Charles Magnante
Encyclopedia
Charles Magnante was an American piano-accordionist
, arranger
, composer
, author and educator. His artistry helped raise the image of the accordion from an instrument considered suitable only for folk music
to an instrument accepted in many music genres.
Tony Mottola
and organist
George Wright
, and played regularly on NBC
radio broadcasts. He worked also as a sought-after studio musician. At the peak of his career, he played 30 live radio broadcasts and eight studio sessions each week. He performed also as a solo concert musician, and once performed a solo concert at the Civic Stadium of Buffalo, New York
for an audience of 40,000.
Magnante was one of the twelve founding members of the American Accordionists' Association
(founded in 1938), and also served as this organization's president for three terms .
Magnante wrote method books for accordion players and numerous arrangements of contemporary popular standards, schlager
s and classical pieces. Many of his arrangements can still be found in the standard repertoire of accordionists throughout the world. His most famous original composition is probably the novelty
Accordiana. His arrangements and compositions stretch across a number of musical genres, including easy listening
, jazz
and boogie-woogie
, and light classical pieces.
, Grand Award
, Command Records
, Decca Records
, and other record labels.
Magnante also appeared as guest accordionist with other artists, such as Marlene Dietrich.
. Charlotte Magnante died in 1997.
Magnante was an avid big game hunter; he wrote articles about his hunting trips which were published by hunting magazines.
Piano accordion
A piano accordion is an accordion equipped with a right-hand keyboard similar to a piano or organ. Its acoustic mechanism is more similar to that of an organ than a piano, as they are both wind instruments, but the term "piano accordion"—coined by Guido Deiro in 1910—has remained the popular...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, author and educator. His artistry helped raise the image of the accordion from an instrument considered suitable only for folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to an instrument accepted in many music genres.
Background
Magnante's father was a well-known amateur musician, and performed at Italian wedding receptions and other dance venues. Charles sang along with his father beginning at the age of five years, and at the age of seven, he secretly learned to play his father's accordion. At the age of sixteen his reputation as an accordionist had grown so much he was receiving many offers to join tours with stage bands, which he declined due to his continuing musical studies.Career
Charles Magnante started his professional career playing in Italian restaurants and on the Staten Island Ferry. However, he wanted to break free from the O Sole Mio image of the stereotypical Italian-American accordionist which his audiences expected to hear. In the 1940s, he was the leader of a successful trio with guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Tony Mottola
Tony Mottola
Tony Mottola was an American guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey, and died in Denville, New Jersey.-Career:...
and organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
George Wright
George Wright (organist)
George Wright was an American musician, possibly the most famous virtuoso of the theatre organ of the modern era....
, and played regularly on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
radio broadcasts. He worked also as a sought-after studio musician. At the peak of his career, he played 30 live radio broadcasts and eight studio sessions each week. He performed also as a solo concert musician, and once performed a solo concert at the Civic Stadium of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
for an audience of 40,000.
Magnante was one of the twelve founding members of the American Accordionists' Association
American Accordionists' Association
The American Accordionists Association is an American association dedicated to players of the accordion. It was established on March 9, 1938 and is currently based in Fairfield, Connecticut....
(founded in 1938), and also served as this organization's president for three terms .
Magnante wrote method books for accordion players and numerous arrangements of contemporary popular standards, schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
s and classical pieces. Many of his arrangements can still be found in the standard repertoire of accordionists throughout the world. His most famous original composition is probably the novelty
Novelty piano
Novelty Piano is a genre of piano music that was popular during the 1920s.A successor to ragtime and an outgrowth of the piano roll music of the teens, novelty piano can be considered a pianistic cousin of jazz, which appeared around the same time....
Accordiana. His arrangements and compositions stretch across a number of musical genres, including easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
, and light classical pieces.
Discography
Magnante was featured as accordion soloist on more than two dozen albums (many with studio orchestras), released by ColumbiaColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Grand Award
Grand Award Records
Grand Award Records was a record label associated with ABC-Paramount RecordsGrand Award began life as Waldorf Music Hall records in the early 1950s. Waldorf Music Hall records carry a logo "FDR" in a diamond on their front covers, which might mislead some into believing that was the label name....
, Command Records
Command Records
Command Records was a record label founded by Enoch Light in 1959 and later associated with ABC-Paramount Records....
, Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, and other record labels.
- ACCORDION POPS CONCERT, COOK 1013
- HIS & HERS, COOK RECORDSCook RecordsCook Records was a record label founded by Emory Cook . Cook was an audio engineer and inventor. From 1952 to 1966, Cook used his Sounds of our Times and Cook Laboratories record labels to demonstrate his philosophy about sound, his recording equipment, and his manufacturing techniques.- Recording...
1014 - ACCORDIANA, HOLLYWOOD LPH 131
- ACCORDIANA, COLUMBIA RECORDS SET C-53
- ACCORDIANA Vol. II, COLUMBIA B-283
- FIESTA!, COMMAND RS 869 SD
- CARNIVAL, COMMAND RS 907 SD
- ROMAN ACCORDION, COMMAND RS 852 SD
- ROMANTIC ACCORDION, COMMAND RS 888 SD
- ACCORDION BELLICOSITY, COMMAND RSSD 971-2
- CHARLES MAGNANTE PLAYS THE ACCORDION, GRAND AWARD AAS-707
- MAGNANTE…IN CONCERT, GRAND AWARD GA 268 S
- POLKA PARTY, GRAND AWARD GA 33-323
- ROMAN SPECTACULAR, GRAND AWARD GA EP 20226
- ROMAN SPECTACULAR, GRAND AWARD GA 33-361
- ROMAN SPECTACULAR, GRAND AWARD GA 306 SD
- SPANISH SPECTACULAR, GRAND AWARD GA 33-379
- ROMAN CARNIVAL, GRAND AWARD GA 33-429
- MOODS FOR MODERNS, GRAND AWARD GA 33-413
- POLKA PARTY, WALDORF MUSIC HALL MH 45-155
- HOLIDAY IN PARIS, WALDORF MUSIC HALL MHK 33-1218
- ACCORDION VARIETY CONCERT VOLUME 1, ACCORDIA RECORDS V6490-10043
- ACCORDION ENCORES (cassette), MCR 1001
- VIRTUOSO ACCORDION (cassette), MCR 1000
- BOSTON RADIO INTERVIEW WGBH FM (cassette), WGBH FM RADIO
- 21 FAVORITES (cassette & book)
Magnante also appeared as guest accordionist with other artists, such as Marlene Dietrich.
- Annette HanshawAnnette HanshawCatherine Annette Hanshaw was born at her parents' residence in New York City on October 18, 1901. [Ed. While Annette sometimes gave her birth date as 1910, nephew Frank W. Hanshaw III confirms 1901 as the date on Annette's birth certificate.]-Biography:...
, SONNY BOY (1928) - Marlene DietrichMarlene DietrichMarlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, LILLI MARLENE, DECCA 23456 (1945) - Kenyon HopkinsKenyon HopkinsKenyon Hopkins was an American composer who composed many film scores in a jazz idiom. Although he has been neglected in recent years, he was once called "one of jazz's great composers and arrangers"....
His Orchestra & Chorus, MERRIMAC 751
Private life
Charles Magnante was married twice. He had a son and a daughter from his first marriage, from which he divorced. His second wife, Charlotte, was a professional musician, whom he met in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Charlotte Magnante died in 1997.
Magnante was an avid big game hunter; he wrote articles about his hunting trips which were published by hunting magazines.
External links
- Charles Magnante on Accordion Memorials
- His and Hers Album Details at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings