Leonid Borisovitch Kogan
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Leonid Borisovitch Kogan (14 November 1924 - 17 November 1982) was a violin virtuoso.
He is one of the 20th century's most famous Soviet violinists. Together with David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan ranked among the best representatives of the Russian-Jewish tradition of violin playing. Kogan shunned publicity, and as a result his career became overshadowed by his good friend David Oistrakh who was strongly promoted by Soviet authorities.
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[edit] Life and career
Kogan was born in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for violin playing, his family moved to Moscow, where he was able to study. At age ten he studied with violinist Abram Yampolsky and at age 12 with Jacques Thibaud. Thibaud arranged for the young student to live at his home where he was able to progress rapidly with daily lessons.
Kogan went to study at the Central Music School in Moscow, then at the Moscow Conservatory (1943-48) and as a postgraduate (1948-51).
At the age of 17, and while still a student, he performed throughout the USSR. While still a student, he was co-winner of the first prize at the World Youth Festival, in Prague. In 1951 Kogan won first prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels with a dazzling performance of Paganini's first concerto that included an outstanding interpretation of the Sauret Cadenza.
His official debut was in 1941, playing the Brahms Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.
His international solo tours took him to Paris and London in 1955, and then South America and the USA in the following years. Kogan had a repertoire of over 18 concertos and a number of concertos by modern composers were dedicated to him.
In 1952 he began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1980 Kogan was invited to teach at the Academia Chigiana in Sienna, Italy.
Kogan married Elizaveta Gilels (sister of the famous pianist Emil Gilels), also a concert violinist. His son, Pavel Kogan, born in 1952, became a famous violinist and conductor.
Kogan died prematurely at the age of 58 of a heart attack while travelling between Austria and Russia on a train to a concert he was to perform with his son Pavel in 1982. He was made an Honoured Artist in 1955, a People's Artist of the USSR in 1964, and received the Lenin Prize in 1965.
[edit] Technique
Kogan is regarded as one of the greatest of all technical players and interpreters. His style is considered more modern while less idiosyncratic than those of his contemporaries such as Oistrakh. His playing was reported to have been lean, angular and aggressive with a faster and purer vibrato. He would maintain an even and full tone across all strings and in all positions, without fading out at high positions. Possibly as a result of his right arm technique, he would not allow the G string to sound unnecessarily mellow.
[edit] Instruments
Kogan owned two Guarneri del Gesù violins; the 1726 ex-Colin and the 1733 ex-Burmester. He played on French bows by Dominique Peccatte. Kogan never actually owned these instruments; they were provided on loan from the USSR government. Today they are worth more than $4 million USD.
[edit] Recordings
With pianist Gilels and cellist Rostropovich, Kogan formed a Trio recording Beethoven's Archduke Trio, the Schumann D minor, the Tchaikovsky, the Saint-Saëns, the Brahms Horn Trio, and the Fauré C minor Quartet. Kogan later formed another Trio with the conductor Svetlanov on piano and cellist Luzanov. Kogan was the first Soviet violinist to play and record Berg's Violin concerto. And he made a famous recording of Khachaturian's violin concerto for RCA (his America debut recording), this version is still considered as the most exciting reading for this concerto. There are more than 30 albums of his performances on the Arlecchino label. EMI has recently issued a 4-CD box set containing his concerto recordings for EMI.
