Anatole Fistoulari

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Anatole Fistoulari (20 August 1907 – 21 August 1995)[1] was a Ukrainian conductor, who became a British citizen.[2] A child prodigy, he later conducted around Europe and America, and left a significant discography.

Anatole Fistoulari
Born20 August 1907
Died21 August 1995(1995-08-21) (aged 88)
NationalityUkrainian
CitizenshipBritish

Biography

Fistoulari was born into a musical family in

State Opera Orchestra and the Blüthner Orchestra, as well concerts in Hamburg and Dresden, and received advice from Arthur Nikisch.[5]

In 1933, Fistoulari was chosen to conduct several seasons of the Grand Opera Russe at the

La Scala including Stabile, Lomanto, Chaliapin and Vichnevska.[5] In 1933, he began his collaboration with Léonide Massine's Ballets Russes in Paris, touring in London and to 61 cities in the United States in 1937. Fistoulari also gave orchestral concerts during this time.[5]

In 1939 Fistoulari joined the

USSR
with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Operatic work in Britain began with a

Royal Ballet, London in 1954 and 1955.[1] Outside the UK, he conducted orchestras in Israel and New Zealand among other countries.[1] During the 1950–51 season at the Teatro Liceo, Barcelona he led a series of performances of three Russian works, Khovanshchina, Le Coq d'Or, and The Invisible City of Kitezh.[7] In 1956 he toured Russia as conductor with the London Philharmonic with stops in Leningrad and Moscow.[1]

Fistoulari made a number of studio recordings from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s, most of them dance or ballet music, overtures and concertos. Fistoulari specialised in the interpretation of

Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam in February 1961; and (uncut) in 1973, a Decca Phase 4 three disc set, featuring Ruggiero Ricci as violin soloist. Fistoulari made his last recordings with Decca Phase 4 in the early 1970s, including Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. His last recording was in June 1978 with Takayoshi Wanami and the Philharmonia Orchestra in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64.[citation needed
]

Besides his ballet recordings, Fistoulari conducted many well-known singers on record including Jan Peerce, Inge Borkh, Victoria de los Ángeles, and Boris Christoff, pianists like Edwin Fischer, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Clifford Curzon, Wilhelm Kempff, Earl Wild and Shura Cherkassky, as well as violinists such as Yehudi Menuhin and Nathan Milstein.[citation needed]

Family life

In 1942 Fistoulari married Anna Mahler, daughter of the composer Gustav Mahler.[1] She was living in Hampstead, having fled Nazi-occupied Austria.[2] It was her fourth marriage. They had a daughter, Marina, born August 1943. They separated after the war and Anna moved to California. Their marriage was dissolved around 1956.[1]

Later life and death

Fistoulari suffered from crippling arthritis during the latter years of his life; and was cared for by his second wife, the Scottish violinist Elizabeth Lockhart.[4] He died in London at Queen Mary's Hospital on 21 August 1995.[3]

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ a b c d Obituary – Anatole Fistoulari. Opera, October 1995, Vol.46 No.10, p1172.
  3. ^ a b "Anatole Fistoulari, Conductor, 88, Dies". The New York Times. 25 August 1995. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Obituary: Anatole Fistoulari". The Independent. London. 22 August 1995. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Brook, Donald. Anatole Fistoulari. In: Conductors' Gallery. Rockcliff, London, 1946, p56-60.
  6. ^ Amis John. Amiscellany – My life, my music. Faber & Faber Ltd, London, 1985, p89.
  7. ^ Report from Spain. Opera, March 1951, Vol.2 No.4, p198