Collection search - Mario Bernardi fonds [multiple media]

Record information – Brief
1
Mario Bernardi fonds [multiple media]

Hierarchical level:

Fonds

Date:

1896, [193-?], 1936-2007.

Reference:

R4633-0-1-E, MG31-D134

Type of material:

Sound recordings, Photographs, Textual material, Art, Moving images, Objects (including medals and pins), Architectural and technical drawings, Stamps and stamp products

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

102771

Context of this record:

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Mario Bernardi fonds
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Record information – Details
Fonds includes:

20 lower level description(s)
View lower level description(s)

Date(s):

1896, [193-?], 1936-2007.

Place of creation:

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent:

8.20 m of textual records.
678 photographs : b&w and col. (some negatives, contact sheets, and proofs).
1 album (1 photograph) : b&w.
3 drawings.
1 sculpture.
16 reproductions : photomechanical prints.
10 architectural drawings : photomechanical prints.
40 audio discs (ca. 31 hr 38 min.) : acetate and vinyl.
24 audio reels (15 hr 27 min.) : acetate and polyester.
34 audio cassettes (ca. 34 hr 19 min.) : polyester.
3 audio compact discs (1 hr 56 min.).
1 videocassette (2 hr 6 min.) : polyester, VHS.
3 medallions.
2 medals.
2 pins.
1 button.
1 plaque.
1 postal cover.
1 baton.

Language of material:

English

Added language of material:

English, French, Italian

Scope and content:

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Fonds consists of archival records documenting Mario Bernardi's life and career as a musician, including his activities as a pianist and conductor. Among the major areas documented in the fonds are: his childhood and youth in Italy; his musical education in Italy and in Canada; his early professional career as a concert pianist and accompanist; his work as a coach, conductor, music director, and artistic director with musical organisations such as the Canadian Opera Company, Sadler's Wells, the National Arts Centre (NAC) and the NAC Orchestra, the CBC Vancouver Orchestra (CBC Radio Orchestra), and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra; his frequent appearances as a guest conductor with other orchestras and opera companies in Canada, the United States of America, and Europe; his wide range of professional contacts with composers, soloists, other musicians, and others involved in the arts and cultural communities; honours and awards bestowed on Bernardi, and tributes to him; his wife, the mezzo-soprano Mona (Kelly) Bernardi; and other personal and family matters. Among the types of documentation in the fonds are: report cards, certificates, manuscript notebooks, religious items, and other records pertaining to his life in Italy, including his academic and musical education; personal and professional correspondence; concert programmes, posters, and other promotional material; graphic material (photographs, drawings, and a sculpture) depicting Bernardi and others; printed and published sheet music (some annotated or inscribed with dedications), libretti, and music manuscripts; sound recordings of musical performances in which Bernardi participated as a pianist or conductor; sound recordings of musical performances in which he did not participate; files on artists, agents, composers, and publishers; contracts and agreements; pocket diaries, schedules, and itineraries; objects such as medals, medallions, and pins, mostly pertaining to his honours and awards; a set of commemorative volumes presented to him on his 1982 departure from the NAC; diplomas and certificates; press clippings and other print matter with references to Bernardi; speeches and writings by Bernardi; and other print matter.

Fonds comprises the following series: Records concerning early life, personal and family matters, and other memorabilia; Personal and professional correspondence; Records concerning performances, tours, and other engagements; Programmes; Artists files; Agents files; Composers files; Publishers files; National Arts Centre correspondence and memoranda; Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra files; Printed and published sheet music; Libretti; Music manuscripts; Sound recordings of musical performances; Photographs, other graphic records, and objects; Records concerning honours, awards, and tributes; Print matter and writings about or by Mario Bernardi; Other print matter and writings; Serials; Varia.

The fonds also contains commercial sound recordings, including, among others, those of or by Lubor Barta, Stephen Bell, Pavel Borkovec, A. Dobrowolski, Jaroslav Doubrava, Will Eisma, Jindrich Feld, Lubos Fiser, Alois Haba, Jan Hanus, Emil Hlobil, Ilja Hurnik, Miloslav Istvan, Ivan Jirko, Viktor Kalabis, Isa Krejci, Vaclav Kucera, Josef Matej, Oskar Morawetz, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Jiri Pauer, Enrique Raxach, Clermont Pépin, Karel Reiner, and Jan Tausinger.

