Alfonso Gibilaro, who was born on 28 September 1888 in Porto Empedocle and who died on 5 January 1957, was a Sicilian pianist, opera coach and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

.
The family were delighted by their new member, Rosie's pianist husband Alfonso Gibilaro.* He had left Palermo for England in pursuit of better opportunities. He began in a pier orchestra at Weston-super-Mare but soon went to London where he played at the Ritz and then became pianist for De Groot's famous orchestra at the Piccadilly Hotel. After their marriage he and Rosie stayed in Marchmont Street, and 'Fofo' or 'Fof,' as he was called by the family, learned the Venetian dialect. From the first Tita loved him, and since Rosie too was a pianist and sometimes played with her father at the Queen's - as did Tita on occasions - the musical camaraderie was consolidated. It was this close-knit circle that Tita left when he joined the Army. 52537 Private G. B.

Barbirolli Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 189929 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 194 ...

joined up on 2 February 1918, going first to Hounslow Barracks from Whitehall.
In May 1916 Tita's sister Rosa had married Alfonso 'Fofo' Gibilaro, a Sicilian pianist, and they now had a daughter, Maria. Two of his masterpieces—an ''Ave Maria'' as well as a Sicilian dialect song entitled '' Carrettieri''BNF FRBNF13796590
/ref>—were popularized by the interpretation and sound recordings made by the famous Italian tenor

Beniamino Gigli Beniamino Gigli ( , ; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer (lyric tenor). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tenors of his generation. Early life Gigli was born in Recanati, in the Marche, the son of a shoem ...

on behalf of '' His Master's Voice''.

Works

* *
BNF FRBNF13796590
* ''Fantasia on British Airs'' for oboe and strings, published Oxford University Press * ''Burlesque Serenade'' * ''Menuet de la Poupie'' * ''Rondo des Marionettes''

Bibliography

Notes and references

References

Bibliographical references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibilaro, Alfonso Composers from Sicily 1888 births 1957 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century Italian composers 20th-century Italian male musicians Italian classical composers Italian classical pianists Italian male pianists Italian male classical composers Italian Romantic composers Italian male classical pianists Palermo Conservatory alumni