Remo Bolognini papers

1929-1973

Remo Bolognini, generally regarded as South America's greatest violinist, was born in Buenos Aires. At the age of seven he started on his musical career by becoming a pupil of Galvani, the foremost violin teacher in the Argentine metropolis. After six years of study under Galvani, Bolognini's first recital, when he was only thirteen, created a sensation in South American music circles. As a child, he and his brother Astor and Alberto Castellano formed a classical orchestra that performed for three years at the Palace Theatre in Buenos Aires. In Buenos Aires Bolognini became concert master, under Kleiber and Ansermet, of the Philharmonic Orchestra there, and he also appeared as soloist. In 1927 Bolognini made his debut in the United States as assistant concert master of the Chicago Symphony orchestra under Frederick Stock. His first appearance as soloist with the Chicago orchestra was in the Max Bruch concerto. After two years Bolognini went to Europe and there was heard by Ysaye, a famous Belgian violinist. Two years of study with Ysaye were interspersed with concerts at the Hague, Cologne, Rotterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris and London. While in Europe, Bolognini was heard by Toscanini, who engaged him to be second concert master and to appear as soloist with his orchestra. Remo Bolognini joined NBC Symphony Orchestra in 1937. The NBC Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra established in 1937 by General David Sarnoff of NBC as a vehicle for conductor Arturo Toscanini. Sarnoff spared no expense in recruiting and training the orchestra. Artur Rodziski, a noted disciplinarian and task master in his own right, was hired to train the new orchestra especially for Toscanini. The French conductor Pierre Monteux was hired, as well, to help in the effort. It has been alleged that one of the purposes of creating the orchestra was to deflect a Congressional inquiry into broadcasting standards. Under Toscanini's direction, the orchestra's first broadcast concert aired from NBC's Studio 8H on Christmas Day, 1937. In addition to weekly broadcasts on the NBC Red and Blue networks, the NBC Symphony Orchestra made many recordings of symphonies, choral music, and operas. Televised concerts began in 1948. Toscanini led the NBC Symphony for 17 years. Under his direction the orchestra toured South America in 1940 and the USA in 1950.