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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

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

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 55 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-018851 12-in. 2/7/1938 Suite for strings with four horns, two flutes and English horn John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Strings, with 2 flutes, English horn, and 4 French horns director, arranger  
Victor CS-018852 12-in. 2/7/1938 Suite for strings with four horns, two flutes and English horn John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Strings, with 2 flutes, English horn, and 4 French horns director, arranger  
Victor CS-018853 12-in. 2/7/1938 Suite for strings with four horns, two flutes and English horn New York Philharmonic Strings, with 2 flutes, English horn, and 4 French horns director, arranger  
Victor CS-018854 12-in. 2/7/1938 Suite for strings with four horns, two flutes and English horn New York Philharmonic Strings, with 2 flutes, English horn, and 4 French horns director, arranger  
Victor CS-018855 12-in. 2/7/1938 Ibéria (Images, set III, no. 2) New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018856 12-in. 2/7/1938 Ibéria (Images, set III, no. 2) New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018857 12-in. 2/7/1938 Ibéria (Images, set III, no. 2) New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018858 12-in. 2/7/1938 Ibéria (Images, set III, no. 2) New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018859 12-in. 2/7/1938 Ibéria (Images, set III, no. 2) New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018860 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018861 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018862 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018863 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018864 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018865 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018866 12-in. 2/9/1938 Concerto in D minor John Barbirolli ; Yehudi Menuhin ; New York Philharmonic Violin and orchestra director  
Victor CS-018867 12-in. 2/9/1938 Francesca da Rimini (Fantasia) John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018868 12-in. 2/9/1938 Francesca da Rimini (Fantasia) John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018869 12-in. 2/9/1938 Francesca da Rimini (Fantasia) John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018870 12-in. 2/9/1938 Francesca da Rimini (Fantasia) John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018871 12-in. 2/9/1938 Francesca da Rimini (Fantasia) John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018872 12-in. 2/9/1938 Arie di corte John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-018873 12-in. 2/9/1938 Arie di corte John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031900 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
Victor CS-031901 12-in. 1/21/1939 Symphony no. 4, in C minor ("Tragic") John Barbirolli ; New York Philharmonic Orchestra director  
(Results 1-25 of 55 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Barbirolli, John," accessed March 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103071.

Barbirolli, John. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103071.

"Barbirolli, John." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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