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EspañolVICTOR DE SABATA
Album cover from Pearl's CD release of de Sabata's 1939 Berlin Philharmonic recordings
De Sabata was born in the city of Trieste, at the time part of Austria-Hungary, but now in Italy. His Roman Catholic father Amedeo de Sabata was a professional singing teacher and chorus master, and his mother, a talented amateur musician, was Jewish. De Sabata began playing the piano at the age of four, and composed a gavotte for that instrument at the age of six. [5] His formal musical studies began after his family moved to Milan around 1900. In Milan, de Sabata studied at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory, excelling at piano, violin, theory, composition and conducting, and graduating ''cum laude'' in composition, piano and violin. In 1911 he performed in an orchestra under the baton of Arturo Toscanini who influenced him to become a conductor.
In 1918, at the age of 26, de Sabata was appointed conductor of the Monte Carlo Opera, performing a wide variety of late-19th century and contemporary works, and earning acclaim from Maurice Ravel. De Sabata became the music director at La Scala in Milan, a post he would hold for over 20 years. His animated conducting style led one observer to describe his appearance in performance as "a cross between Julius Caesar and Satan."[6] Following World War II his career expanded internationally. He was a frequent guest conductor in London, New York and other American cities. His post-war operatic work included celebrated collaborations with Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, most notably his famous HMV recording of ''Tosca'' with Callas in 1953. His career was cut short by a heart attack that same year. De Sabata died alone of heart disease in obscurity in Santa Margherita Ligure, Liguria, Italy in 1967.
Conducting career
1918–1929
In 1918 de Sabata was appointed conductor of the Monte Carlo Opera, performing a wide variety of late-19th century and contemporary works. In 1925, he conducted the world premiere of ''L'enfant et les sortilèges'' by Ravel. Ravel said that de Sabata was a conductor "the like of which I have never before encountered".[7][8] and wrote him a note the next day saying that "You have given me one of the most complete joys of my career".[9] In 1921, while still conducting opera at Monte Carlo, de Sabata began his career as a symphonic conductor with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. In 1929 he made his U.S. debut with the Cincinnati Symphony. [10]
1929–1945
De Sabata conducted the orchestra of La Scala in Milan for the first time in 1926, and conducted opera there from 1929, soon becoming the music director, a post he would hold for over 20 years.
During the 1930s, de Sabata conducted widely in Italy and Central Europe. In 1933 he made his first commercial recordings with the Orchestra of the Italian Broadcasting Authority in Turin, including his own composition ''Juventus''.
In 1939, he became only the second conductor from outside the German-speaking world to conduct at Bayreuth when he led Wagner's opera ''Tristan und Isolde'' (Toscanini was the first, in 1930 and 1931) [11]. Among the audience at Bayreuth was the young Sergiu Celibidache who hid in the lavatory overnight in order to surreptitiously attend rehearsals. That same year he made celebrated recordings of Brahms, Wagner and Richard Strauss with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He also forged a friendship with the young Herbert von Karajan.[12] It is unclear why de Sabata was allowed to work in Germany by the Nazi regime despite his part-Jewish background.
1945–1953
After World War II, de Sabata's career expanded internationally. He was a frequent guest conductor in London, New York and other American cities. In 1946 he recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for the Decca recording company. In 1947 he made his first records for HMV, with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome, including the first ever recording of Debussy's ''Jeux''. He would go on to make more recordings with the same orchestra in 1948.
In 1950 he was temporarily detained at Ellis Island along with several other Europeans under the newly-passed McCarran Act (the reason was his work in Italy during Mussolini's Fascist regime).[13] In March 1950 and March 1951 de Sabata conducted the New York Philharmonic in a series of concerts in Carnegie Hall, many of which were preserved from radio transcriptions to form some of the most valuable items in his recorded legacy.
