Au début des années 1910, il quitte Palerme, direction l'Angleterre, en quête de meilleures opportunités de travail destinées à favoriser le développement de sa carrière artistique[H 2].
Après une brève incursion au sein d'une formation musicale œuvrant en bordure de plage à Weston-super-Mare[H 2], il se rend ensuite à Londres en 1911[1] où il joue au Ritz, puis devient pianiste au Méridien Piccadilly Hotel[H 2] dans l'orchestre du violoniste et compositeur David De Groot[6].
En , il devient, par mariage, le beau-frère du chef d'orchestre John Barbirolli[H 7],[7] (alias Tita) lorsqu'il épouse la sœur de ce dernier, la pianiste Rosa (Rosie) Barbirolli[1],[H 2].
Le couple qui, entre temps, a donné naissance à un heureux événement, emménage avec leur fille Maria[H 1] à Marchmont Street[H 2]. L'entente, cordiale voire quasi « clanique », entre les « Barbirolli » — Alfonso (Fofo) et John (Tita) ainsi que la belle famille — est au beau fixe, scellée par une franche camaraderie et une solide amitié sur fond d'affinités musicales prolixes[H 2]. Alfonso dédiera d'ailleurs l'une de ses compositions[8] à l'épouse de Tita, la hautboïsteEvelyn Barbirolli(en)[9] : l’œuvre sera donnée en création mondiale en 1948 sous la baguette de John Barbirolli[9],[8].
« Mr. Gibilaro, a pianist, composer, and opera coach, was born in Porto Empedocle, Sicily. In 1897, at the age of nine, he entered the Palermo Conservatory, where he was later a fellow pupil of Gino Marinuzzi. He came to London in 1911 and has since resided there. In 1916, he married John Barbirolli's sister Rosa. Mr. Gibilaro has several published compositions to his credit. »
↑ ab et c(en) Fantasia on British airs [music] : for oboe and string orchestra / A. Gibilaro (printed music edition, score (14 p.) and 6 parts ; 31 cm.), Londres, Oxford University Press, coll. « Oxford orchestral series » (no 0142), c1947, Libraries Australia ID : 23259211 NLA23259211, 40304183 et 25494399 (OCLC221888164)
↑ a et b(en) Alfonso Gibilaro, Menuet de la poupée... Piano conductor, Londres, Noel Gay, , partition musicale, 4 pages (OCLC497489147)
↑ a et b(en) Philip L. Scowcroft, A seventieth garland of British light music composers, MusicWeb International: Classical Music Reviews & Resources, (lire en ligne)
« Finally there was Alfonso Gibilaro, who was of Italian extraction and apparently related to the conductor Sir John Barbirolli, who from time to time, programmed his orchestral music (I seem to remember Three Sicilian Miniatures, or some similar title, appearing in Hallé programmes during the 1940s and early 1950s). Gibilaro was a pianist in small orchestras and ensembles (he regularly appeared and recorded with the violinist/composer David de Groot). Others among Gibilaro's lightish compositions included Burlesque Serenade[H 5], a Fantasia on British Airs[3] (for oboe and strings), Menuet de la poupée[H 6],[4] and the Ronde des marionnettes[5]. »
« [...] On neither occasion did the programme mention that Alfonso Gibilaro was John Barbirolli’s brother-in-law. »
↑ ab et c(en) Solomon Aronowsky (“Gibilaro, Alfonso” “Four Sicilian Miniatures” “Oboe and Orchestra”), Performing times of orchestral works, E. Benn, , 802 p. (lire en ligne), pp. 273 (15), 277 (29)
« Reports and comments Local news Today's sport Nocturne BBC, West of England Light Orchestra (Leader, Frederick Lunnon), Conductor, Frank Cantell [...] Suite : Fête d'enfants, by Alfonso Gibilaro: Ronde des marionnettes ; Menuet de la poupée; Parade des Pierrots. »
↑[EP36559] Sicilian Wagoners. (Carrettieri) [Song.], Londres, Francis, Day & Hunter, , partition musicale, texte en dialecte sicilien (avec version anglaise adjacente), titre alternatif : Four Sicilian Miniatures, no 3 (OCLC497489166, LCCN48021950, présentation en ligne), p. 70
↑(en) Alfonso Gibilaro, Alba e tramonto (Ninna nanna). Sunrise to Sunset (Lullaby). [Song.] English words by Josephine Anderson. Italian words by Franca Lenardon & A. Gibilaro. It. Eng. (partition musicale), Londres, Francis, Day & Hunter, , 7 p. (OCLC497489080)
