La Scala mourns veteran concertmaster
RIPThe funeral took place on Friday in Milano of Franco Fantini, solo violinist of the La Scala orchestra for almost half a century. Franco was 99.
Performing first with Victor de Sabata, he joined the orchestra in 1942, aged 17, and was appointed concertmaster in 1954.
He co-founded the Filarmonica della Scala with Claudio Abbado and worked equally closely with Riccardo Muti. His final concert was in Bonn in 1999.
photo: Teatro della Scala
I am sorry to read of this. He and Lola Bobesco recorded in stereo a lovely collection of concertos by Vivaldi for two orchestras, with Angelo Ephrikian conducting Les Solistes de Bruxelles and I Solisti di Milano. It was sort of a counterpart album to the LP he made of the Four Seasons with Ephrikian. Wonderfully warm-toned violin playing.
May he rest in peace. I will never forget his mesmerising solo on the prelude to the 3rd act of Verdi’s ‘I lombardi’ under Gavazzeni at La Scala. He stole the show.
Not actually in the prelude to the 3rd act, but the prelude and terzetto in the finale of act III.
you can see him on the Horowitz documentary film on recording Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23