Michael Rabin (violinist)
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Michael Rabin (May 2, 1936 - January 19, 1972, USA) was a violin virtuoso who studied under Ivan Galamian at Juilliard, who regarded Rabin as having an extraordinary talent – "no weaknesses, never." He was a musician of excellent pedigree, with a New York Philharmonic violinist for a father and a Juilliard-trained and relatively successful pianist for a mother. He started his study with Galamian from a young age, and went on to appear with a number of American orchestras before his 1950 Carnegie Hall debut with Dmitri Mitropoulos conducting the New York Philharmonic.
Michael Rabin's technique was nearly as flawless as Jascha Heifetz's and his tone was equally impressive. His version of Paganini's 24 Caprices is comparable to that of Ruggiero Ricci's.
The violin was a way of life for Michael Rabin, so the devilishly difficult compositions that most violinists struggle with did not trouble him. But Rabin had difficulties in other areas of his life during his journey from being a child prodigy to a full-fledged, mature musician. He died prematurely at the age of 35. For decades, disputed reports have spread a rumor of drug overdose, but recent investigations by Anthony Feinstein have exposed the tragic possibility of an untreated head injury.
His recording of Wieniawski's First Violin Concerto in f-sharp minor is well-received by critics and can be found on the EMI label.
He also performed the music used for the film Rhapsody, starring Elizabeth Taylor.
[edit] References
- Michael Rabin : America's Virtuoso Violinist, by Anthony Feinstein
- CD Program Notes, Paganini Caprices Op. 1 for unaccompanied violin, Michael Rabin, EMI Classics
