Adalgiso Ferraris

Adalgiso Ferraris

Ferraris in 1912, Russia
Born Adalgiso Ferraris
(1890-02-16)February 16, 1890
Novara, Piedmont, Italy.[1]
Died December 31, 1968(1968-12-31) (aged 78)
Woolwich, London, U.K.
Education Regia Accademia Filarmonica , Bologna, Italy
Occupation Musical composer, pianist
Years active 1910–68
Spouse(s) Adele Brunelli, married 1920[2]
Parent(s) Carlo Ferraris
Cristina Cerri[3]
Relatives Luigi Ferraris
Carlo Ferraris
Gisella Ferraris

Adalgiso Ferraris (16 February 1890[4] 31 December 1968) was an Italian-born British composer and pianist. Ferraris' compositions were based on classical and popular genres, with a particular flavour of gypsy, Hungarian and Russian traditionals. Among his best known melodies are the romantic Russian song "Dark Eyes", "Calinerie", "Souvenir d'Ukraine", "the Russian Pedlar" , "Two guitars"[5] and "A Balalaika"[6][7]

Biography

Early life

Ferraris was born in Novara, in Piedmont, North of Italy. He went on to study at the Regia Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, Italy, and studied piano and music composition with Manfredi and Crescentino.[8]

Russian experience

In 1910 Ferraris travelled to Russia to study with Tchevnioroshy in St. Petersburg. Here he supported his studies playing during the capital's last years of the "belle Epoque" nightlife.

He developed his skills particularly in the piccolo concerto and especially in Tzigane music.[9] In 1912 he became pianist in an orchestra which also played at Tsarskoye Selo.[10]

One of his most famous song is the Russian styled "Dark Eyes", published around 1910 as Schwarze Augen with German editor Otto Kuhl.[11] Ferraris then published it again in 1931 by Paris Editions Salabert, as "Tes yeux noirs (impression russe) "[12] and with Jacques Liber, on Oct 9th, 1931, as "Dark Eyes".[13] The song was a success of the 1930s, with artists such as Albert Sandler, filmed by British Pathe in 1932 [14] and Leslie Jeffries, filmed by British Pathe in 1939 [15] or sung by Al Bowlly, with words of Albert Mellor.[16] Among other versions, a 1941 recording of Dark Eyes (by Ferraris) played by Harry Parry and his radio sextet was a hit during the war,[17] and a very original interpretation for electric guitar, played by Chet Atkins.[18] Ferraris version is still played today by many artists such as the Trio Artemis [19] and Hristo Kardjiev.[20][21] The song was recorded in Italy by Nino Impallomeni and his orchestra,[22] and by Don Rico and his Orchestra.[23]

The Great War

Ferraris was caught by the war in Russia, and travelled via Finland through England to get back to Italy and join the Italian Army.

Success in England

After the first War and his marriage in 1920 with Adele Brunelli, Ferraris went to London, where he played with his band, the Novarese Band, and composed and published many well known songs.[24][25][26]

In London, Ferraris played in the Picadilly Orchestra and other London's orchestras and became acquainted with many musicians of that era who played his music, including violinists such as Al Bowlly, Albert Sandler and Leslie Jeffries.[27][28][29] His collaboration with Max Jaffa was also very prolific, with many of Ferraris songs recorded by Jaffa, such as, again, Dark Eyes, "Souvenir d'Ukraine", Gipsy Idylle, and other songs.,[30] as shown in the Vocalion Broadcast of November 1932.

In 1932 Ferraris wrote "The Russian Pedlar", which became one of his major successes, played by bands such as The Commodore Grand Orchestra.[31][32]

In 1936 Mantovani and his band brings to success "A Balalaika"[33] a tango.

Another 1930s famous song of Ferraris is the orchestral and piano arrangements for Two Guitars, which is still a hit for touring bands, including the 100 Tagu Ciganyzenekar and the Gypsy Philharmonic Orchestra and others like Zoltan Maga.[34][35]

In the late thirties, the Italian singer Dora Menichelli with the famous duo Bormioli-Semprini record, with Parlophon, a few Ferraris songs in Italian, including "la canzone che nome non ha" or the song without a name, currently preserved at the National Museum of audio, Museo dell'Audiovisivo.[36]

Here is a list of some of his less known songs: - Flor Gitana[37]

- For you my love I'm waiting[38]

- Idylle Tzigane[39]

- In a gipsy camp

- Rose of Spain

- Midnight follies

- Life is Beautiful (La vita e' bella)

- A fete in Santa Lucia, part of the suite "bella Napoli", and also played by Mantovani and his Orchestra - Galanteria

Late years

At the outbreak of War War II, he went back to Italy as an Italian citizen and stayed until the end of the war. He then came back to England, becoming naturalised British. In the difficult times of post-war London he restarted his musical career and also formed a music publishing company.

