Bernardino Molinari

Bernardino Molinari (11 April 1880 – 25 December 1952) was an Italian conductor.

Molinari studied under Renzi and Falchi at the Accademia (then "Liceo Musicale") of Santa Cecilia in his home town of Rome.

In 1912, he was appointed artistic director of the Augusteo Orchestra, Rome, later renamed l'Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, a position he held until the end of the Second World War. Since this was then, like now, the leading symphony orchestra position in Italy, it aroused the envy of several rivals. He was engaged as a guest conductor, including for the St. Louis Symphony in 1930.

After the liberation of Rome on 4 June 1944, Molinari was contested by the public, in particular during two concerts held on 9 and 12 July, for his involvement with the Fascist regime. He had to suspend the performance and, since then, he was able to conduct in Rome the Orchestra of the Theatre of Opera only.

In 1945, he arrived in Palestine and conducted the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, then became its musical advisor. The performance of the Korngold violin concerto with David Grunschlag as soloist was critically acclaimed

According to some, his arrangement of the Israeli national anthem Hatikvah was praised by Leonard Bernstein. His version serves most Israeli performances of the piece.

Molinari guest-conducted at all the important musical centres in Europe and the Americas. Unlike most Italian conductors, he seldom conducted opera.

Composer Robert Starer tells of his experience as a young harpist in the Palestine Orchestra in the 1940s:

I sat behind [my] harp, glanced at the most intricate harp part I had ever encountered, and looked with heavily beating heart at the conductor, Bernardino Molinari, a fine, experienced maestro. He must have sensed how I felt, for he gave me every single cue and somehow helped me to get through the first movement without any noticeable mishap…"

Birth and Death Data: Born April 11, 1880 (Rome), Died December 25, 1952 (Rome)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: arranger

= 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
Gramophone CS4281 12-in. 9/30/1929 L'isle joyeuse Piero Coppola ; Orchestre symphonique du Gramophone Orchestra arranger  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Molinari, Bernardino," accessed April 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/363138.

Molinari, Bernardino. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/363138.

"Molinari, Bernardino." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/363138

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