Description

SASCHA JACOBSEN (HELSINKI, FINLAND, 11 DECEMBER [O.S. 29 NOVEMBER], 1895 – LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, 19 MARCH, 1972)

 

 

 

 

Sascha Jacobsen was a Russian violinist and teacher born (in Helsinki, Finland) on December 10, 1895.  Jacobsen’s birthdate is also given as November 29, 1895 and December 11, 1895.  Little is known of his early life.  It has been said that he grew up in St Petersburg.  He has been often confused with another violinist (from Philadelphia) named Sascha Jacobson.  A humorous song written by George Gershwin in 1921 includes his (first) name (along with those of Jascha, Toscha, and Mischa – Russian violinists Heifetz, Seidel, and Elman, respectively.)  It is known that he enrolled at Juilliard in 1908 where his main teacher was Franz Kneisel.  He graduated from Juilliard (Institute of Musical Art) in June of 1914 (some sources say 1915.)  He was 18 years old.  (A fellow-student of his was Elias Breeskin.)  In February of 1915, Jacobsen played parts of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnol at an Aeolian Hall concert.  On November 27, 1915, he made his official recital debut at Aeolian Hall playing (among other things) Saint Saens’ third concerto.  After the announced program was concluded, he had to play numerous encores and he received very favorable reviews the following day.  He first soloed with the New York Philharmonic on March 9, 1919 (at age 23) playing Bruch’s first concerto with Walter Damrosch conducting.  Jacobsen concertized as a soloist between 1915 and 1925.  He began teaching at Juilliard in 1926.  After being hired, he almost immediately formed the Musical Art Quartet which disbanded in 1945, after almost 20 years of concert activity. He moved to Los Angeles (California, USA) in 1946 and taught at the Los Angeles Conservatory but at other music schools as well.  From September 1947 and May 1949, he was guest concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Some sources say he was concertmaster up to 1952 but I could not confirm that.  It has been said that Albert Einstein was one of Jacobsen’s pupils.  (Einstein also took lessons from Toscha Seidel.)  Jacobsen’s most famous pupils are probably Julius Hegyi and Zvi Zeitlin.  Among the violins he played are the Red Diamond Stradivarius (1732), the Cessole Stradivarius (1716), the Windsor Stradivarius (1717), a GB Guadagnini (1779), another GB Guadagnini (1772), and a Del Gesu Guarnerius constructed in 1732.  Jacobsen died on March 19, 1972, at age 76.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Ave Maria (Gounod) with Hipólito Lázaro (vocal) and Romano Romani (piano) Columbia 49350 49350

Berceuse, Op. 20 (Renard) Victor 17385

Blue Diamonds (Caddigan and Storey) Columbia A2977 79203

Capriccio valse (Wieniawski) with Samuel Chotzinoff (piano) Columbia 20019-D 81473

Chant nègre (Kramer) Arthur Bergh (piano) Columbia 161-M W146251

Dardanella (Bernard-Black) Columbia A2912 78979

Dear Old Pal of Mine (Rice) with Samuel Chotzinoff (piano) Columbia A2753 78389

Drifting ‘neath the silver moon (Eyges-Lipschultz) with Alec Sander (violin) and Robert Hood Bowers (piano) Harmony 35-H 140955

Elegie (Massenet) with Riccardo Stracciari (vocal) and Philip Hauser (piano) Columbia 49333

Golden days (Romberg) with Alec Sander (violin) and Robert Hood Bowers (piano) Harmony 26-H 140881

I lost my heart to you (Merkur and Davis) with Emanuel Balaban (piano) Columbia A3419 79836

Ideale (Tosti) with Riccardo Stracciari (vocal) Columbia 3956 49333

If you could care (Darewski) from As you were Waltz with Emanuel Balaban (piano) Columbia A2912 78984

In Shadowland (Ahlert-Brooks) Robert Hood Bowers (piano) Harmony 35-H 140953

Indiana Moon (Isham Jones) with Harry Kaufman (piano) Columbia 20001D 81256

Jocelyn (Godard) Berceuse Emanuel Balaban (piano) Columbia A3597 79817

Just a cottage small (Hanley) Raymond Bauman (piano) and Robert Hood Bowers (piano) Columbia 125-M W141918

Larghetto (Handel) with Charles Albert Baker (piano) Victor 17415-A

Menuett (Handel) with Charles Albert Baker (piano) Victor 17415-B