De Sabata's base remained La Scala, Milan, and he had the opportunity to work with two upwardly-mobile sopranos: Renata Tebaldi and Maria Callas. In August 1953 he collaborated with Callas in his only commercial opera recording: Puccini's ''Tosca'' for HMV (also featuring Giuseppe di Stefano and Tito Gobbi along with the La Scala orchestra and chorus). This production is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera recordings of all time.[14]
[15] One critic has written that De Sabata's success in this ''Tosca'' "remains so decisive that had he never recorded another note, his fame would still be assured".[16]
Heart attack and retirement
The ''Tosca'' recording was planned to be only the first of a series of recordings in which HMV would set down much of de Sabata's operatic repertoire. However, soon after the sessions he suffered a heart attack so severe that it prompted him to stop performing regularly in public. His decision to stop conducting has also been attributed to "disillusionment". His scheduled December 1953 La Scala performance of Allesandro Scarlatti's ''Mitridate Eupatore'' with Callas was replaced at short notice by an acclaimed Cherubini ''Medea'' with Leonard Bernstein.[17] He resigned his conducting post at La Scala and was succeeded by his assistant Carlo Maria Giulini. Between 1953 and 1957 he held the administrative position of "Artistic Director" at La Scala. This period was notable for a reconciliation with Toscanini (with whom he had had a cool relationship for twenty years) during a La Scala production of Spontini's ''La vestale'' in 1954.[18]
De Sabata only conducted twice again, once in a studio recording of Verdi's ''Requiem'' from June 1954 for HMV, and for the last time at Toscanini's memorial service (conducting the funeral march from Beethoven's ''Eroica Symphony'' at La Scala opera house followed by Verdi's ''Requiem'' in Milan Cathedral [19]) in 1957. The last decade of his life was devoted to composition, but with few results. Although Walter Legge offered him an opportunity to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1964 and suggested that he write a completion to Puccini's opera ''Turandot'', neither of these things occurred. [20] He enjoyed solving mathematical problems in his retirement [21]. De Sabata died alone of heart disease in obscurity in Santa Margherita Ligure, Liguria, in 1967. At his memorial service, the Orchestra of La Scala performed without a conductor as a mark of respect.
The "Award Victor de Sabata" is named after de Sabata. A prize for young musicians sponsored by the province of Genoa and the region of Liguria, the competition takes place in Santa Margherita.[22]
Conducting style
De Sabata's conducting style combined the fiery temperament, iron control and technical precision of Toscanini with greater spontaneity and attention to orchestral color.[23] He was exceptionally demanding of his players: according to one musician: "Those eyes and ears missed nothing ... the players had been made to work harder than ever before and they knew that, without having been asked to play alone, they had been individually assessed" [24]. Norman Lebrecht describes him as "a musician whose mild manners turned to raging fury whenever he took stick in hand". [25]. One critic used the phrase "lull and stun" to summarize his technique.[26]
A violinist in the London Philharmonic Orchestra compared de Sabata with Sir Thomas Beecham, saying that while Beecham made the orchestra "red hot", de Sabata made it white hot. Another player described de Sabata's appearance when conducting as "a cross between Julius Caesar and Satan" . Double-bass player Robert Meyer, who has played under many leading conductors including Furtwängler, Karajan, Klemperer, Giulini, Walter, Koussevitzky and Stokowski.[27], describes de Sabata as "undoubtedly the finest conductor I have ever encountered". He conducted rehearsals, as well as concerts, from memory.[28]
A musician who played under both Toscanini and De Sabata at La Scala compared them, saying,
Conductor Riccardo Chailly reports that De Sabata would have the strings sing along with the trombone ''glissandi'' at the climax of Ravel's ''Bolero'', and that Chailly himself asks orchestras to do the same thing.[29]
Anecdotes of musical abilities
There are several extraordinary anecdotes of Victor de Sabata's musical abilities.
★ After de Sabata was shown the score for the first time of Elgar's ''Enigma Variations'', the next day he conducted a rehearsal of the work ''from memory'' and pointed out several errors in the orchestral parts which no-one, including Elgar himself, had noticed previously. [30]
★ During a rehearsal of Respighi's ''Pines of Rome'' in London, de Sabata "demonstrated the bowing and fingering of the high cello part in the first movement by playing it -- without even a glance at the part. The pianist asked for advice about the solo cadenza, which de Sabata also played by heart. In the rehearsal interval, he asked the ''flicorni'' for the final movement to play their brass fanfares. They did. 'What are you playing?' he asked. 'It is an octave higher.' 'Can't be done, Maestro.' ... The Maestro borrowed one of their instruments and blew the correct notes in the right octave." [31] ''(this anecdote is all the more impressive when one knows that the ''flicorno'' (saxhorn) is an instrument usually associated with brass bands and very rarely used in a symphony orchestra).''
★ "A visitor [to La Scala] rehearsing ''Tristan'' asked Victor de Sabata to take the baton while he tested the sound from the centre of the auditorium. Needless to say, the sound he heard was totally different from the one he produced. De Sabata, without uttering a word, asserted his dominance of the orchestra just by standing there". [32]
Selected discography
:''See also Victor de Sabata discography''
The recordings that de Sabata made in the studio are, with some exceptions, considered less gripping than the best of his work in the concert-hall and opera-house. (This may be related to the fact that he is said to have hated making recordings). Fortunately there are now several unauthorized "live" recordings that demonstrate how exciting de Sabata could be on the podium (although the sound quality can be problematic). This contrast comes through in the two different versions of Richard Strauss's ''Death and Transfiguration'' and Verdi's ''Requiem'' listed below.
★ Beethoven, ''Fifth Symphony'', live performance with the New York Philharmonic, New York, 1950 (currently available on Urania and Tahra: Urania is superior)
★ Beethoven, ''Eighth Symphony'', live performance with the New York Philharmonic, New York, 1951 (currently available on Istituto Discografico Italiano)
★ Brahms, ''Fourth Symphony'', studio recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsche Grammophon 1939 (currently available on Pearl)
★ Debussy, ''Jeux'', studio recording with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, HMV, 1947. ''The premiere recording of this work''. (currently available on Pristine Audio and Testament)
★ Debussy, ''La mer'', studio recording with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, HMV 1948 (currently available on Testament)
★ Puccini, ''Tosca'', studio recording with Callas, HMV 1953. ''De Sabata's and Callas's most famous recording''. (currently available on EMI and Naxos Records)
★ Respighi, ''Feste Romane'', studio recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsche Grammophon, 1939 (currently available on Pearl)
:This recording was described as "quite simply, sensational, definitive...The piece blazes with colour" in ''Gramophone'' magazine. [33]
★ Respighi, ''Fountains of Rome'', studio recording with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, HMV, 1947 (currently available on Testament)
★ Respighi, ''Pines of Rome'', live performance with the New York Philharmonic, New York, 1950 (currently available on Urania)
★ Schumann, ''Piano Concerto'', live performance with Claudio Arrau and the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, New York, 1951
★ Sibelius, ''First Symphony'', live performance with the New York Philharmonic, New York, 1950 (currently available on Urania and Nuova Era)
★ Richard Strauss, ''Death and Transfiguration'', studio recording with the Berlin Philharmonic, Deutsche Grammophon 1939 (currently available on Pearl)
★ Richard Strauss, ''Death and Transfiguration'', live performance with the Vienna Philharmonic, Salzburg, 1953 (currently available on IDI and Nuova Era)
★ Verdi, ''Falstaff'', live performance with Tebaldi and Stabile, La Scala, Milan, 1951 (currently available on Music and Arts, and Urania)
★
★ "[o]ne of the most remarkable performances of anything by Verdi ever captured on a disc." De Sabata "creates a performance of electric immediacy with an extraordinary attention to the score's detail and architecture." [34]
★ Verdi, ''Macbeth'', live performance with Callas, La Scala, Milan, 1952 (currently available on EMI)
:Callas and de Sabata "bring an almost supernatural tension to Lady Macbeth's disintegration." "Despite the poor recorded sound, this comes close to dramatic perfection."[35]
★ Verdi, ''Requiem'', live performance with Tebaldi, La Scala, Milan, 1951 (currently available on Urania)
★
★ "A total view of the work can be felt, also a keen ear for relevant detail... Here is the only representation of Renata Tebaldi's fervent, soaring soprano in music that ideally suited her, a poised 'huic ergo', finely floated 'sed signifer', electrifying, as is De Sabata, in the Libera me... All in all, this version takes a very high place in the discography of this work."[36]
★ Verdi, ''Requiem'', studio recording with Schwarzkopf, HMV 1954 (currently available on EMI)
★
★ Speeds are "positively grotesque... All are far below Verdi's metronome marks with disastrous results on the work's structure."