↑(en) Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions, U.S. Government Printing Office, , Gibilaro, Alfonso. Menuet de la poupée. (RE 7-957) (lire en ligne), pp. 106, 214
↑(en) Alfonso Gibilaro, A Woodland Madrigal. (Madrigale villereccio.) Words by Michele Palminteri. English version by Lydia Bramwell. It. & Eng. (partition musicale), Londres, Francis, Day & Hunter, , 8 p. (OCLC497489179)
↑(it + en) Alfonso Gibilaro, Amicu ventu (The Lone Sailor) (partition musicale)), London, Francis, Day & Hunter, , 5 p., words by Vincenzo Tumminello, English version by Lydia Bramwell (OCLC497489137)
↑(en) Malcolm Sargent (arrangement : Alfonso Gibilaro), Fantasia on sea shanties (Orchestral music, Sea songs), Sydney, NSW, His Master's Voice, , HMV: C.2452 (32-2966 (matrix) -- 32-2967 (matrix)). Date stamps of internal ABC loan and possible broadcast appear on most sleeves of this collection. ABC catalogue n°: M.713A (OCLC781561445), London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr Malcolm Sargent
↑(en) Rediscover : Alfred Lengnick & CO : A Heritage of 20th Century British Music, Universal Music Publishing Classical, Riccordi, (lire en ligne [PDF]), Paganini Niccolò (1782-1840), Moto Perpetuo op. 11, Arrangement: Alfonso Gibilaro (1888–1957), 2.2.2.2 – 4.3.3.1 – timp.glock – hp – str, Duration: 4’, p. 32
↑(en) John Field, transcription pour hautbois effectuée par Evelyn Barbirolli(en), arrangement musical de l'accompagnement orchestral d'Alfonso Gibilaro, Nocturne, Londres, J. & W. Chester, coll. « Classical scores library » (no 3), , Title from HTML t.p. (viewed Jan. 6, 2015). 1 full score + 1 part. For oboe and piano. Alternative title: Nocturnes (OCLC900895946)
Références bibliographiques
↑ a et bKennedy 1971, p. 31 In May 1916 Tita's sister Rosa had married Alfonso 'Fofo' Gibilaro, a Sicilian pianist, and they now had a daughter, Maria.
↑ abcdefgh et iKennedy 1971, p. 32 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[H 4] - 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 joined up on 2 February 1918, going first to Hounslow Barracks from Whitehall.
↑ abc et dLevy 1937, p. 6 Alfonso Gibilaro was a fellow pupil of Marinuzzi when they were both studying at the Conservatory of Palermo(it). He is now an operatic coach in London. He compiled this group of Scottish airs for concerts which Mr. Barbirolli conducted in Glasgow, Scotland. They are played every New Year's Eve in Glasgow. The last time is always Auld Lang Syne, as it has long been a sacred tradition to sing or play this tune at New Year.
↑ ab et cCatalog of Copyright Entries 1919, p. 1266, 1696 (en) Burlesque serenade (musical score for orchestra with conductors for piano and 1st violin), Londres, Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, (1re éd. 1919 en version pour piano), Pl. no 11966. Publ. n° Sel. no 167. 2 conductors ; 30 cm + 1 set of parts (OCLC497693248 et 498212021)
↑Copyright Office, Library of Congress 1953, p. 105 [EF0-17606] (en) Fête d'enfants : parade des Pierrots (from the suite. Fête d'enfants [by] Alfonso Gibilaro), Londres, Noel Gay Music Co., (no 3),
↑Copyright Office, Library of Congress 1953, p. 105 [EF0-17342] (en) A woodland madrigal : madrigale villereccio, Londres, Francis, Day h Hunter,, , words by Michele Palminteri, English version by Lydia Bramwell, music by Alfonso Gibilaro
↑Copyright Office, Library of Congress 1953, p. 597 [EF0-2263253] (en) Alfonso Gibilaro (Ave Maria : cantata in latino / A. Gibilaro ; con orchestra diretta da Enrico Sivieri), Catalog of Copyright Entries :, vol. 7, Francis, Day & Hunter(en) (no 3), (1re éd. 25 août 1953), Copyright Office, Library of Congress (BNF38075627, lire en ligne), A setting for tenor or soprano solo with chorus, ad lib., score, with piano acc; includes part for optional chorus: TB or Smz, « Ave Maria », p. 105