Mischa Elman

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Mischa Elman
Mischa Elman

Mikhail Saulovich 'Mischa' Elman (January 20, 1891 – April 5, 1967) was a Ukrainian-born violinist, famed for his passionate style and beautiful tone.

He was born in the small town of Talnoye near Kiev. His grandfather was a klezmer, a Jewish folk musician, who also played the violin. It became apparent when Mischa was very young that he had perfect pitch, but his father hesitated about a career as a musician, since musicians were not very high on the social scale. He finally gave in, and gave Mischa a miniature violin, on which he soon learned several tunes by himself. Soon thereafter, he was taken to Odessa, where he studied at the Imperial Academy of Music. Pablo de Sarasate gave him a recommendation, stating that he could become one of the great talents of Europe. He auditioned for Leopold Auer at the age of 11, playing the Wieniawski Concerto No. 2 and 24th Caprice by Paganini. Auer was so impressed that he had Elman admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

In 1903, Elman began to play concerts in the homes of wealthy patrons of the arts, and he made his Berlin debut in 1904, creating a great sensation. His London debut in 1905 included the British premiere of Alexander Glazunov's concerto. He played in Carnegie Hall in 1908, making a great impression on his American audience.

Mischa Elman
Mischa Elman
The headstone of Mischa Elman in Westchester Hills Cemetery
The headstone of Mischa Elman in Westchester Hills Cemetery

The Elman family moved to the United States, and Mischa became a citizen in 1923. In 1917, he was elected to honorary membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. He sometimes performed in as many as 107 concerts in a 29-week season. In 1943, he gave the premiere of Bohuslav Martinů's second concerto, which was written for him. Sales of his records exceeded two million.

His most frequent accompanist in chamber works was Emmanuel Bay, who was born on exactly the same day as he was, 20 January 1891. Elman died on April 5, 1967 in New York City. He is buried in the Westchester Hills Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

Elman's recorded legacy spanned more than 50 years, with recordings made during the 78rpm era appearing under the HMV and Victor (later RCA/Victor) labels. During the LP era, Elman signed with Decca/London and later with the Vanguard recording group. Unlike his contemporary, Jascha Heifetz, Elman's work has never been re-issued in a systematic manner. Highlights of his recording career are listed below.

Contents

[edit] 78 rpm / Mono era

[edit] Stereo era

  • Bach - Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042 - with Vladimir Golschmann, and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra
  • Dvořák - Slavonic Fantasy in B Minor
  • Kreisler - La Précieuse
  • Nardini - Violin Concerto in E Minor - with Vladimir Golschmann, and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra
  • Smetana - Má vlast, No. 2.
  • Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in G Minor, RV 317 - with Vladimir Golschmann, and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra

Elman's interpretations are in stark contrast with contemporary performance practice. Tempi are taken quite slowly; with significant use of both rubato and portamento. The most striking performances are those of the baroque repertoire. The Vivaldi G minor concerto, particularly in the collaboration with Collingwood, has a soulful, almost klezmer, feel to it. For example, simple arpeggio and scale passagework in the outer movements are performed with a remarkable lyrical quality; the 'motor driven' tempo characteristic of a Vivaldi allegro is completely absent. The adagio of the Vivaldi concerto becomes reminiscent of the Fritz Kreisler performance of the Bruch concerto. Though Elman may have been an anachronism in his day (his active period overlaps with the early recordings of Nikolaus Harnoncourt), his interpretations are still worthy of attention and admiration.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • Bibliography A. Kozinn, M. E. AND THE ROMANTIC STYLE (Chur and N.Y., 1990).
  • "Mischa Elman." BAKER'S BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF MUSICIANS Centennial Edition. Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor Emeritus. Schirmer, 2001.
  • Violin Virtuosos (from Paganini to 21st century) - Henry Roth 1997 ISBN 1-8879395-15-0