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Creator
Toscanini, Walter, 1898-1971
Call number
(S) *MGZMD 216
Physical description
80 linear feet (72 boxes)
Language
The majority of this collection is in Italian
Preferred Citation

The Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini Papers, (S)*MGZMD 216, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini Papers document the careers of a wife and husband, both in the field of dance. Fornaroli was a prima ballerina, choreographer, teacher and director, and Walter Toscanini was a dance historian, collector and curator, primarily in Milan and New York. The majority of this collection is in Italian. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs, scores, research files, scrapbooks, and writings.

Biographical/historical information

Lucia Fornaroli Toscanini¹ (b Oct 16, 1888, Milan Italy; d Aug 16, 1954, New York, NY), wife of Walter Toscanini and daughter of Giovanni Fornaroli and Santina Volonté, better known as Cia Fornaroli, was a disciple of the Academy of Dance of Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Instructed by Adelaide Vignanò, Caterina Beretta, Achille Coppini and Raffaele Grassi, she became a renowned figure of Italian ballet. From 1910 to 1914, she was première danseuse at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and later, she danced in Argentina, Spain, Austria, Germany and Italy. The scene of her great contribution to ballet was at La Scala (Milan), where she danced in 1918 and again from 1921 to 1932. Here she won wide acclaim as prima ballerina, appearing in such ballets as Il Principe Mahit, Casanova a Venezia, Il Convento Venziano and Vecchia Milano. In 1929 she was appointed Director of La Scala Ballet School in succession from Enrico Cecchetti, who had considered her one of the best students of his method and expressed the wish that she should follow him. Holding this post until 1932, she taught many Italian ballerinas who later became prominent, including Nives Poli, Attilia Radice and Teresa Legnani. As a choreographer, having been an early experimenter in the symphonic ballet form, she produced La Primavera and Concerto dell’ Estate for the Casino Municipale di San Remo company in 1933. She and her husband, Dr. Walter Toscanini, noted as a specialist in the history of Italian Ballet, later settled in New York, where, from 1943 to 1950, she directed her own ballet school.

Walter Enrico Claudio Pietro Toscanini (b Mar 21, 1898, Turin, Italy; d July 1971, New York, NY), son of Arturo Toscanini and Carlotta De Martini, obtained a law degree while attending the Universities of Pavia and Urbino in Italy, Yet, it is in the field of dance that Walter Toscanini chose to focus his energies. As an author (e.g. of pen names are Gualtiero De Martini and L’Intristio), editor (La Danza or Perseo), curator / director (Brera Library at Milan, State Archives of Milan and Milan conservatory of Music)² and rare book collector /dealer (e.g. Bottega di Poesia and Antiquariato Walter Toscanini & C), Toscanini determinedly pursued facts and items to further his understanding of dance history, as well as to share his deep appreciation of the art form. In 1923, he published L’Arte della Danza, e dell’ Arte di Cia Fornaroli under his pen name Gualtiero De Martini, ca. 1940 he wrote a choreodrama based upon Fanny Elssler’s life and ca. 1968 he devoted his written efforts to the topic of Maria Teresa Fogliazzi. Of special interest to him, as revealed by the extent of his research, were the experiences and writings of Guglielmo Ebreo and Gaspare Angiolini.

Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini had one son, Walfredo, on August 16, 1929 and were married on June 18, 1938.

Source:

  • ¹: The Ballet Annual 1956 (Box 2, Folder 18)
  • ²: 1935 article from The American Weekly (Box 69, Folder 11)

Scope and arrangement

The papers, primarily spanning the years 1900-1971, document the professional lives of Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini: Cia as prima ballerina, choreographer and director and Walter as dance historian, curator and writer. The collection is arranged in three series: the Cia Fornaroli series which includes personal papers, correspondence, research files by year, photographs, and clippings; the Walter Toscanini series which includes historical research filed by year, notebooks and office files (correspondence, invoices, etc); and the Oversized series which contains Walter’s oversized historical research filed by year.

Of particular interest are Cia’s publicity and teaching material as connected with the Cecchetti method, her scrapbook entitled “Cia–Vista Dagli Artisti” which includes artwork by artists such as Anselmo Bucci, Pietro Canonica and Francesco Nonni, which honor Cia’s skill and beauty as a dancer, and documents (photographs, programs and clippings) pertaining to her dance lessons and contributions to the Casino Municipale di San Remo company. Walter’s correspondence found in Office Files, particularly with Antonio Chiesa, Antonio Corcione, Paolo Fabbri, Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, Ivor Guest, Gladys Lasky, La Scala Ballet Theatre / School, Lillian Moore, and Ted Shawn / Jacob’s Pillow, as well as his research files on Guglielmo Ebreo, Fanny Elssler, Carlo Blasis and Gaspare Angiolini, are also of especial interest.

Missing from the collection is significant documentation of Walter’s employment in RCA Manufacturing Company’s Recording and Record Sales division or related work upon his father’s behalf. In addition, few official records documenting Walter and Cia’s marriage, financial status, and relationship with one another or with Arturo Toscanini are available within collection.

The majority of this collection is in Italian.

The Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini papers are arranged in three series:

  • Series I: Cia Fornaroli, ca and [ and undated, bulk dates]
    1911 - 1954

    This series contains the correspondence, personal papers (e.g. biography, friends / family photographs, and health documents), scores and research files associated with Cia Fornaroli’s careers as dancer, choreographer, teacher and company director. Of special interest are the documents connected to the Cecchetti method of teaching, L’Arte Della Danza e dell ‘Arte di Cia Fornaroli written by Toscanini, the Casino Municipale di San Remo items from 1933 and the scrapbook entitled Cia–Vista Dagli Artisti with contributions from artists including Anselmo Bucci, Francesco Nonni and Pietro Canonica.

  • Series II: Walter Toscanini, and [ and undated, bulk dates]
    1900 - 1971

    This series contains the historical research, notebooks and office files created by Walter Toscanini. Within the historical research section that’s arranged by year, manuscripts, clippings, articles and photographs predominate; whereas, the office files are primarily correspondence based. Gaspare Angiolini, Fanny Elssler, Carlo Blasis and Guglielmo Ebreo were a few of the individuals to whom Toscanini devoted his research energies. Of special interest are the various Guglielmo Ebreo manuscript reproductions Toscanini accumulated, as well as the files for Ted Shawn, Lillian Moore, Paolo Fabbri and Gladys Lasky

  • Series III: Oversized - Historical research, and
    1933 - 1971

    The oversized historical research documents collected by Walter Toscanini can be found within this series. Of special interest are the 1880-1889 issues of Il Teatro Illustrato and the 1897 issues of Gazetta dei Teatri.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

The Cia Fornaroli and Walter Toscanini Papers were acquired by the Jerome Robbins Dance Division in 1992 and 1995 by Walfredo Toscanini.

Processing information

Processed by Thea Constantine; Machine-readable finding aid created by Thea Constantine.

Using the collection

Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.