Ciao a tutti,
It has been exciting posting about so many Italian-Americans that are doing so many wonderful things and getting to know them. I never thought about the fact that someday I would be posting about loosing them.
It is exactly what this post is about. Not only has the Italian-American community lost an honorable and contributing member but the world has lost a great composer and Maestro.
This illustrious person was, is and will always be Maestro Theodore Gargiulo. Personally, he was not only a friend of the family and an avuncular figure, especially musically, but one of my father's best friends. In fact, my father, a professor of languages, and he collaborated on a few musical works together including "Coro D'Italia."
This is a copy of the original handwritten score. The Maestro's last composition was Tryillias an opera in one act written in collaboration with his son Terrence. It is an opera of "an archetypal struggle between terror and faith, power and love. The story chronicles a village's rite of passage from tyranny to a new order..." The opera has been considered for a Pulitzer Prize.
Maestro Gargiulo, composer, conductor and musicologist, was very prolific, writing up until his last few months of his 90th year on earth. I am fortunate to have a signed music book of his titled The Art of Song, a compilation of a few of the Maestro's compositions. Here is a copy of the cover of the first edition of the book and the autographed page.
Speaking of "avuncular," I remember how when he gifted me the book and signed it for me his every so classy and gentle wife Gloria was horrified that he hadn't written any words of endearment on his dedication and made him add the word uncle, which you see in quotes.
My personal fondest memory of the Maestro happened on one particular evening soon after my parents had bought me my first piano. My parents had invited the Gargiulo's to our home, the Maestro, his wife Gloria, his daughter Franca and his son Terrence. I remember it was such a big deal for me to have someone of the Maestro's caliber sitting at my piano and making it sound like I never knew it could. I even remember the songs that he played including "Come Back to Sorrento."
After watching him play, I practiced those Italian songs at the piano trying to emulate his hand movements and style. That night was also the first time I played for him and I will never forget his encouragement and kind words. One thing for sure he was a kind and gentle musical soul and he will be missed. The Maestro and his wife would always stay on top on my singing and performing career every holiday when I would visit Monterey and on a couple occasion gifted me Italian sheet music with encouragement to learn specific songs, many of which I have learned and have used throughout the years in my performances.
Having made Monterey his home in the later part of his life, the local newspaper paid the Maestro their respects in a nice article. Though I have been writing from my personal experiences, there you will read of his many awards and accomplishments. Click here Monterey Herald. com for that article.
Grazie Maestro for "La Musica!"
Filippo
P.S. In keeping with my format of including a video with each post, I unfortunately do not have a video of the Maestro or his works that I can post here. I am reminded however that in 1939 the Maestro lead the "Coro D'Italia" chorus to three gold cup awards at the World's Fair in New York. Making the connection with that I found two interesting videos of the GM sponsored Futurama Exhibition in which they are describing the cities of the then future 1960's. Very Interesting. (In English)
Part 1:
Part 2:
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