Amfitheatrof, Daniele (Alexandrovich)
Amfitheatrof, Daniele (Alexandrovich)
Amfitheatrof, Daniele (Alexandrovich), Russian-born American composer and conductor; b. St. Petersburg, Oct. 29, 1901; d. Rome, June 7, 1983. He was a son of a famous Russian journalist. He studied composition with Wihtol and Shcherbachov at the St. Petersburg Cons., with Křička in Prague, and with Respighi at the Cons, di Santa Cecilia in Rome (diploma, 1924); also organ at Rome’s Pontifical Academy of Sacred Music. After conducting in Italy and Europe, he went to the U.S. in 1937 and became a naturalized citizen in 1944. Amfitheatrof was assoc. conductor of the Minneapolis Sym. Orch. (1937–38), and then went to Hollywood in 1939, where he wrote over 50 film scores until 1965; then settled in Italy. His works followed in the exuberant Romantic tradition espoused by Respighi. Among his orchestral compositions are Poema del mare (1925), Miracolo della rosa (1927), Panorama americano (1933), and a Piano Concerto (1937–46). He also composed a Requiem (1960) and much chamber music.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire