giovanni battista barbirolli was born in southampton row, holborn, london, the second child and eldest son of an italian father and a french mother. he was a british national from birth, and as southampton row is within the sound of bow bells, barbirolli always regarded himself as a cockney. his father, lorenzo barbirolli (1864–1929), was a venetian violinist who had settled in london with his wife, louise marie, "née" ribeyrol (1870–1962). lorenzo and his father had played in the orchestra at la scala, milan, where they had taken part in the première of "otello" in 1887. in london they played in west end theatre orchestras, principally that of the empire, leicester square.