Monday, 26 April, 2010 saw the passing of the great accordionist, pianist, and oboist Aldo Bruschi. In recent years my contact with Aldo was through my involvement in coordinating the Magnanini Valtaro Accordionists’ Reunion (Magnanini Winery, Wallkill, NY) and he periodically was a participant.
The more contact and conversation I had with him the more I was amazed and so very impressed with his wealth of knowledge, expertise, experience and musical ability. His musical career was long, vast, varied and rich in a wealth of great musical endeavors.
I believe that few musicians could match the diversity and totality of his musical career and even fewer have attained as many education degrees from such prestigious schools as he had. He was the total musician – musical talent plus a vast musical education.
Thanks to the obituary about Mr. Bruschi that appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Apr. 27, 2010) written by John Heffernan I’m able to give you a short summary of his life and career. I’ve taken the liberty to restate, augment and paraphrase parts of his article.
Mr. Heffernan was “his choirboy, student, and most of all his friend.” Thank you also goes to his family for their help and assistance.
Aldo’s parents were born in Italy and came to the United States in the 1920s. His father, John, came from the small town called Casale (SW of Bedonia, Italy) and his mother, Adelia, came from Ponte Stambo. His parents had seven sons. Aldo was born and raised in Our Lady of Peace parish in Manhattan (NY).
His first musical instrument was the accordion and he often played the accordion for patrons of his parents’ grocery store. One of his first teachers was the noted accordionist, composer and one of the original founders of the Valtaro Musette Orchestra John “Scudlein” Brugnoli.
Aldo was a child prodigy on the instrument and was playing on radio at the age of eight. By the age of sixteen he already was mentoring eight pupils and also playing the church organ. One of his most successful students was accordion virtuoso Gelso Pellegrini who remained a life long friend and colleague.
Aldo was a graduate of High School for the Performing Arts (1944). He also continued his accordion studies at the age of sixteen with two of the greatest living accordionists – Pietro Deiro and Pietro Frosini.
One of his earliest professional accordion jobs (early 1940s) was at the Terrace Café which was sometimes affectionately known as “Scudlein’s” (59th Street and Second Avenue). He performed here with his teacher, John “Scudlein” Brugnoli, pianist Norma McFeeters, and drummer Willie Wohlman.
This demanding job entailed performing Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights plus Sunday afternoon. Each session was from 9PM to 3AM and the Sundayafternoon session was from 3PM to 7PM. As you can well note, this weekly ritual gave this teenager a tremendous opportunity to learn, experiment and hone his musical skills and talent.
He also, in later years, periodically performed at the noted Val-Taro Cabaret (between 46th and 47th Street on Second Avenue). Back in those days the average pay for one nights work was about $3.00.
Many years later he was a participant (playing piano) in John Brugnoli’s Colonial LP Album titled “Italian Favorites – Valtaro Musette Orchestra.” This recording session also included accordionists John Brugnoli and Pete Spagnoli, guitarists Richie Rogg and Al Valente and bassist Sal Victor (Vecchione). Other LP recordings by Mr. Bruschi included “Enchanted Italy,” “Alps to the Sea,” “Respectfully Yours” and “Harmoniously – Aldo Bruschi.”
Aldo was drafted into the army in late 1944 and served under General George S. Patton in the famous Battle of the Bulge and received a presidential citation for bravery at the crossing of the Rhine River. A major accordion success was achieved with his participation in the accordion ensemble known as the Master Trio.
The group consisted of accordionists Hugo Nati, his very talented accordion student Gelso Pellegrini and Mr. Bruschi. The Trio’s very first performance (1951) was at the Brooklyn Museum where they performed Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro Overture,” Bizet’s “Carmen Suite” and the first movement of Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.” All the arrangements were the work of Mr. Bruschi.
On March 21, 1951 they appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV program and won first prize playing Pietro Frosini’s Jolly Caballero Paso Doble. As a result of being winners on the Talent Scouts TV program they also appeared on three sessions of Arthur Godfrey’s CBS morning radio show. On these shows they performed Leroy Anderson’s “Fiddle Faddle,” Smetana’s “Dance of the Comedians” and a Gershwin composition.