Provenance:

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Bernardi, Mario, 1930-2013

Additional name(s):

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Bernardi, Mario, 1930-2013

Biography/Administrative history:

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Bernardi, Mario, 1930-2013 : Mario Egidio Bernardi was born on 20 August 1930 at Kirkland Lake, Ontario, the first son of parents who had recently immigrated to Canada from the Veneto region of Italy. Bernardi and his two younger siblings were sent in 1936 to Veneto, accompanied by their mother, so that the children could benefit from an Italian education and the culture of that country. Bernardi's musical training in Italy included piano, organ, and composition, which he studied with Bruno Pasut at the Liceo Musicale Francesco Manzato in Treviso. The Bernardi children and their mother were in Italy at the outbreak of the Second World War, and remained there for the duration of the conflict. In 1947 Bernardi took his music exams at the Venice Conservatory, where he received outstanding marks and was the youngest graduate that year.

Bernardi returned to Canada late in 1947, and after residing briefly in Kirkland Lake he moved to Toronto where he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto (RCMT) during 1948-1951. At the RCMT, Bernardi's teachers included Lubka Kolessa (piano) and Ettore Mazzoleni (conducting), and he continued to study privately with Kolessa after her departure from that school in 1948. While in Toronto Bernardi embarked on his professional career as a concert pianist, accompanist, and organist, and in 1953 he began work as a coach and conductor with the Royal Conservatory Opera School. In 1957 he made his conducting début with the Canadian Opera Company in its production of Hansel and Gretel, and also in that year he conducted two operas for the television service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Bernardi remained active as a concert pianist and accompanist throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, with concert, recital, and broadcast engagements in many communities.

Bernardi's interest in conducting led to his 1963 move to London, England, where he was appointed as a coach and assistant conductor at Sadler's Wells. He made his conducting début there in December 1963 when he successfully replaced the ailing conductor in a production of Hansel and Gretel. In 1966 Bernardi was made music director of one of the two Sadler's Wells opera companies, a position that he held until 1969. While in London, Bernardi was guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and he returned regularly to Canada to work with the such organisations as the Vancouver Opera Association, Canadian Opera Company, and Stratford Music Festival. He made his début in the United States of America (USA) in 1967 with the San Francisco Opera Association.

In 1968 Bernardi was invited to form the new National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) in Ottawa and to become its first conductor. The NACO gave its inaugural concert in 1969, and under his leadership this small and youthful orchestra soon developed into a disciplined ensemble noted for its clean and transparent sound. The NACO toured extensively in Canada and made its first appearance in the USA in 1972 at the Lincoln Center, New York City. Tours of Europe followed in 1973 and 1978, a Carnegie Hall début in 1974, and a tour of Mexico in 1975. In 1971, the National Arts Centre created a summer festival, Festival Canada (which became Festival Ottawa in 1978), with Bernardi as its artistic director and usually serving as conductor of the festival's opera productions. Also in 1971 he was named music director of the National Arts Centre (NAC). Bernardi left the NAC in 1982, although he re-established a formal connection in 1997 when he accepted the title conductor laureate.

Bernardi became principal conductor of the CBC Vancouver Orchestra in 1983, and the following year he was appointed music director of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO). Under Bernardi's leadership the CPO developed into one of Canada's leading orchestras, with frequent recordings, tours of Canada and the USA, and an expanded repertoire that included more contemporary and Canadian works. Bernardi left the CPO in 1993, retaining the title of conductor laureate. He continued as principal conductor of the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, and during his tenure this orchestra also gave greater emphasis to contemporary and Canadian compositions, in addition to a wide range of classical works. In 2006 Bernardi retired from the CBC Radio Orchestra (the ensemble's new name, adopted in 2000). In addition to his long-term engagements with the NACO, the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, and the CPO, Bernardi had an active schedule of guest conducting engagements with numerous orchestras and opera companies in Canada, the USA, and Europe.

