Harvard Theatre Collection - Bimboni TCS 1

Alberto Bimboni (1882–1960) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

composer and conductor. He is remembered today, if at all, for his opera ''Winona''; consequently, he is sometimes grouped with other composers of the

Indianist movement The Indianist movement was a movement in American classical music that flourished from the 1880s through the 1920s. It was based on attempts by classical composers to incorporate American Indian musical ideas with some of the basic principles o ...

in American music.

Biography

Born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, Bimboni came to the United States in 1911, immediately finding employment with Henry Savage, who engaged him to conduct his company's tour of

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...

's ''

La fanciulla del West ''La fanciulla del West'' (''The Girl of the West'') is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by and , based on the 1905 play '' The Girl of the Golden West'' by the American author David Belasco. ''Fanciulla'' follow ...

''. Upon conclusion of the run, he continued to find employment as a conductor in various areas of the country. It was during this period that he became interested in American Indian subjects, and composed ''Winona'' to a libretto by a

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

journalist, Perry S. Williams. The story is taken from a legend of the Sioux, and tells of a maiden, named Winona, who threw herself into

Lake Pepin Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake on the Mississippi River on the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is located in a valley carved by the outflow of an enormous glacial lake at the end of the last Ice Age. The ...

to avoid an arranged marriage. The opera's music is heavily based on the music of various Indian tribes, including songs from the Chippewa and Sioux; moccasin, war, and hunting songs are included in the score as well. Bimboni strove not to violate Indian convention; consequently, the choral passages are in unison, with no part-singing. Bimboni had some difficulty in finding an audience for his work, and kept the score with him when he traveled to conduct. At one engagement, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, his story caught the attention of then-

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

, who used his influence to try to have it performed. ''Winona'' finally saw the stage in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

in 1926; at a performance in Minneapolis two years later, the composer was awarded the Bispham Memorial Medal Award for his work in promoting American opera. Bimboni wrote little else besides ''Winona'', although one of his songs was recorded by John McCormack. From 1930 to 1942 he was a teacher at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and since 1933 also at the Opera Department at Juilliard School of Music in New York. For eighteen years, he directed the summer season in Chautauqua, New York, and from 1942 was director of the opera company of Canton (Ohio).''The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia'', ed. S.J. LaGumina, et al. (New York: Garland, 2000), p.139. He has been listed as one of

Gian-Carlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept ...

's instructors. He died in New York in 1960.

Notes and references

External links

Treaccani.it (article by Raoul Meloncelli)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bimboni, Alberto 1882 births 1960 deaths American male classical composers American classical composers American opera composers Male opera composers American male conductors (music) Musicians from Florence Italian emigrants to the United States Curtis Institute of Music faculty Juilliard School faculty 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians