De Sabata, Victor (actually, Vittorio)

De Sabata, Victor (actually, Vittorio), outstanding Italian conductor and composer; b. Trieste, April 10, 1892; d. Santa Margherita Ligure, Dec. 11,1967. He studied with Michele Saladino and Giacomo Orefice at the Milan Cons. (1901–11). An extremely versatile musician, he could play piano with considerable elan, and also took lessons on cello, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. He was encouraged in his career as a conductor by Toscanini; at the same time, he began to compose opéras. His first production was 17 Macigno, which was first performed at La Scala in Milan on March 30, 1917. His symphonic poem Juventus (1919) was conducted at La Scala by Toscanini. De Sahara’s style of composition involved Romantic Italian formulas, with lyric and dramatic episodes receiving an equal share of attention. In the meantime, he filled engagements as an opéra and sym. conductor in Italy. In 1927 he conducted concerts in N.Y. and Cincinnati, in 1936 he conducted at the Vienna State opéra, in 1939 he was a guest conductor with the Berlin Phil., and in 1946 he conducted in Switzerland. On April 21, 1946, he was invited to conduct a sym. concert in London, the first conductor from an “enemy country” to conduct in England after World War II. He then was a guest conductor with the Chicago Sym. Orch. in 1949, and with the N.Y. Phil, and the Boston Sym. Orch. in 1950. He became popular with American audiences, and in 1952 was engaged to conduct in N.Y., Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, St. Louis, and Detroit. In 1953 he conducted in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara, Calif. On Feb. 18, 1957, he conducted at the funeral of Toscanini; this was his last appearance on the podium. He was the father-in-law of Aldo Ceccato. As a conductor, De Sabata acquired a brilliant reputation in both opératic and symphonic repertoire. He was an impassioned and dynamic conductor who excelled particularly in the works of Verdi and Wagner.

Works

DRAMATIC II Madgno, opéra (Milan, March 30, 1917; 2nd version, Driada, Turin, Nov. 12, 1935); Lisistrata, opéra (1920); Le milk e una notte, ballet (Milan, Jan. 20, 1931); theater music for Max Reinhardt’s production of The Merchant of Venice (Venice, July 18, 1934). ORCH: 3 symphonic poems: Juventus (1919), La notte di Platon (1924), and Gethsemani (1925).

Bibliography

R. Mucci, V. d.S. (Lanciano, 1937); T. Celli, L’arte di V. d.S. (Turin, 1978).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire