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John Barbirolli

Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 1899 – 29 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 1943 and conducted for the rest of his life. Earlier in his career he was Arturo Toscanini's successor as music director of the New York Philharmonic, serving from 1936 to 1943. He was also chief conductor of the Houston Symphony from 1961 to 1967, and was a guest conductor of many other orchestras, including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic, with all of which he made recordings.

Born in London of Italian and French parentage, Barbirolli grew up in a family of professional musicians. After starting out as a cellist, he was given the chance to conduct, from 1926 with the British National Opera Company, and then with Covent Garden's touring company. On taking up the conductorship of the Hallé he had less opportunity to work in the opera house, but in the 1950s he conducted productions of works by Verdi, Wagner, Gluck, and Puccini at Covent Garden with such success that he was invited to become the company's permanent musical director, an invitation he declined. Late in his career he made several recordings of operas, of which his 1967 set of Puccini's Madama Butterfly for EMI is probably the best known.

Both in the concert hall and on record, Barbirolli was particularly associated with the music of English composers such as Elgar, Delius and Vaughan Williams. His interpretations of other late Romantic composers, such as Mahler and Sibelius, as well as of earlier classical composers, including Schubert, are also still admired.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 2, 1899 (London), Died July 29, 1970 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1939

Roles Represented in DAHR: director, arranger, conductor

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 57 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-031902 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031903 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031904 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031905 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031906 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031907 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Gramophone 0B1402 10-in. 6/26/1931 O dolce incanto (O charming hour) John Barbirolli ; Beniamino Gigli Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra director  
Gramophone 2B903 12-in. 5/18/1931 Ich sah' das Kind John Barbirolli ; Frida Leider ; London Symphony Orchestra Soprano vocal solo and orchestra director  
Gramophone 0B3442 10-in. 10/3/1932 Nazareth John Barbirolli ; Richard Crooks ; Herbert Dawson Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra and organ director  
Gramophone 0B3443 10-in. 9/29/1932 The rosary John Barbirolli ; Richard Crooks ; Herbert Dawson Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra and organ director  
Gramophone 0B3444 10-in. 10/3/1932 Jesus Christ is risen today John Barbirolli ; Richard Crooks ; Herbert Dawson Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra and organ director  
Gramophone 0B3445 10-in. 10/3/1932 Christ the Lord is risen today John Barbirolli ; Richard Crooks ; Herbert Dawson Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra and organ director  
Gramophone 0B4188 10-in. 5/4/1933 Praeludium John Barbirolli Orchestra director  
Gramophone 0B4189 10-in. 10/19/1933 Berceuse John Barbirolli Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12479 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12480 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12481 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12482 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12483 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12484 12-in. 1/27/1928 Symphony no. 2, in D major ("London") John Barbirolli ; The Sinfonetta Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12848 12-in. 3/16/1928 Serenade : Eine kleine Nachtmusik John Barbirolli's Chamber Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12849 12-in. 3/16/1928 Serenade : Eine kleine Nachtmusik John Barbirolli's Chamber Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12850 12-in. 3/16/1928 Serenade : Eine kleine Nachtmusik John Barbirolli's Chamber Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Cc12851 12-in. 3/16/1928 Serenade : Eine kleine Nachtmusik John Barbirolli's Chamber Orchestra Orchestra director  
Gramophone Bb13832 10-in. 6/19/1928 Madamina, il catalogoè questo, part 1 John Barbirolli ; Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin Bass vocal solo, with orchestra director  
(Results 26-50 of 57 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Barbirolli, John," accessed November 1, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103071.

Barbirolli, John. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 1, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103071.

"Barbirolli, John." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 1 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103071

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