★ Wagner, ''Tristan und Isolde'', live performance with Gertrude Grob-Prandl and Max Lorenz, La Scala, Milan, 1951 (currently available on Archipel)
:"[a] staggering performance in spite of its cuts, and the primitiveness of the recording". The Prelude to Act Three "is one of the most powerful interpretations of this heart-breaking music on record".[37]
★ Wagner, miscellaneous operatic excerpts, live performance with Eileen Farrell and the New York Philharmonic, New York, 1951 (currently available on Urania)
Media
Composition Style
De Sabata's compositions are written in a late-romantic style reminiscent of Respighi and Richard Strauss. They were quite successful in the 1920s, being performed by conductors such as Toscanini and Walter Damrosch, but are little-known today. One reason may be that de Sabata did relatively little to perform and publicize his own works, preferring that his music should succeed or fail on its own merits. Critical opinion on the merits of his compositions has long been divided. For example, a 1926 ''Time Magazine'' review described his ''Gethsemani'' as "shallow, unoriginal music for which even the philanthropic genius of a Toscanini could not achieve distinction", [38] while a critic for ''International Record Review'', writing in the early 2000s, said that the same work "contains some of the loveliest orchestral sounds I have heard in years". [39]
Published compositions
★ ''Il macigno; 2 atti di Alberto Colantuoni'' ("The Rock", opera in 2 acts, 1917).[40] Revised as ''Driada'' in 1935.[41]
★ ''Juventus: poema sinfonico'' ("Juventus: symphonic poem", 1919).[42]
★ ''La notte di Plàton: quadro sinfonico per orchestra'' ("The night of Plato: symphonic sketch for orchestra", 1923).[43]
★ ''Gethsemani, poema contemplativo per orchestra.'' ("Gethsemane, contemplative poem for orchestra", 1925).[44]
★ '' Mille e una notte : fiaba coreografica in 7 quadri'' ("1001 nights: choreographic fairy tale in 7 scenes", ballet, 1931).[45]
Recordings of de Sabata's compositions
★ ''Juventus'', studio recording with the Turin Orchestra of the Italian Broadcasting Authority conducted by the composer, Naxos, 1933
★ ''La notte di Plàton'', ''Gethsemani'', ''Juventus'', studio recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Aldo Ceccato, Hyperion, 2001
Family connections
De Sabata's daughter Eliana (a film screenwriter [46]) is married to conductor Aldo Ceccato, who was also de Sabata's pupil. [47]. His granddaughter Isabella de Sabata is married to conductor John Eliot Gardiner [48] De Sabata's grandson Cristiano Ceccato, son of Eliana, is a former student of CAD pioneer John Frazer.
Quotes
★ "I have in my mind a million notes, and every one which is not perfect makes me mad". [49]
★ "Conducting is a beastly profession". [50]
Spelling of name
The capitalizations 'Victor de Sabata' and 'Victor De Sabata' are both found, and the first name is often given in the Italian form 'Vittorio', especially in Italy. However, examples of the conductor's autograph signature clearly show that he spelt his name 'Victor de Sabata' with a lower-case "d", [51][52] and contemporary playbills indicate that he used the first name 'Victor', even when performing in Italy. [53]
Notable premieres
In concert
★ Ravel, ''L'enfant et les sortilèges'', Monte Carlo, March 21, 1925
On record
★ Debussy, ''Jeux'', Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, HMV, 1947
References
1. Boyden, p. 9
2. Boyden, p. 227
3. Amazon.com editorial review of Debussy: Mer No1-3; Nocturnes No1-3
4. Francesco Cilea, , Leonida, Répaci, Rubbettino, ,
5. The Standard Opera and Concert Guide Part Two, , George P., Upton, Kessinger, ,
6. Review of "Victor de Sabata conducts"
7. Ravel, , David, Burnett-James, Omnibus, ,
8. A Ravel Reader: Correspondence, Articles, Interviews, , Maurice, Ravel, Courier Dover Publications, ,
9.
