 45 RPM, 195?
Nestor Chayres Singing Romantic Songs of Latin America, Alfredo Antonini conductor, Decca, 78 RPM, 1947[92]
Juan Arvizu, Troubador of the Americas, Alfredo Antonini conductor, Columbia Records (#36663), 1941 78 RPM, 1941[93][94]
Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra, Alfredo Antonini conductor of the Viva America Orchestra, Elsa Miranda vocalist, Alpha Records (#12205) 78 RPM, 1946[95][29]
Richard Tucker: Just For You with Alfredo Antonini and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Masterworks (A-1619-1), 45 RPM,195?[91]
Bolero - No Me Lo Digas (Maria Grever), vocalist Nino Martini, Columbia (#17202-D), 194?[97]
External audio
You may listen to Alfredo Antonini with Juan Arvizu and John Serry Sr. performing Vival Sevilla, Mi Sarape, Que Paso?, El Bigote de Tomas, De Donde? in 1942 here
Entertainment Awards Don Franks. McFarland and Co., London, 2005 p. 394 ISBN0-7864-1798-6 Emmy Awards 1972 Outstanding Achievement in Religious Programming - Alfredo Antonini on http://books.google.com
Anthony, Edwin D. (1973). "Records of the Radio Division"(PDF). Records of the Office of Inter-American Affairs. Vol.Inventory of Record Group 229. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Record Services - General Services Administration. pp.1–8, 25–26. LCCN73-600146.
Media Sound & Culture in Latin America & the Caribbean. Editors- Bronfman, Alejandra & Wood, Andrew Grant. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 2012, pg. 49 http://books.google.com See pg. 49
Billboard. Advanced Record Releases - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra, New York, Vol. 58 No. 14, 6 April 1946, P. 34 & P. 130 Latin American Music - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra in Billboard on http://books.google.com
Hearings- United States Senate, Volume 8, U. S. Government Printing Office 1962, p. 2006 Alfredo Antonini, CBS Orchestra and New York City Board of Education on http://books.google.com
Hearings- United States Senate, Volume 8, U. S. Government Printing Office 1962, p. 2006 Alfredo Antonini, CBS Orchestra and New York City Board of Education and figures from Broadway on http://books.google.com
Stern, Jonathan. Music of the (American) People: The Concerts at Lewisohn Stadium, 1922-1964. The City University of New York (CUNY) - Graduate Center, New York, 2009 p. 204-205 Alfredo Antonini guest conductor on academicworks.cuny.edu
Television and the Performing Arts. Brian G. Rose. Greenwood Press, New York 1986 p. 104 ISBN0-313-24159-7 Alfredo Antonini, Symphony of the Air, Robert Herridge and John Browning collaborating on http://books.googleArchived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
American Aria Encore Sherrill Milnes. Amadeus Press, New York 2007 p. 242-243 ISBN978-157-467160-5 Sherrill Milnes and Alfredo Antonini collaborating in "And David Wept" on http://books.googleArchived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
Operas in English Margaret Ross Griffel. Scarecrow Press, United kingdom 2013 p.19 ISBN978-0-8108-8272-0 "And David Wept" premiered on CBS Television in 1971 with Sherrill Milnes and Ara Berberian" on http://books.google.com
Television Specials Vincent Terrace. McFarland and Co, North Carolina 2013 p. 148 ISBN978-0-7864-7444-8 "The Fabulous Fifties" Credits: Alfredo Antonini and Betty Comden on http://books.googleArchived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
Television Specials Vincent Terrace. McFarland and Co, North Carolina 2013 p. 148 ISBN978-0-7864-7444-8 "The Fabulous Fifties" Credits: Alfredo Antonini and Henry Fonda on http://books.google.com
Television Specials Vincent Terrace. McFarland and Co, North Carolina 2013 p. 148 ISBN978-0-7864-7444-8 "The Fabulous Fifties" Credits: Alfredo Antonini and Jackie Gleason on http://books.google.com
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