Sembrich & The Giannini Siblings
Portrait of Vittorio Giannini. ca. 1950. From The Sembrich Collection.
While researching songs dedicated to Mme. Sembrich, “Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue Sky” by Vittorio Giannini caught our attention because his sisters — Euphemia and Dusolina — were two of Sembrich’s star pupils. After a bit of research, we discovered that in the summer of 1927, Vittorio joined his two sisters for study with Madame Sembrich on Lake George and to enjoy the Adirondack landscape. Later that year, “Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue Sky” was published and “Dedicated most respectfully to Madame Marcella Sembrich.”
So, who were the Giannini siblings? The three young musicians were the children of Ferruccio Giannini, an accomplished Italian tenor, and Antonietta Briglia, a well-known violinist. The eldest sibling, Euphemia Giannini-Gregory, was a soprano and later, a voice teacher at the Curtis Institute of Music who taught singers Anna Moffo, Judith Blegen, and David Lloyd. The second oldest, Vittorio, was a composer who later taught at Juilliard and then became the founding President of the North Carolina School of the Arts. The third sibling, Dusolina, was an international opera star during the mid-1900s singing with major companies around the globe. There was also a fourth and youngest Giannini sibling, Francesco, who was a cellist but pursued a career as a psychiatrist.
Sembrich (seated) with Euphemia Giannini Gregory (standing right) at The Curtis Institute. 1926. From The Sembrich Collection.
Mme. Sembrich (standing) with Dusolina Giannini (seated) at Bay View. 1924. From The Sembrich Collection.
Link for Listening:
Use the Link below to listen to a recording of Giannini’s 1927 song “Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue Sky,” performed by celebrated American tenor Mario Lanza (recorded live in London, 1958).
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