Hocken Digital Collections

Murray, David Russell, Dr : Papers relating to Raffaello Squarise

Details

Reference NumberARC-0573CreatorMurray, David Russell, DrDescriptionThe collection consists of research papers and papers collected by David Murray during the course of his research. These include published and manuscript music composed by Squarise, concert programmes, and photographs.
Only a small part of this collection is digitised and available through Digital Collections. Information about other items can be found on the Hākena catalogue, through the Library Catalogues link above.History / BiographyRaffaello Squarise was born in Vicenza, northern Italy, on 13 November 1856. He studied music in Vicenza and Turin, specialising in violin and composition. After working as a bandmaster in Arzignano and Contarina, Squarise left Italy for Australia in 1882. He toured Australia as a member of opera company orchestras and in 1883 settled in Adelaide, where he worked as a music teacher, solo violinist, conductor, bandmaster, and composer. He married Swiss-born Camille Villanis in 1887.
Squarise left Adelaide for Dunedin in 1889 to take up the position of leader of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Orchestra. He then settled in Dunedin, and over the next 40 years was associated with many musical groups and organisations in the city. These included the Otago Conservatorio of Music, Dunedin Liedertafel (later Royal Dunedin Male Choir), Dunedin Operatic Society, St Joseph's Cathedral Choir, Dunedin Engineers' Band, Dunedin Garrison Band, and Dunedin Citizens Band. Squarise served as President of the Otago Society of Musicians from 1905.
In 1904 Squarise established the Dunedin Philharmonic Society, an amateur orchestral society with over 50 players. He continued to conduct the orchestra until his retirement in 1933. The orchestra performed many of his own compositions, often beginning its concerts with one of his marches. Squarise had also composed a comic opera, 'Fabian', permiered at the Princess Theatre, Dunedin, in 1894.
Camille Squarise died in 1941. Raffaello Squarise spent the last few years of his life in Roxburgh, where he died on 15 April 1945 at the age of 88.
David Murray researched Squarise from 2001 and submitted a PhD thesis entitled 'Raffaello Squarise - the Colonial Career of an Italian Maestro' at the University of Otago in 2005.

Photograph

'First page of 'L'Addio' by R. Squarise, romanza for violin and piano

Depicts Or Relates To

SubjectsMusic - New ZealandMusic TeachersPerforming ArtsComposersComposition (Music)Violin

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Murray, David Russell, Dr : Papers relating to Raffaello Squarise

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