Michael Rabin : America's virtuoso violinist / by Anthony Feinstein.
| Author/creator | Feinstein, A., 1956- |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Pompton Plains, N.J. : Amadeus Press, 2005. |
| Description | 248 pages, 16 pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Nature and nurture -- Willie Spielberg's little half-size violin -- Wunderkinder never cease -- Carnegie Hall -- In pursuit of perfection -- Australia : triumph and trouble -- Hollywood -- The grand tour -- First love, rebellion -- Friendship, love lost -- The heights of success -- Calamity -- A career resurrected -- The Rabin sound falls silent -- Epilogue : with times comes clarity. |
| Abstract | In 1943, at age seven, Michael Rabin picked up a violin for the very first time. Within six months, the child had an astonishing and masterful command of the instrument, outstripping the teaching ability of his father, who sat first chair violin with the New York Philharmonic. By age fifteen, the young Rabin had recorded for Columbia Records, was the youngest soloist yet to be featured on NBC's Bell Telephone Hour, and had had his Carnegie Hall debut, with Isaac Stern in attendance. He was well on his way to sitting in the pantheon of violin prodigies alongside such greats as Stern, Heifetz, Francescatti, Milstein, Menuhin, and even Paganini himself. Rabin's auspicious career beginning ushered in more than a decade of brilliant performing and recording successes that earned him accolades from his peers, worldwide audiences, and the most respected critics in classical music. He would tour the world over many times throughout the 1950s and 1960s, even venturing behind the Iron Curtain. But hours upon hours of rigorous practice, incessant touring, a truncated schooling, and overbearing parental control took their toll on the fragile artist, leaving the young Rabin beset with anxiety and stage phobia and dependent on barbiturates. Tragically, four months shy of his thirty-sixth birthday, Michael Rabin died suddenly under circumstances that until now have been shrouded in mystery. In a brief moment in time, Michael Rabin left an indelible impression on the world of classical music. His few recordings survive on the Columbia, EMI, and Angel labels, and he holds the distinction of recording, at age twenty-two, all the Paganini caprices, in the process setting the standard by which subsequent violinists would be judged. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-240) and index. |
| LCCN | 2005007925 |
| ISBN | 157467109X |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML418.R113 F44 2005 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |