Costumes of Boy Musical Prodigies: Pierino Gamba (Italy, 1937- )


Figure 1.--Pierino is seen here in 1949, he would have been about 12 years old. He is discussing an upcoming concert with one of the muscicians he will conduct. He wears an Eton-style jacket without lapels with short pants and ankle socks.

HBC knows relatively little about Pierino Gamba at this time. He was born in Rome during 1937. I have no information at this time on his childhood on early musical training. He was a well-known child prodigy conducting symphony orchestras in the late 1940s and early 50s. Hecfirst directedcin Rome at age 8 years. He normally appeared as a boy in short pants suits with ankle socks for his appearnces. I do not know what he normally wore at home. As a youth in the mid-1950s he was still wearing short opants--inspite of being an older teenager. He appeared with noted musscians like Yehudi Menuhin, a former child prodigy himself. Pierino did many international performances in the post-War era, such as London's Earls Court in 1949. He made several recordings with the London Symphonic Orchestra. He went on to an ilustrious addult career as a symphonic director with performances all over Europe, such as the Orquesta Sinfónica del SODRE, peforming la ópera "Desfile de Primavera", momianted for an Oscar de la Academia, in a concert held at the Hipódromo de Maroñas in February 1984.

Childhood

HBC knows little about Pierino Gamba at this time. He was born in Rome during 1937, the son of a professional violinist. I have no information at this time on his childhood or early musical training.

Musical Education

HBC knows little about his musical education. His prinmary instrument was the violin, presumably his father firstvtaught him.

Prodigy

Pierino was a well-known child prodigy in the late 1940s and early 50s. He first conducted an orchestra at the Rome Opera House in Beethoven's 1st Sym. at age 8 years. He appeared with noted musscians like Yehudi Menuhin, a former child prodigy himself. A Danish newspaper article described a joint performance, but as it is in Danish, I can't make much of it out. Pierino did many international performances in the post-War era. He toured Europe and North and South Amer. He made his London début in 1948, conducting Beethoven and Dvork in Harringay Arena. He perforned at London's Earls Court in 1949. He seems to have made several recordings with the London Symphonic Orchestra.


Figure 2.--Pierino is seen here about 1955 and would have been 17-18 years old. He is still wearing short pants and kneesocks, in this case with a beret and overcoat.

Clothing

He normally appeared as a boy in short pants suits with ankle socks for his appearnces. A HBC reader recalls a performance for which he was dressed in a black velvet suit with short trousers and white ankle socks, and I seem to remember that his white shirt had frills in the front and on the collar. I seem to remember that he wore black patent-leather shoes with one strap which buttoned up on the outside, and I think the white ankle-socks were doubled downe." Some of his suit jackets or blazers were Eton-style without lapels. Some seem to have a creast of some kind on them--perhaps his initials. Interesting despite the suits that he commonly wore--he rarely seems to wear neckties. Sometimes he buttons his collar and other times he wears an open collar--but does not seem to often wear neckties. Many photograohs as a younger boy show him wearing ankle socks with shorts. As an older boy he began wearing kneesocks.

He also seems to have always worn short pants at home. We have, however, littleinformation on what he wore when he was not performing.

As a youth in the mid-1950s he continued wearing short pants. One image taken about 1955 ehen he would have been about 17 or 18 years old show him wearing shortpants and kneesocks even during the winter.

HBC is not sure about what Pierino thought about the clothes he wore. Presumably as a teenager he would have liked to wear long pants--at least during the winter. Presumably his parents wanted him to dress more childishly to maintain his cachet as a child prodigy.

Adult Career

He moved to Madrid in 1952 and was inactive for several years. He resumed career in late 1950s. Visited London 1959-63 and recorded Beethoven's 5 pf. concs. with Julius Katchen. He went on to an ilustrious addult career as a symphonic director with performances all over Europe, such as the Orquesta Sinfónica del SODRE, peforming la ópera "Desfile de Primavera", nomianted for an Oscar de la Academia, in a concert held at the Hipódromo de Maroñas in February 1984. He was the Musical Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (1970-81) and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (1980-88).

Reader Comment

One HBC reader reports, "When I was maybe 15 or 16, I had an album of Rossini overtures which had just come out conducted by Gamba. This would be around 1960. And he was making his debut as an adult conductor. He was really young which maybe made him interesting to me. He had graduated to long pants by then."

Another HBC reader writes, "I was born in the same year as Pierino Gamba and was at the concert he conducted without a musical score at Harringay Arena. I shall never forget how impressed people were with his performance from memory, and my love for classical music ever since." [Eleanor Uribe, e-Mail, October 12, 2002 ]






Christopher Wagner






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Created: March 7, 2001
Last updated: October 13, 2002