John Barbirolli
Sir John (Giovanni Battista) Barbirolli (December 2, 1899 - July 29, 1970), was a British conductor and cellist. Barbirolli was particularly associated with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he led for nearly three decades. He was also music director of the New York Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and conducted many other orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He was particularly associated with the music of English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams. He also developed a strong reputation as a conductor of the music of Gustav Mahler.
Early Years 1899-1937
Barbirolli was a Londoner, from a musical family. His father and uncle were violinists in London theatre orchestras, notably the Leicester Square Empire, though they had also played at La Scala, Milan, under Toscanini. Thus the young John was destined to be a string player, a specialist in British music, and to have a love of Italian opera.
Barbirolli studied at the Royal Academy of Music; a 'Sir John Barbirolli Collection' of photographs and memorabilia is now kept there. As a young cellist he made some acoustic records, played in the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), notably at the first performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto, and was soon after the soloist in the second performance of the work. In the 1920s he turned to conducting and formed a chamber orchestra which recorded new works for the National Gramophone Society, notably Elgar's Introduction and Allegro, which may have been responsible for His Master's Voice avoiding the work until after Elgar's death.
Barbirolli became known for his ability to secure effective performances at short notice, and in the 1930's made many recordings with the LSO and London Philharmonic, accompanying concertos with leading soloists such as Kreisler, Heifetz and Rubinstein, most of which remain classics today.
Conductor of New York Philharmonic 1937-1942
In 1937 Barbirolli achieved a coup when he was invited to succeed Toscanini as conductor of the New York Philharmonic, a tremendously prestigious post. Although his five seasons there were a musical triumph, as surviving recordings show, he was under constant attack from the hostile New York press, notably the anglophobe critic Olin Downes. Barbirolli also had to cope with rivalry from the newly-formed NBC Symphony Orchestra, which was also based in New York, was conducted by Toscanini, and paid higher salaries.
Work in Later Years 1942-1970
In 1942 Barbirolli was invited to renew his contract but to do so would have to become a US citizen, which he was unwilling to do. At this point an invitation to take up the chief conductorship of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester transformed his career.
The increase in scope for concerts had prompted the Hallé to end the increasingly unsatisfactory arrangement of sharing half their players with the BBC, which had saved them in the slump years, and to engage a top-rank conductor. Only four of the shared players chose to join the Hallé, so when Barbirolli arrived he had to rebuild the orchestra in weeks, a task he fell to with enthusiasm. His "new Hallé" can be heard today in recordings of symphonies by Bax and Vaughan Williams, made in wartime Manchester.
Barbirolli conducted the orchestra for twenty-five years, in many cities including the Cheltenham Festival, where he premiered many new works. He also conducted the BBC and other London orchestras in concert and on records, and towards the end of his life renewed his association with EMI which produced a legacy of fine recorded performances, many of which have been available continuously.
Barbirolli is remembered as an interpreter of Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Mahler, as well as Schubert, Beethoven, Sibelius, Verdi and Puccini, and as a staunch supporter of new works by British composers, in which his advocacy rivalled that of Boult and Henry Wood.
He was married to the British oboist Evelyn Rothwell, born 1911, Wallingford, England, who became Lady Barbirolli.
Biography
Reid, Charles "John Barbirolli: a biography" Taplinger Pub. Co (1971) ISBN 0800844084
Trivia
Barbirolli Square in Manchester,UK is named in his honour. The square includes modern concert venue Bridgewater Hall.