An impresario (from Italian impresa , 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts , plays , or operas , performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer .
20-553: Valentine Charles Parnell (14 February 1892 – 22 September 1972) was a British television managing director and presenter, actor and theatrical impresario . A former staple of stage production, his career in television started with the launch of the ITV network in 1955. Parnell was born in London , the son of Fred Russell ( né Thomas Frederick Parnell), a ventriloquist. He began his theatrical career at age 13 working as an office boy for
40-599: A "silly farce", Mozart appears to have taken the opportunity to write serious arias and thus the "audition" of Madame Herz includes her aria " Da schlägt die Abschiedsstunde " ("There tolls the hour of departure"), while Mme Silberklang sings the elegant rondo , " Bester Jüngling " ("Dearest Youth"). The opera was first presented in the United Kingdom on 30 May 1857 at the St James's Theatre in London and given its US premiere at
60-486: A leading role in orchestrating events. Jacques Cousteau said of himself that he was an impresario of scientists as an explorer and filmmaker who worked with scientists in underwater exploration. Nicholas Wade described James Watson and E. O. Wilson in The New York Times as impresarios of Charles Darwin 's works. Der Schauspieldirektor Der Schauspieldirektor ( The Impresario ), K. 486,
80-574: A music-hall circuit. In 1945, after George Black 's death he took over as managing director of the Moss Empires music hall and variety circuit, in charge of some of London's most well-known theatres, including the London Palladium , The Victoria Palace and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane . He adopted a controversial, but very successful, policy of presenting high-priced, big-name American acts at
100-662: A musical competition which was given a private performance hosted on 7 February 1786 by Joseph II at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. This competition pitted a German singspiel , presented at one end of the room, against a competing Italian opera, the Italian entry being Antonio Salieri 's opera buffa , Prima la musica e poi le parole ( First the Music, then the Words ), which was then given at
120-457: A property development company and began to sell Moss Empires' theatres for redevelopment. He resigned as managing director of Moss Empires in 1958 to concentrate on ATV but remained as a director until 1960 but retained an interest in the Palladium. He lost his position as managing director of ATV to Lew Grade in 1962 but remained on the board. When it became known in 1966 that this fate awaited
140-524: Is a comic singspiel by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , set to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie , an Austrian Schauspieldirektor . Originally, it was written because of "the imperial command" of the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II who had invited 80 guests to a private luncheon. It is regarded as "a parody on the vanity of singers", who argue over status and pay. Mozart, who describes it as "comedy with music" wrote it as his entry in
160-690: The English Chamber Orchestra (conducted by André Previn ), was performed with an English libretto penned by Previn's then wife Dory Previn , who transplanted the amusing tale to the 20th century. Bronx Opera performed it in 1972, 2008, and in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , as a video version in Zoom format. Frank, the impresario (along with the buffo singer, Buff, who assists him) auditions two actresses to be part of his new theatrical company. While both are hired, they then argue over who will get
180-827: The Stadt Theatre in New York on 9 November 1870. In modern times, the text is usually completely rewritten for contemporary relevance, which was the case for the 2014 production given by the Santa Fe Opera . There it had "English dialogue by the British dramatist Ranjit Bolt and additional Mozart concert arias folded into the score" with the action taking place in Paris in the 1920s. The cast included Anthony Michaels-Moore , Brenda Rae , Meredith Arwady, and Erin Morley . The 1966 recording by
200-646: The London Palladium, Prince Littler organised a take-over to save the theatre and Val Parnell retired to live in France. He died of a heart attack on 22 September 1972 and was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium , where a memorial plaque was erected in the West Courtyard at the end of the columbarium. This article about a British businessperson born in the 1890s is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Impresario The term originated in
220-414: The gambling operation and introduced roulette . Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg was a harpsichordist who also presided over seventeenth-century North German court music as an impresario. The traditional term is still used in the entertainment industry to refer to a producer of concerts , tours and other events in music, opera, theatre , and even rodeo . Important modern impresarios in
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#1733085676402240-567: The middleman in a series of successful seasons he produced for the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. He presented the premieres of the first version of Giuseppe Verdi 's Macbeth , two of Vincenzo Bellini 's operas and five of Gaetano Donizetti 's, including Lucia di Lammermoor . Domenico Barbaia (1778–1841) began as a café waiter and made a fortune at La Scala , in Milan, where he was also in charge of
260-570: The other end of the room. The premiere was followed by the first of three public performances given four days later at the Kärntnertor Theater , Vienna, on 11 February. The autograph manuscript of the opera is preserved in the Morgan Library & Museum . The work was written during a very creative period in Mozart's life, at the same time as his Le nozze di Figaro , which premiered later
280-477: The prime role and who will be paid the most. To illustrate their strengths, each sings a striking aria to back her claim (Herz: " Da schlägt die Abschiedsstunde ", Silberklang: " Bester Jüngling "). An agreement is reached when the tenor, Vogelsang, intervenes, in what Julian Rushton describes as a hilarious trio, " Ich bin die erste Sängerin " (I am the prima donna ) compromise is agreed to with each receiving "large salaries and star billing". The work ended with
300-473: The same year, along with three piano concertos and "another dozen major works". In addition to the overture , there are only four vocal numbers in the score, and the musical content (about 30 minutes) is surrounded by much spoken dialogue, typical in its day. One highlight, which Erik Smith describes as very funny, is where "each lady sings about the nobility of her art while trying to defeat her rival with ever higher notes". Although it has been described as
320-471: The social and economic world of Italian opera , in which from the mid-18th century to the 1830s, the impresario was the key figure in the organization of a lyric season. The owners of the theatre, usually amateurs from the nobility, charged the impresario with hiring a composer (until the 1850s operas were expected to be new) and the orchestra, singers, costumes and sets, all while assuming considerable financial risk. In 1786 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart satirized
340-457: The stress and emotional mayhem in a single-act farce Der Schauspieldirektor ( The Impresario ). Antonio Vivaldi was unusual in acting as both impresario and composer; in 1714 he managed seasons at Teatro San Angelo in Venice, where his opera Orlando finto pazzo was followed by numerous others. Alessandro Lanari (1787–1852), who began as the owner of a shop that produced costumes, eliminated
360-688: The top of the bill. Among many, the list included Carmen Miranda , Judy Garland , Sophie Tucker , Bing Crosby , Danny Kaye , Rosemary Clooney , the Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and his orchestra, Bob Hope , Liza Minnelli , Lena Horne , Ella Fitzgerald , Peggy Lee , Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr. , Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray , freezing out many British stars of the day, who were relegated to second-billing. He auditioned and signed 12-year-old Julie Andrews for her first professional performance and introduced her to her manager, Charles Tucker, also known as Uncle Charlie Tucker. In 1956 he
380-562: The traditional sense include Thomas Beecham , Rudolf Bing , Sergei Diaghilev , Richard D'Oyly Carte , Fortune Gallo , Sol Hurok , Sarah Caldwell , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Aaron Richmond , and jazz festival producer George Wein . Bill Graham , who produced music shows at The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, was known as a rock music impresario. The term is occasionally applied to others, such as independent art museum curators , event planners, and conference organizers who have
400-562: Was appointed managing director of Associated Television (ATV). He took a personal interest in the station's output and presented the top-rated ITV weekly musical variety show Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium until 1965. British stars on the show included Cliff Richard and the Shadows , Petula Clark , the Beatles and the Rolling Stones . Parnell became associated with
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