D'Artega
Alfonso D'Artega (June 5, 1907 – January 20, 1998), often known simply as D'Artega, was a songwriter, conductor, arranger and actor. His song "In the Blue of Evening", co-written with Tom Adair, was a number one hit for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1943. D'Artega was born in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. His family emigrated to the U.S. in 1918. D'Artega studied music and composition at Strassberger's Conservatory in St. Louis, Missouri with Boris Levenson, who was a pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He became a well-known conductor on stage and on air, and in 1946 initiated the Carnegie Hall "Pops" concerts with members of the New York Philharmonic. In 1947 he played the role of Tchaikovsky in the film Carnegie Hall, conducting the film score as well. He was guest conductor with, among others, the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the NBC Symphony of the Air. D'Artega wrote over 50 songs. Perhaps his most widely recognized composition in the U.S. is "The NBC Chimes Theme". One of D'Artega's earlier ventures was D'Artega's All-Girl Orchestra, a twenty piece show band. The group was formed in New York City in 1942 and appeared in the Broadway play called "Hair Pin Harmony". As a result of that success, the group was booked by the newly formed United Service Organization (USO) Camp Shows. The group traveled coast to coast playing at various military bases, ending in California where they were featured in the Paramount Pictures release "You Can’t Ration Love". The All-Girl Orchestra continued with the USO and traveled throughout the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. The first tour started in Italy and followed the advance of Allied troops into Germany, France, and Czechoslovakia. The orchestra continued service with the USO traveling to China, Japan, and islands in the Pacific. D'Artega was not only the inspiration, but wrote, arranged, and conducted the group. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 5, 1907 (Silao), Died January 20, 1998 (United States of America)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer
= 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 | BS-075282 | 10-in. | 6/17/1942 | In the blue of evening | Frank Sinatra ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "D'Artega," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105260.
D'Artega. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/105260.
"D'Artega." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Alfonso D’Artega
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: D'Artega, 1907-1998 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86002320
Wikidata: Alfonso D’Artega - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4070158
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/45773991
MusicBrainz: Alfonso D’Artega - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/2cbdf596-98d2-4200-858b-3e8ea542d888
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