Romola Costantino
Encyclopedia
Romola Helen Louise Costantino OBE (also known as Romola Enyi) (14 September 1930November 1988) was a noted Australia
n pianist
, accompanist and teacher, who also worked as a music, film and theatre critic.
Romola Costantino was the daughter of Napoleone Costantino (1889–1982), an Italian
civil servant in Australia, and his Welsh
-born wife Rosamond Lindner. She studied at the NSW Conservatorium of Music
under Alexander Sverjensky
. She was a graduate of the Royal College of Music
in London, where her graduation performance was the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
by Rachmaninoff
.
She gave many broadcasts and recitals for the ABC
, most notably as an accompanist for musicians such as Ruggiero Ricci
and Henryk Szeryng
(on his 4th and last Australian tour in 1984).
Romola Costantino gave the first solo piano recital in the Sydney Opera House
(10 April 1973; to an invited audience), and she participated in the first public performance in the Opera House's Music Room (with the Carl Pini Quartet and Walter Sutcliffe
, under the auspices of Musica Viva Australia
). She also formed a well known piano duo with Lance Dossor
.
She was a member of the inaugural committee of the Accompanists' Guild of South Australia in 1983, and was President of the Guild from 1984 to 1986.
She recorded Schubert
's Arpeggione Sonata
with Robert Pikler, viola, and Mozart
's Kegelstatt Trio
with Pikler and Pamela Johnson, clarinet. She also recorded two Schubert piano sonatas that had been left unfinished by Schubert and completed by Walter Dullo. Other recordings include Ravel
's La valse
, and pieces by Debussy
and Fauré
., as well as a Telemann trio sonata for the (long-defunct) AWA record label in which she played the clavichord.
She was a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney
. She was also a music critic for the Sydney Morning Herald
and a film and theatre critic
for the Sun-Herald
.
In 1971 Romola Costantino married George Enyi, an artist and sculptor, and sometimes used her married name Romola Enyi.
She was musical consultant for the film Between Wars
(1974).
In the New Year's Day Honours of 1978, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
for her services to the arts.
Romola Costantino died in November 1988, aged 58. Many of her programs and other papers are held at the National Library of Australia
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, accompanist and teacher, who also worked as a music, film and theatre critic.
Romola Costantino was the daughter of Napoleone Costantino (1889–1982), an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
civil servant in Australia, and his Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
-born wife Rosamond Lindner. She studied at the NSW Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
under Alexander Sverjensky
Alexander Sverjensky
Alexander Borisovich Sverjensky was a Russian-born Australian pianist and teacher....
. She was a graduate of the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
in London, where her graduation performance was the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is written for solo piano and symphony orchestra, closely resembling a piano concerto. The work was written at Villa Senar, according to the score, from July 3 to August 18, 1934...
by Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
.
She gave many broadcasts and recitals for the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, most notably as an accompanist for musicians such as Ruggiero Ricci
Ruggiero Ricci
Ruggiero Ricci is an Italian-American violinist known for performances and recordings of the works of Paganini. He was born in San Bruno, California. Ricci's brother was cellist and his sister Emma played violin with the New York Metropolitan Opera.He is the son of Italian immigrants. His...
and Henryk Szeryng
Henryk Szeryng
Henryk Szeryng was a Polish violinist.-Early years:He was born in Żelazowa Wola, Poland on 22 September 1918 into a wealthy family....
(on his 4th and last Australian tour in 1984).
Romola Costantino gave the first solo piano recital in the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
(10 April 1973; to an invited audience), and she participated in the first public performance in the Opera House's Music Room (with the Carl Pini Quartet and Walter Sutcliffe
Walter Sutcliffe
Walter Sutcliffe is a British opera and theatre director.His work has been seen in the UK, US, Germany, Austria, The Czech Republic, and Estonia, including productions of Christopher Fry's The Lady's Not for Burning, Strindberg's The Great Highway and the Austrian premier of Michael Tippett's The...
, under the auspices of Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia is the oldest independent performing arts organisation in Australia and the world's largest entrepreneur of chamber music. It was formed in 1945 in Sydney by violist Richard Goldner...
). She also formed a well known piano duo with Lance Dossor
Lance Dossor
Lance Dossor was a British-born concert pianist and teacher who emigrated to Australia.He was born Harry Lancelot Dossor in Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom, the third child of a jeweller who was also a distinguished amateur tenor.He was educated at Seaford College and marticulated at the...
.
She was a member of the inaugural committee of the Accompanists' Guild of South Australia in 1983, and was President of the Guild from 1984 to 1986.
She recorded Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's Arpeggione Sonata
Arpeggione Sonata
The Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821, was written by Franz Schubert in Vienna in November 1824. The sonata is the only substantial composition for the arpeggione which remains extant today...
with Robert Pikler, viola, and Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Kegelstatt Trio
Kegelstatt Trio
The Kegelstatt Trio , also referred to as the Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano in E-flat, is a classical chamber music composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.-History:...
with Pikler and Pamela Johnson, clarinet. She also recorded two Schubert piano sonatas that had been left unfinished by Schubert and completed by Walter Dullo. Other recordings include Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's La valse
La Valse
La valse, un poème choréographique pour orchestre , is a work written by Maurice Ravel from February 1919 until 1920 ; it was conceived as a ballet but is now more often heard as a concert work...
, and pieces by Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
and Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
., as well as a Telemann trio sonata for the (long-defunct) AWA record label in which she played the clavichord.
She was a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. She was also a music critic for the Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
and a film and theatre critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
for the Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald
The Sun-Herald is an Australian tabloid newspaper published on Sundays in Sydney by Fairfax Media. It is the Sunday counterpart of The Sydney Morning Herald. In the 6 months to September 2005, The Sun-Herald had a circulation of 515,000...
.
In 1971 Romola Costantino married George Enyi, an artist and sculptor, and sometimes used her married name Romola Enyi.
She was musical consultant for the film Between Wars
Between Wars
Between Wars is an Australian 1974 drama/war film released on 15 November 1974. It was directed by Michael Thornhill and written by Frank Moorhouse.-Awards:...
(1974).
In the New Year's Day Honours of 1978, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for her services to the arts.
Romola Costantino died in November 1988, aged 58. Many of her programs and other papers are held at the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
.