Description

ROMAN TOTENBERG (ŁÓDŹ, POLAND, JANUARY 1, 1911 – NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, MAY 8, 2012)

 

 

 

 

Roman Totenberg was born in Lódz, Poland to a Jewish family, the son of Adam (an architect) and Slanislava (Vinaver) Totenberg. He spent his early childhood years (1914–1921) in Moscow, where the family moved at the beginning of World War I. Totenberg was a child prodigy who made his concert debut at the age of eleven with conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg. Returning to Warsaw in 1921, he studied with Mieczyslaw Michalowicz, and made his debut at the age of eleven as soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also awarded the gold medal at the Chopin Conservatory/Warsaw. By 1929, he had moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies with Carl Flesch. In 1932 he moved to Paris, where he studied with George Enescu and Pierre Monteux. He won the International Mendelssohn Prize. In 1935, he made his British debut in London and his American debut in Washington, D.C. In 1936, at age 25, he played at the White House for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1938, at age 27, he formally immigrated to the U.S. under the distinguished artist visa program. Totenberg toured South America with Artur Rubinstein in 1937, and gave joint recitals with Karol Szymanowski. He gave many concerts comprising the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas and all Bach Brandenburg concertos. His diversified repertoire included more than thirty concerti. Among the many contemporary works he introduced are the Darius Milhaud Violin Concerto No. 2, the William Schuman Concerto in its final version, 1959, and the Krzysztof Penderecki Capriccio. He also premiered Paul Hindemith’s Sonata in E (1935), the Samuel Barber Concerto (new version) and the Bohuslav Martinů Madrigal Sonata, as well as giving the American premiere of Arthur Honegger’s Sonata for Solo Violin (1940). Under the patronage of the eminent violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and along with pianist Adolph Baller and cellist Gabor Rejto, Totenberg formed the Alma Trio in 1942–43 at Menuhin’s Alma estate in California. Totenberg appeared with numerous American orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Washington Symphonies. In Europe he performed with all major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. He played under eminent conductors including Leopold Stokowski, Kubelik, Szell, Rodzinski, Grzegorz Fitelberg, Jochum, Rowicki, Krenz, Pierre Monteux, Wit, Steinberg and Vladimir Golschmann. In recital he appeared at the White House, Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in every major American and European city. He was featured with the most important music festivals of the world, notably at Salzburg’s Mozarteum, the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where he was appointed chairman of the string department in 1947. In addition to his concert activities, Totenberg held the position of Professor of Music at Boston University, where he headed the string department from 1961 to 1978. He also taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music; the Music Academy of the West; the Aspen School of Music; the Mannes College of Music and the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which he directed from 1978 to 1985. Notable pupils of his include Yevgeny Kutik, Mira Wang, Daniel Han, Rachel Vetter Huang, Na Sun, Ikuko Mizuno and Elizabeth Chang. Roman Totenberg was the father of National Public Radio journalist Nina Totenberg, judge Amy Totenberg, and business woman Jill Totenberg. His wife, Melanie (Shroder) Totenberg (1917-1996), acted as business manager for her husband for 50 years.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. The Alma Trio Ten Variations On Ich Bin Der Schneider Kakadu (Beethoven) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
2. The Alma Trio Trio In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 (Beethoven)  III. Scherzo. Allegro Assai Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
3. The Alma Trio Trio In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 (Beethoven)  IV. Finale. Presto Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
4. The Alma Trio Trio In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 (Beethoven) I. Allegro Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
5. The Alma Trio Trio In C Minor, Op. 1 No. 3 (Beethoven) II. Adagio Cantabile Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
6. The Alma Trio Trio in E Flat Major Op. 70, No. 2 First Movement – Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Beethoven) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
7. The Alma Trio Trio in E Flat Major Op. 70, No. 2 Fourth Movement – Allegro (Beethoven) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
8. The Alma Trio Trio in E Flat Major Op. 70, No. 2 Second Movement – Allegretto (Beethoven) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
9. The Alma Trio Trio in E Flat Major Op. 70, No. 2 Third Movement – Allegretto Ma Non Troppo (Beethoven) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
10. The Alma Trio Trio No. 1 in G Major First Movement – Andante (Haydn) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
11. The Alma Trio Trio No. 1 in G Major Second Movement – Polo Adagio Cantabile (Haydn) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
12. The Alma Trio Trio No. 1 in G Major Third Movement – Presto Rondo All’ongarese (Haydn) Roman Totenberg (violin), Adolph Baller (piano) and Gabor Rejto (cello)
13. Violin Concerto In B-Flat Major 1. Andante; 2. Adagio; 3. Allegro (Handel) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
14. Violin Concerto In D Major 1. Allegro (Fasch) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
15. Violin Concerto In D Major 1. Allegro (Heinichen) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
16. Violin Concerto In D Major 2. Affettuoso (Heinichen) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
17. Violin Concerto In D Major 2. Largo – 3. Allegro  (Fasch) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
18. Violin Concerto In D Major 3. Presto (Heinichen) Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
19. Violin Concerto In G Minor 1.Largo – Allegro (Pisendel)  Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
20. Violin Concerto In G Minor 2. Largo (Pisendel)  Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
21. Violin Concerto In G Minor 3. Allegro (Pisendel)  Zlatko Topolski Vienna Chamber Orchestra
22. Sonata No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 105 (Schumann) I. Mit Leidenschaftlichem Ausdruk Arthur Balsam (piano)
23. Sonata No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 105 (Schumann) II. Allegretto III. Lebhaft Arthur Balsam (piano)
24. Violin Concerto In F Sharp Minor – I – Allegro Deciso (Bloch) Vienna Stateopera Orch, Golschmann
25. Violin Concerto In F Sharp Minor – II – Andante (Bloch) Vienna Stateopera Orch, Golschmann
26. Violin Concerto In F Sharp Minor – III – Deciso (Bloch) Vienna Stateopera Orch, Golschmann
27. Rhapsody No. 1 For Violin And Orchestra (Bartók)
28. Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 (Szymanowski) Movement 1 Sinfonie-Orchester der Staatlichen Philharmonie Poznan conductor Stanislaw Wislocki
29. Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 (Szymanowski) Movement 2 Sinfonie-Orchester der Staatlichen Philharmonie Poznan conductor Stanislaw Wislocki
30. Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 (Szymanowski) Movement 3 Sinfonie-Orchester der Staatlichen Philharmonie Poznan conductor Stanislaw Wislocki
31. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22 (Wieniawski) I. Allegro moderato Stanislaw Wislocki conductor, Poznan Philharmonic Sypmhony Orchestra
32. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22 (Wieniawski) II. Romans Stanislaw Wislocki conductor, Poznan Philharmonic Sypmhony Orchestra
33. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 22 (Wieniawski) III. Allegro moderato Stanislaw Wislocki conductor, Poznan Philharmonic Sypmhony Orchestra
34. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 (Schumann) Part 1. 1 Ziemlich Langsam Lebhaft  Arthur Balsam (piano)
35. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 (Schumann) Part 1. 2 Ziemlich Langsam Lebhaft Arthur Balsam (piano)
36. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 (Schumann) Part 2 Sehr Lebhaft Arthur Balsam (piano)
37. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 (Schumann) Part 3 Leise, Einfach Arthur Balsam (piano)
38. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 (Schumann) Part 4 Bewegt Arthur Balsam (piano)