He continued to live in London, composing and playing music on his beloved antique "Pleyel", until his death on the last day of 1968, at his house in Woolwich.

References

  1. http://search.ancestry.it/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=Adele&gsln=Brunelli&gss=angs-c&pcat=BMD_MARRIAGE&h=2300&recoff=54+55&db=VerbanoMarriageR&indiv=1&frasubs=524288&fra=398ad1378eed2a203caaf2553ea279de&ml_rpos=5&nreg=1
  2. http://search.ancestry.it/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=Adele&gsln=Brunelli&gss=angs-c&pcat=BMD_MARRIAGE&h=2300&recoff=54+55&db=VerbanoMarriageR&indiv=1&frasubs=524288&fra=398ad1378eed2a203caaf2553ea279de&ml_rpos=5&nreg=1
  3. http://search.ancestry.it/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=Adele&gsln=Brunelli&gss=angs-c&pcat=BMD_MARRIAGE&h=2300&recoff=54+55&db=VerbanoMarriageR&indiv=1&frasubs=524288&fra=398ad1378eed2a203caaf2553ea279de&ml_rpos=5&nreg=1
  4. http://search.ancestry.it/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&gsfn=Adele&gsln=Brunelli&gss=angs-c&pcat=BMD_MARRIAGE&h=2300&recoff=54+55&db=VerbanoMarriageR&indiv=1&frasubs=524288&fra=398ad1378eed2a203caaf2553ea279de&ml_rpos=5&nreg=1
  5. Two guitars
  6. http://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22&formQuery=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22
  7. http://www.internetculturale.it/opencms/ricercaExpansion.jsp?q=&searchType=avanzato&channel__creator=Ferraris%2C+A.+%3Cmusicista%3E&channel__contributor=Ferraris%2C+A.+%3Cmusicista%3E&opCha__contributor=OR&opCha__creator=OR
  8. "Rhythm" Magazine, number 43, March 1931
  9. "Rhythm" Magazine, number 43, March 1931
  10. "Rhythm" Magazine, number 43, March 1931
  11. OCLC World Cat Reference - Schwarze Augen, Adalgiso Ferraris
  12. http://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22&formQuery=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22
  13. https://books.google.com/books?id=YzBjAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1110&lpg=PA1110&dq=liber+music+%22black+eyes%22+ferraris&source=bl&ots=SSzmGwXmWt&sig=DBm8fPDt7F7C4WaIeAKfIdWcqaA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lwZMVLPiDsja8AGP_IHQBw&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=liber%20%22black%20eyes%22%20ferraris&f=false
  14. Albert Sandler, shown here in a British Pathe film of 1932
  15. Leslie Jeffries here in a British Pathe film of 1939
  16. Al Bowlly - Dark Eyes
  17. Harry Parry
  18. Chet Atkins
  19. Hristo Kardjiev
  20. http://www.musicmanweb.com/samples.html
  21. http://opac.dds.it/opac/media/play.do?service=infos&mediatype=1&quality=0&id=IT-DDS0000054294000100&bib=DS&firma=302C0214455A1A74D7CD99B7A26335FEDABF275062C8D55702146B707CEC153D1636328FC0B373F7C91CD0AF02C2302D0215008849378F7525DD076D2CFD6AC4405C8CB3914DB8021452E72B75F2646AFB8897AEA00379A46C1555516A
  22. http://opac.dds.it/opac/media/play.do?service=infos&mediatype=1&quality=0&id=IT-DDS0000060066000100&bib=DS&firma=302D021500814131FCA92552BC17F2769AA885F305AA3DE5F702144F5A2CCBB01CD364F34248EE9F628844A9024EC4302C0214666EB5736560AFFFE7AE1339A0A4751C353FAD660214107B0466F2212E3D440B3A4BBFC142E6AC2BAB20
  23. http://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22&formQuery=author:%22Ferraris,%20A.%22
  24. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/publication/50013425
  25. http://www.internetculturale.it/opencms/opencms/it/ricercaExpansion.jsp?searchType=avanzato&channel__creator=Ferraris%2C+A.+%3Cmusicista%3E&opCha__creator=OR&opCha__contributor=OR&q=&channel__contributor=Ferraris%2C+A.+%3Cmusicista%3E&pag=2
  26. Albert Sandler, shown here in a British Pathe film of 1932
  27. Leslie Jeffries here in a British Pathe film of 1939
  28. Al Bowlly - Dark Eyes
  29. http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/sall863
  30. Music reference for The Russian Pedlar
  31. Russian Pedlar - Commodore Grand Orchestra
  32. http://www.worldcat.org/title/balalaika-tango/oclc/857772493&referer=brief_results
  33. Zoltan Maga - Two Guitars
  34. Museo dell'Audiovisivo
  35. (Flor Gitana - BnF catalogue Generale)
  36. For you my love I'm waiting
  37. Idylle Tzigane - BnF catalogue Generale)
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