Ionel Fernic (; May 29, 1901 – July 22, 1938) was a Romanian composer, aviator (civil pilot), writer, and one of the first Romanian parachutists.
Early life He was born in Târgoviște. His family moved to Galați, where Ionel attended the Vasile Alecsandri High School, and where he met his mentor, the Romanian composer and music teacher , who tutored him in the arts of piano and guitar music. Being a music enthusiast, and passionate about airplanes, Ionel Fernic was guided by his parents to attend a technical faculty but he eventually decided to go to the Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in Bucharest, where he was admitted at the drama section with the highest grade average.
Although he was remarked by his teachers, Ionel did not continue his acting career despite having the opportunity to play alongside many famous Romanian actors like , , and Mișu Fotino. He graduated in 1924, and was enrolled in the Reserve Officer School in Ploiești and remained in the city for a few years, the period when he wrote almost all of his works.
Under the guidance of professor Fuchs, Fernic composed in 1919, his last high school year, the ballad Cruce albă de mesteacăn, his first well known work. After settling in Ploiești, having an urge to create successful music, he composed a number of sentimental songs and tangos. His first tango, composed in 1931, was called Minciuna (better known by the name Pe boltă când apare luna), and was an adaptation of a French song proposed by Nicolae Kirițescu.
Successful composer In just a few years, Fernic wrote over 400 sentimental and other kinds of songs. Many of his songs were hits. Starting in 1927, Fernic published a volume of sketch stories called Misterele din Mizil (written as a feuilleton). In 1928, he published a volume of poems called Prăștii and several children's books. He founded the satirical magazine Să nu te superi că te-njur, and moved to Bucharest in the early 1930s.
Flying career Fernic graduated from the Pilot School in Băneasa in the spring of 1935, and received a pilot's licence. He also made the first parachute jump in Romania on May 31, 1936, at an aviation meeting held at the Băneasa Airport in Bucharest. His last jump was at an ARPA meeting held in Izmail, Ukraine (then part of Romania) when he jumped from a height of and landed in an unmarked place where he broke his left leg, and had to use a cane for the rest of his life. He was appointed director of the Cernăuți Pilot School, and was decorated by King Carol II with the Virtutea Aeronautică medal.
Death Fernic lost his life in an aviation accident on July 22, 1938, at the age of 37. Hearing of the death of Queen Marie of Romania in 1938, he desperately wanted to attend her funeral. Therefore, he embarked on a LOT Polish Airlines flight on the Warsaw–Cernăuți–Bucharest–Thessaloniki route, but after half an hour the plane mysteriously broke into two pieces and crashed between Gura Humorului and Câmpulung Moldovenesc, in the Negrileasa Forest, near the Stulpicani commune in Suceava County.
Musical plays Title of play Musical genre Verse Year Known interpretations Cruce albă de mesteacăn romance Artur Enășescu, Ion Sân-Giorgiu 1919 , Jean Moscopol Țiganca romance Artur Enășescu 1928 , Doina Badea La umbra nucului bătrân romance Alexandru Dinescu 1930 Minciuna(Pe boltă când apare luna) tango Aurel Felea 1931 , Cristian Vasile, Gică Petrescu Dar ești la fel(Quand même) tango Ionel Fernic (ro.)Nicolae Kirițescu (fr.) 1931 O dată tango Nicolae Kirițescu 1931 Îți mai aduci aminte, doamnă romance Cincinat Pavelescu 1932 , Jean Moscopol, Alexandru Giugaru Iubesc femeia tango-romance Ionel Fernic 1933 Cristian Vasile Mi-a murit norocul waltz-boston Nunuța Morțun Fernic 1933 Inima e o chitară foxtrot Ionel Fernic 1933 La geamul tău luminat tango Ionel Fernic 1934 Pentru tine am făcut nebunii tango Ionel Fernic 1934 Cristian Vasile E primăvară Argentinian tango Ionel Fernic 1935 Dormi, păpușă, noapte bună foxtrot slow Ionel Fernic 1935 Adio, doamnă tango unknown , Jean Moscopol Aprinde o țigară tango unknown , Cristian Vasile, Beau unknown Cristian Vasile Cea din urmă seară romance Ionel Fernic unknown Cel din urmă trandafir unknown Dă-mi mâinile să le sărut romance unknown Zavaidoc De ce mi-ai spus că mă iubești tango Ionel Fernic unknown Cristian Vasile, Tudor Gheorghe În ochii tăi fermecători tango Robert Storeck unknown Cristian Vasile Iartă-mi tango Jurmann unknown Mai spune-mi înc-odată tango Ionel Fernic unknown Jean Moscopol, Tudor Gheorghe Mihalache, mamă, dragă muzică populară Ionel Fernic unknown Zavaidoc Minte-mă tango unknown Cristian Vasile Nu cred tango Bachicha unknown Gion Nunuțo tango Ionel Fernic unknown Cristian Vasile Nu-mi mai spune iar minciuni de amor tango unknown Romanța celei care minte romance Ion Minulescu unknown Gică Petrescu, Traian Fortun Să nu te superi că te-njur romance unknown Zavaidoc Scrisoare de amor unknown Scrisoare de dor Aurel Felea unknown Margareta Pâslaru
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