10. ''Time'', Monday, Oct. 31, 1927
11. Euro-Opera
12. Herbert Von Karajan: A Life in Music, , Richard, Osborne, Northeastern University Press, ,
13. ''Time'' magazine
14. Metropolitan Opera review
15. The Metropolitan Guide to Recorded Opera, , Paul, Gruber, Norton, ,
16. Badal, p. 11
17. Maria Callas: an Intimate Biography, , Anne, Edwards, St. Martin's Press, ,
18. Callas: Portrait of a Prima Donna, , George, Jellinek, Courier Dover Publications, 1986,
19. ''Time'' magazine
20. Walter Legge: Words and Music, , Alan (ed.), Sanders, Routledge, ,
21. Victor de Sabata Conductor
22. Cultura, l'assessore Fabio Morchio alla presentazione dell'"Award Victor De Sabata" di Santa Margherita
23. The Cambridge Companion to Conducting, , Michael, Rose, Cambridge University
Press, ,
24. . On the podium he "seemed to be dancing everything from a tarantella to a sabre dance" ''Time'' magazine
25. Lebrecht, p. 213
26.
27. About Robert Meyer
28. Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian'', , Ezra, Schabas, University of Toronto Press, ,
29. Badal, p. 121
30. Amazon.com editorial review
31.
32. Lebrecht, p. 8
33. Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936): An Annotated Bibliography, , Lee G., Barrow, Scarecrow Press, 2004,
34. Boyden, p. 247
35. Boyden, p. 223
36.
37. Tristan Und Isolde on Record, , Jonathan, Brown, Greenwood, ,
38. ''Time'', Monday, Feb. 01, 1926
39. Victor de Sabata Orchestral Works
40.
Il macigno; 2 atti di Alberto Colantuoni., , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
41. Driada, , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
42. Juventus: poema sinfonico, , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
43. La notte di Plàton: quadro sinfonico per orchestra, , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
44. Gethsemani, poema contemplativo per orchestra, , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
45. Mille e una notte : fiaba coreografica in 7 quadri, , Victor, de Sabata, Ricordi, ,
46. Imdb page
47. Classical CD Review
48. Interview: John Eliot Gardiner - gewend zijn eigen beslissingen te nemen
49. Lebrecht, p. 213
50. ''Time'', Monday, Nov. 22, 1948
51. The Bakaleinikoff Tablecloth: Victor de Sabata
52. Autograph photo
53. La Scala bookstore: Concerto pro Lana
Bibliography
★ Recording the Classics: maestros, music, and technology, , James, Badal, Kent State University Press, 1996,
★ The Rough Guide to Opera, , Matthew, Boyden, Rough Guides, ,
★ L'arte di Victor De Sabata, , Teodoro, Celli, ERI, ,
★ The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power, , Norman, Lebrecht, Citadel, ,
External links
★ AMG AllMusic entry
★ Available recordings of de Sabata conducting, from arkivmusic.com
★ Available recordings of de Sabata's compositions, from arkivmusic.com
★ Biography from Naxos.com
★ Brief obituary in Time Magazine (subscription access)
★ CD Review, containing some interesting background information
★ "Victor de Sabata, conductor", Remiscences by Robert Meyer
★ "Victor de Sabata, his conducting style" by Robert Meyer
★ "Victor de Sabata and the ladies" by Robert Meyer
★ "Victor de Sabata and the critics" by Robert Meyer
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