Once again, all arrangements were by Aldo. These successful appearances resulted in their performing in a series of one hour classical concerts which were broadcast on radio station WNYC.
Bruschi’s education included Juilliard School of Music (Dipolma 1945) where he majored in oboe and orchestration. While at this prestigious school he studied oboe under the eminent Bruno Labate and Lois Wann and organ under the direction of Bronson Ragan. He also went on to Teachers College at Columbia University (1949), received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Empire State College (1986) and then went on to Manhattan School of Music where he received his master’s degree (MME 1988) in music education.
His thirst for education was unending. He was principal oboist with the NBC Orchestra (1949) and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra (1949 -1950). He was organist and choir director at Our Lady of Peace RCC (East 62 Street NYC) from 1945 to 1949 and in 1950 he arrived at St. Patrick’s RCC (95th Street and Fourth Ave., Brooklyn, NY) where he took over the rigorous jobs of music teacher, choirmaster and organist for the church. He held this position until his passing – a tenure of sixty years.
At St. Patrick’s Aldo Bruschi presented first-class performances of Puccini’s “Tosca,” Menotti’s “Amahl and The Night Visitors,” Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and countless concerts of Irish and Italian music as well as numerous plays and pageants. He brought with him the touch of a renowned musician, introducing musical culture to the parish, all the while remaining the teacher of small children.
He instilled a responsible work ethic and a standard of excellence to all of his pupils. His patience and skill as a motivator brought out the best in his students. All who came into contact with him will remember his love of music, dedication to his family and to the Catholic Church. Devoutly religious, the maestro’s faith was inspiring. He was fond of saying that he was able to perform for so many years because he offered his talent to God. He would point at the sky and say “I do it for Him.” A man of great energy, Aldo taught in the day and performed in Manhattan at night.
He was a headliner at Jansen’s, a swanky nightclub (42nd Street and Lexington Avenue), where he entertained the likes of Richard Rodgers, Irving Caesar, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Zero Mostel, Hildegard and countless other show business luminaries who recognized his immense talent.
In the late fifties he opened his own restaurant named “In Boboli” where one could dine and witness opera in costume each weekend. Many of the most renowned opera stars made their debut at his restaurant and were often coached by the maestro. He also held court in the Ansonia Hotel (renowned for its music studios) where he mentored new talent arriving from all over the world. He was a vocal coach for twenty years.
Some of the other venues at which he performed included O’Henry’s Steak House (345 Sixth Avenue, NYC), the VIP, Café Torino (1951-1958), Emiliana Restaurant, the Twelve Arches and a long period of almost two decades at Rossini’s Restaurant (38th Street – off of Park Avenue).
Here Aldo, playing piano and accordion, helped establish a Saturday evening ritual of opera performed by top artists that included “his favorite soprano” Ms. Josephine Dolce and tenors Carlos Santana and Robert Van Valkenburg.
Over his long and illustrious career he reached out, mentored and guided so many talented performers. Josephine Dolce relates that Aldo took her under his wing when she was twenty-one years old and just out of the Julliard School of Music. She remained a life long friend and associate. A similar situation also existed with his former St. Patrick’s alumni Donal Nolan, John Heffernan and Kiernan Hamilton who became known as the “Three Irish Tenors of St. Patrick’s.”
Another notable example is tenor Daniel Rodriquez “the Singing Policeman” who during his early years studied with Mr. Bruschi. Aldo’s first wife, Isabelle Pasqualiccio, who died from cancer in 1977, was a concert pianist and composer. Two songs that she wrote “In Boboli” and “Tramonto” were eventually recorded by Aldo. They had three children Valerie, Damian and Adelia.
In 1978 Aldo married his current wife, Rosanne Ecker, and they had two children, Adriana and Maria. He is also survived by his sole remaining sibling, his brother, Mario, and his family.
Aldo Bruschi was truly “Il Maestro.”
