Daily Bow: Sketch by Ennio Bolognini

Click Below to Hear a Fascinating Sketch by Cellist Ennio Bolognini! 

There are so many fantastic stories about Ennio Bolognini who, for a time, was the principal cellist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

You can hear his amazing creativity for yourself. Bolognini’s skill with the instrument is evident in this privately recorded sketch. He shows us how to create fantastic, lifelike sounds. Listen to this and you will learn how to make the cello sound like birds, cows, pigs, trains, and even an airplane.

http://www.cableeye.com/Bolognini_Sketch.html

Click above the picture of Bolognini to activate the sound file.

Some biographical information on Ennio Bolognini:

In 1923 Bolognini emigrated to the United States. Interestingly the reason he moved to the United States was to be the sparring partner for Luis Firpo in preparation for his prize-fight with Jack Dempsey. Bolognini was not only an amazingly fine cellist, but also a champion boxer, and a licensed airplane pilot. He flew his own private plane, and was once a professional stunt flyer. He was co-founder of the American Civil Air Patrol, and trained cadets to fly B-29 bombers in World War II. He was a modern day Renaissance man, an athlete, gourmet, gambler, speaking Hebrew, Greek, Japanese, Hungarian, Russian and 15 different Italian dialects.

Bolognini was well known for his fiery temper and impulsive behavior. When he was principal cellist of the Chicago Symphony (he always took his dog to rehearsals), he served as interpreter for Glazunov, who was appearing as a guest conductor. Glazounov, overcome by stage fright, came to Ennio instead of mounting the podium, and spoke with him anxiously for a few minutes, as the audience waited. Later, Bolognini was accused of trying to hog the stage, and he became angry and resigned from the Symphony.

He lived in Las Vegas from 1951 to his death in 1979, where he founded the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a wonderful guitarist, and could also play flamenco music on the cello, as if it were a guitar. Casals praised Bolognini as the greatest cello talent he had ever heard in his life. Feuermann said that Bolognini was a better cellist than Casals, Piatigorsky or himself.

The source of this last statement is disputed by some. Nothing in the biographies of Piatigorsky, Feuermann or Casals alludes to Bolognini, or his greatness. He has left no recordings of major or recognized cello works, such as the Bach solo cello sonatas, or other major cello concertos; and his recordings are limited to short musical vignettes or his own short compositions.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Barber) Bolognini, who remains in the family home in Las Vegas. She currently works with the Las Vegas Music Teachers Association who offer a scholarship competition in Bolognini’s honor. He is also survived by his daughter, Francesca Bolognini, who resides in Cambria, California. She is a percussionist, drum circle facilitator, artist and holistic healer.

Bio from Wikipedia