Among Bernardi's numerous honours and awards are: Companion of the Order of Canada (1972); Canadian Music Council Medal (1981); JUNO awards (1998, 2003); Jean A. Chalmers National Music Award (1999); National Arts Centre Award (1999); Governor General's Performing Arts Award (2001); Opera Canada's The Rubies Award (2004); Orchestras Canada's Betty Webster Award (2006); honorary doctorates from Laurentian University (1972), University of Ottawa (1974), University of Windsor (1978), University of Calgary (1990), Lakehead University (1997), University of British Columbia (1997), and Carleton University (2001). His wife is the mezzo-soprano Mona (Kelly) Bernardi, whom he married in 1962.

Finding aid:

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Textual records, sound recordings, photographs (Paper) This finding aid describes records acquired in 1982, including the textual records in volumes 1 to 26. It provides a file list of volumes 1 to 24 and includes appended lists of: sound recordings; photographs; and the printed and published sheet music in vols. 11 to 14 and 21 to 24. Scores and explanatory notes that accompanied the sound recordings listed in Appendix II are now stored in volume 25. The oversize Press Clippings and Music Manuscripts listed under "Horizontal Filing Cabinet" on page 16 of the finding aid are now stored in volume 26, and the baton listed on the same page is now stored in volume 5 in a Memorabilia file. MSS1413 (90: Open)
http://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000001065.pdf

Multiple media (Electronic) The accrual acquired in 2008 was arranged and described by David Fraser. File- and item-level descriptions for textual records, photographs, graphic art, and objects in the accrual (volumes 27 to 75) are linked to the relevant series or sub-series descriptions, which are linked to or accessible through this fonds description. (90: Open)
http://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf002/p000003352.pdf

Sound and video recordings (Electronic) Item-level descriptions of sound and video recordings acquired in 2008 are available in LAC's database of archival descriptions of audio-visual media. (90: Open)

Graphic (photo): Photographic material (Other) For photographs acquired in 1982 (photo accession 1983-051), see "Photographic inventories, indexes, and caption lists arranged by accession number." FA-500 RS (Restrictions not set)

Additional information:

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General note:

Acquired in 1982 and 2008 from Mario Bernardi.

Language note:

Predominantly English, with substantial bodies of material in Italian and French.
Subject heading:

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Opera

Mario Bernardi - Correspondence, [1963-1982] Tempo, 1967-1980

Mario Bernardi - Career, [1963-1982] Music and Manuscripts, 1973-1975

Conductors (Music) - Canada, [1939-1982] Musical Times, 1971-1977

National Arts Centre (Canada) - Records and correspondence, [1968-1982] Festival Canada (Festival Ottawa), [1968-1982]

Mario Bernardi - Diaries, [1960-1982] Stratford Musical Festival, [1939-1982]

Concerts - Programs, [1959-1982] Vancouver Opera Association, [1939-1982]

Sadler's Wells

Composers - Canada, [1967-1980] National Arts Centre (Canada), [1939-1982]

Composers, [1967-1980]

Music scores, [1950-1978]

Composers, European, [1939-1979]

Arts, 1966-1981

Music Canada

Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Source:

Private

Related control no.:

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(1973-06-05)
1983-0054 MISA
1983-051 NPC
2008-00143-1

Former archival reference no.:

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MG31-D134
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

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Access restriction document

http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/pdf/pdf001/r000000562.pdf

Sound recordings

[Consultation90 Open]

Graphic (photo)

[Consultation96 Restrictions vary]
Almost all photographs are open. One is housed in a restricted textual folder, and access to that photograph is restricted for that reason.

Textual records

[Consultation96 Restrictions vary]

Finding aid box [FA 1413] 113

[Consultation 10 Closed]

Graphic (art)

[Consultation90 Open]

Moving images (video)

[Consultation90 Open]

Object

[Consultation90 Open]
The sculpture in container 71 must be consulted on site at the Gatineau Preservation Centre. Contact a Music Section archivist to make arrangements.

Architectural: technical drawings

[Consultation90 Open]

Philatelic records

[Consultation90 Open]

Terms of use:

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Photographs: Various copyright on items less than 50 years old. Copyright expired on items more than 50 years old. Credit: Name of photographer / Library and Archives Canada / Copy negative no.
Sound recordings: With written permission of copyright owner. No donor restrictions.

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Date modified:: 2024-05-10