Maksim Aleksandrovič Amfiteatrov (; 27 February 1907 – 19 December 1990), known as Massimo Amfiteatrof, was an Italian
cellist
The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
of Russian descent, dubbed as the "Cellists'
Caruso" ().
Biography
Maksim Aleksandrovič Amfiteatrov was born in Paris, France, into a Russian family. His mother, Ilaria Vladimirovna Sokoloff, was an actress and a singer, while his father,
Alexander Amfiteatrov, was a writer and a journalist. His brother,
Daniele, became an orchestra conductor.
He lived in
St. Petersburg, Empire of Russia, until 1917. When the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
outbroke, his family escaped to Italy and settled in
Liguria
Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
, first in Cavi (a ''frazione'' of
Lavagna
Lavagna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Italian region of Liguria.
History and culture
The village, unlike nearby Chiavari which has pre-Ancient Rome, Roman evidence, seems to have developed in Ancient ...
) and then in
Levanto, in the
Province of La Spezia
The province of La Spezia (; Ligurian language, Ligurian: ''provinsa dea Spèza'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of La Spezia.
Overview
It has an area of and, , a total population o ...
.
In Levanto the Amfiteatrof family gave hospitality to other Russian refugees, especially artists, and made its house a well-known cultural and intellectual circle. Having a culturally strong background, Massimo Amfiteatrof began to study cello and moved to
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
to attend the local Conservatory.
In 1924
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
appointed him principal solo cello at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
at the age of 17, a role with whom he worked first with the
EIAR Orchestra in
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
and then with the
RAI Orchestra in Rome.
As a soloist, Amfiteatrof toured all Europe and America, sometimes together with pianist Marisa Candeloro. During the 1940s, he had formed a trio with violinist Arrigo Pelliccia and pianist Ornella Puliti Santoliquido. The Trio turned into the Quartetto di Roma as the violist
Bruno Giuranna joined the group.
Massimo Amfiteatrof also taught at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome and at the
Naples Conservatory and made some records (many of them published by
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
) together with the Virtuosi di Roma string quartet in which violinists such as
Renato Fasano and Luigi Ferro did participate.
Although he was a classical musician, Massimo Amfiteatrof provided his talent to pop music artists and records. One of his best efforts has been his contribution to
Fabrizio De Andre's album ''
Non al denaro non all'amore né al cielo'': Amfiteatrof played cello in two songs, "''Un ottico''" (An Optician) and "''Un Blasfemo''" (A Blasphemous One), under the baton of
Nicola Piovani and together with violinist/violist
Dino Asciolla.
After his retirement, Amfiteatrof continued to live in Levanto and died there in 1990. In 1992, two years after his death, the Ligurian town inaugurated the
Amfiteatrof Music Festival, known until 2016 as Festival Massimo Amfiteatrof, a classical and chamber music festival that has reached the 25th edition in 2016.
See also
*
Aleksandr Amfiteatrov
*
Daniele Amfitheatrof
*
Levanto
*
Amfiteatrof Music Festival
References
External links
Russi in Italia(Italian biography)
(French biography)
* (Festival Massimo Amfiteatrof official website)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amfiteatrof, Massimo
1907 births
1990 deaths
Expatriates from the Russian Empire in France
20th-century Russian male musicians
Italian classical cellists
Russian classical cellists
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Italy
20th-century Italian classical musicians
20th-century Italian cellists
Levanto, Liguria