A New Year’s party with Vladimir Horowitz at the piano

That is a pretty confusing list of participants, Mr. L. For clarity’s sake here is who we are talking about:

Rose Bampton-Wilfrid Pelletier. Pelletier was a long-time conductor at the Metropolitan opera, mostly specializing in the French repertoire, having started as a rehearsal pianist. He was also important in the history of the Montreal Symphony. His wife Rose Bampton was an important (and very glamorous) soprano at the Met for many seasons, having started her career as a mezzo. She made some significant recordings on 78 rpm. Interestingly, Pelletier was married to Bampton’s vocal teacher and divorced her to marry Bampton. Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier is perhaps Canada’s most famous concert hall.

Mr. & Mrs. S. Chotzinoff. That is Samuel Chotzinoff, at one time Heifetz’s pianist (and Zimbalist’s pianist) and “Mrs. Chotzinoff” was Pauline Heifetz, the violinist’s sister and noted character with a knack for saying funny things that made their way into the newspapers of the day, and who at one time had dated George Gershwin. Chotzinoff was at various times a concert pianist, music critic, and eventually music administrator with roles at RCA Victor and NBC. He played a role in forming, and convincing Toscanini to accept the position with, the NBC Symphony, and his biography of Toscanini, while self-serving and reportedly inaccurate in some particulars, is still worth reading. He was also heavily involved with the NBC Opera telecasts, including the famous appearances by a then-unknown Leontyne Price.

Blair Chotzinoff was their son, who also had a long career as a writer and critic. I believe he also had a post at NBC for a time. His daughters have also become writers.

Mr. & Mrs.Yashia Merovich — I cannot seem to find any information on them. Does anyone know more about them? They traveled in quite a circle of friends that is for sure.

Guido Cantelli -Iris Cantelli. Guida Cantelli was a famous conductor, regarded as Toscanini’s protege who made some excellent recordings before dying tragically young in a plane crash. His recording of the Franck Symphony with the NBC Symphony gives us a chance to hear Toscanini’s orchestra in early stereo. Iris was his wife.

Walter Toscanini is of course Arturo Toscanini’s son and eldest child, who spent much of his adult career working on preserving surviving Toscanini broadcasts for commercial release. He was also known as a dance historian and both author of and collector of books and materials on the subject. He also was one of the leading anti-fascists in Italy.

Cia (originally Lucia) Fornaroli was Walter’s wife and an important ballet dancer at La Scala and the Met.

Walfredo Toscanini was son of Walter and Cia, an architect and Democratic Party activist who worked to preserve the legacy of his grandfather and that of his parents.

Miece Horzowski surely refers to Mieczysław Horszowski the pianist (recently featured elsewhere on Slipped Disc in the Bach Concerto for 3 pianos conducted by Casals. He had performed with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony, and is perhaps best known for his recordings with violinist Joseph Szigeti for Columbia and for his very late in life concerts and recordings.

Wanda Horowitz-Arturo Toscanini. Too well-known to require any biographical info from me!