Description

MAX ROSEN (DOROHOI, ROMANIA, APRIL 11, 1900 – NEW YORK, USA, DECEMBER 17, 1956)

 

 

 

 

Max Rosen was born the son of hairdresser Benjamin Rosen, who immigrated from Romania to the United States around 1900. Benjamin Rosen’s son Max was eight months old at the time. The father founded a barbershop in the Bowery, where Max Rosen grew up. His first violin lessons were given to Max Rosen by his father; However, a special interest in the music was initially unrecognizable in the child. A friend named Solomon Diamond finally recognized the boy’s talent and helped him to study at the David Mannes Music School, where he was taught for over a year. There he is said to have influenced George Gershwin’s musical development. Social worker Rose Lubarsky heard Max Rosen during a prelude and decided to raise money to give him training in Europe. Max Rosen played in front of James Goldmark, who belonged to the McDowell Club and wanted to provide the eleven-year-old a scholarship from the funds of this club. Max Rosen’s supporters, however, rejected this donation as insufficient. Kathleen Parlow finally communicated with Leopold Auer in Dresden. Edward de Coppet agreed after a prelude to finance Max Rosen’s apprenticeship with Auer, so that the boy could travel to Dresden with his father in January 1912. Max Rosen studied with Auer until he moved to Petrograd, where his student did not follow him because of anti-Semitic legislation in Russia. Instead, he continued his education with Willy Hess and gave first concerts in Berlin and other German cities. When the First World War broke out, Auer moved to Christiania, where Max Rosen saw him again. In the winter of 1917/18 Max Rosen returned to the USA. He made his debut in the USA on January 12, 1918 at Carnegie Hall. He played the Second Symphony of Brahms that evening, followed by Karl Goldmark’s Violin Concerto in A minor and various solo pieces for violin, and received enthusiastic applause. Already on January 21, 1918, the next concert followed in Carnegie Hall. On February 15, 1918, he gave a concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with pianist Israel Joseph. On January 25, 1919, he was heard again at Carnegie Hall. On January 7, 1921, he starred with Walter Henry Rothwell at the first performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From about 1923 to 1927 he stayed in Europe; In 1927, followed by a tour of the United States. Rosen was accompanied by Richard Wilens, whom he had met in Berlin as a child. In 1928 he married in Manhattan Nanette Guilford (née Gutman), who was employed at the Metropolitan Opera. The marriage with the soprano was divorced in 1930. Max Rosen was passionate about playing chess and almost missed a concert in Leipzig because he was immersed in a match with Emanuel Lasker.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Mazurka in A minor (Chopin-Kreisler) Brunswick 15006 4180-4181 approximately September 1920 New York

Melodie (Tchaikovsky) Richard Wilens (piano) Brunswick 15212 E29975 May 1929 New York

Morgen (Strauss) Claire Dux (Soprano) Brunswick 10248 E19366-E19368 5-26-1926 New York

Orientale (Cui) Frederic Persson (Piano) Brunswick 10029 4993 approximately January 1921 New York

Salut d’amour (Elgar) Richard Wilens (piano) Brunswick 15212 E29874 May 1929 New York

Serenade (Drigo) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 15005 3446 approximately January 1920 New York

Serenade du tsigane (Valdez) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 10043 5516 approximately May 1921 New York

Souvenir (Drdla) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 10012 3219 approximately December 1919 New York

Souvenir (Drdla) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 15003 3443 approximately January 1920 New York

Spanish Dance (Granados-Kreisler) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 15005 5603-5604 approximately May 1921 New York

Thaïs (Massenet) Méditation Brunswick 50110 [X]E23730-[X]E23731 6-23-1927 New York

Traumerei (Schumann) Frederic Persson (piano) Brunswick 15006 5454-5455 approximately April 1921 New York

Valse, op. 64. no. 2 (Chopin-Huberman) Richard Wilens (piano) Brunswick 15187 E28033 8-10-1928 New York