Adalgiso Ferraris

Adalgiso Ferraris
Ferraris in 1912, Russia
Born	Adalgiso Ferraris (1890-02-16)February 16, 1890 Novara, Piedmont, Italy.
Died	December 31, 1968(1968-12-31) (aged 78) Woolwich, London, U.K.
Education	Regia Accademia Filarmonica , Bologna, Italy
Occupation	Musical composer, pianist
Years active	1910–68
Spouse(s)	Adele Brunelli, married 1920
Parent(s)	Carlo Ferraris Cristina Cerri
Relatives	Luigi Ferraris Carlo Ferraris Gisella Ferraris

Adalgiso Ferraris (16 February 1890 – 31 December 1968) was an Italian-born British composer and pianist. Ferraris' compositions were based on classical and popular genres, with a particular flavour of gypsy, Hungarian and Russian traditionals. Among his best known melodies are the romantic Russian song "Dark Eyes", "Calinerie", "Souvenir d'Ukraine", "the Russian Pedlar" , "Two guitars" and "A Balalaika"

Ferraris was born in Novara, in Piedmont, North of Italy. He went on to study at the Regia Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna, Italy, and studied piano and music composition with Manfredi and Crescentino.

In 1910 Ferraris travelled to Russia to study with Tchevnioroshy in St. Petersburg. Here he supported his studies playing during the capital's last years of the "belle Epoque" nightlife.

He developed his skills particularly in the piccolo concerto and especially in Tzigane music. In 1912 he became pianist in an orchestra which also played at Tsarskoye Selo.

Ferraris in Petersburg, Russia, 1912

Ferraris' Salon Orchestra at the Grand Hotel du Nord, Saint Petersburg

Ferraris in Rhythm, 1931

One of his most famous song is the Russian styled "Dark Eyes", published around 1910 as Schwarze Augen with German editor Otto Kuhl. Ferraris then published it again in 1931 by Paris Editions Salabert, as "Tes yeux noirs (impression russe) " and with Jacques Liber, on Oct 9th, 1931, as "Dark Eyes". The song was a success of the 1930s, with artists such as Albert Sandler, filmed by British Pathe in 1932 and Leslie Jeffries, filmed by British Pathe in 1939 or sung by Al Bowlly, with words of Albert Mellor. Ferraris himself can be seen in a British Pathé film from 1934 of Alfredo and his Gypsy band, sitting in the orchestra behind the lead Alfredo . They sometimes played together, as showed in this picture below at the Alexandria Palace in London.

Ferraris at the Alexandria Palace in London, 1935, with Alfredo and his Orchestra

Among other versions, a 1941 recording of Dark Eyes (by Ferraris) played by Harry Parry and his radio sextet was a hit during the war, and a very original interpretation for electric guitar, played by Chet Atkins. Ferraris version is still played today by many artists such as the Trio Artemis and Hristo Kardjiev. The song was recorded in Italy by Nino Impallomeni and his orchestra, and by Don Rico and his Orchestra.

Ferraris was caught by the war in Russia, and travelled via Finland through England to get back to Italy and join the Italian Army.