Fabien Sevitzky

Fabien Sevitzky (September 29, 1891 in Vyshny Volochyok – February 3, 1967 in Athens) was a Russian-born American conductor. He was the nephew of renowned double-bass virtuoso and longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Serge Koussevitzky.

Sevitzky became music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1937 after he first conducted it in winter 1936, and remained in the position until 1955. He led the orchestra in a series of recordings for RCA Victor from 1941 to 1946 & for Capitol Records up to 1953, which were issued on 78-rpm and 33-1/3-rpm discs. The orchestra was recorded in the Murat Theatre. Among the more unusual recordings were of Tchaikovsky's first symphony (recorded March 19, 1946) and Manfred (recorded January 27, 1942).

He married harpist Mary Spaulding in 1959, and the couple subsequently moved to Miami to take up faculty positions at the University of Miami while his wife also gave private harp lessons. He guest-conducted the University's orchestra soon after his arrival, and became its permanent conductor in 1963. He championed the music of William Grant Still, from whom he commissioned works including Threnody: In Memory of Jan Sibelius, and conducted the premiere of Still's opera Highway 1, U.S.A. in 1960. He was music director of the Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestra from 1956 to 1962, and died suddenly in 1967.

His wife, who later became Mary Spaulding Portanova, survived him.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 29, 1893 (Vyshny Volochyok), Died February 3, 1967 (Athens)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: director, string bass

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CVE-37812 12-in. 2/12/1927 Prelude and minuet Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-37813 10-in. 2/12/1927 Burlesca Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-37814 10-in. 2/12/1927 Heart wounds Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor CVE-37815 12-in. 2/12/1927 Last spring Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-48992 10-in. 5/9/1929 Concerto grosso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor CVE-48993 12-in. 5/9/1929 Concerto grosso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor CVE-48994 12-in. 5/9/1929 Concerto grosso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor CVE-48995 12-in. 5/9/1929 Concerto grosso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor CVE-48996 12-in. 5/9/1929 Pantomine Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor BVE-48999 10-in. 5/9/1929 Concerto grosso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra, with piano director  
Victor CVE-51825 12-in. 4/25/1929 Arioso Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-51826 10-in. 4/25/1929 Gossips Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-51827 10-in. 4/25/1929 String serenade in C major : Elegie Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-51828 10-in. 4/25/1929 String serenade in C major : Elegie Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor BVE-51829 10-in. 4/25/1929 Londonderry air Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor CVE-51830 12-in. 4/25/1929 Molly on the shore Philadelphia Chamber String Sinfonietta ; Fabien Sevitzky String orchestra director  
Victor [Trial 1927-05-10-01] 10-in. 5/10/1927 Nocturn Fabien Sevitzky Bass solo, with piano instrumentalist, string bass  
Victor [Trial 1927-05-10-02] 10-in. 5/10/1927 Elegie Fabien Sevitzky Bass solo, with female vocal solo and piano ("Elegie"); unaccompanied ("Chanson triste") instrumentalist, string bass  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sevitzky, Fabien," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105665.

Sevitzky, Fabien. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105665.

"Sevitzky, Fabien." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105665

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