Description

ARCADIE BIRKENHOLZ (1901 – 1975)

 

 

 

Arcadie Birkenholz was an American violinist who came to prominence in the mid-1920s as an accomplished young concert and radio artist. He was active in recital, orchestral appearances, and national broadcasting during a period when classical music held a central place in American concert life and radio programming.

In November 1926, Birkenholz appeared in a matinee recital at Town Hall, assisted at the piano by Milton Suskind. At the time, he was announced as a soloist scheduled to appear with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, an engagement that reflected his growing professional standing. His Town Hall program combined classical repertoire with virtuoso and character pieces, including Handel’s Sonata in D, Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto in B minor, Bloch’s Baal Shem (Nigun), the Queen’s Air from Le Coq d’Or, a caprice by Wieniawski, and La Gitana by Kreisler. Several works originally announced—by Achron, Korngold, and Ysaÿe—were replaced in performance. The recital was warmly received, and Birkenholz was recalled for encores following Kreisler’s Polichinelle and a tarantella by Sarasate.

By the late 1920s and early 1930s, Birkenholz had become a well-known figure in American radio. At a time when network schedules were heavily devoted to classical and operatic music, he was regarded as a representative performer of the period. He appeared frequently on programs of the NBC, where his violin playing reached a national audience. Among his regular broadcast collaborations was his partnership with the pianist Mathilde Harding, with whom he was described in NBC publicity as a familiar presence to radio listeners.

On May 24, 1931, Birkenholz and Harding were featured on the NBC Artists Service program, broadcast over the WJZ network. An NBC promotional photograph accompanying the announcement emphasized their long-standing recognition among radio audiences, confirming Birkenholz’s established position in the classical broadcasting world of the era.

 

 

ABRAM (ADDASH) FRYDMAN 1906 – 1986)

 

 

 

Abram (Addash) Frydman was a violinist active primarily in the interwar period, best known for his concert and broadcasting career in the United Kingdom. During the 1920s and 1930s, he toured England and Scotland extensively, appearing both as a soloist and as a chamber musician.

Frydman was a frequent participant in radio broadcasts, which played an important role in establishing his reputation with British audiences. Alongside his solo appearances, he was a member of the Dorothy Hogben Trio, collaborating closely with the pianist Dorothy Hogben in performances that focused on classical and light chamber repertoire. He also performed as part of the Chamber Music Ensemble, a string quartet that was active in concerts and broadcasts during the same period.

 

 

MICHAEL JOSHUA BANNER (SACRAMENTO, SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USA, 20 OCTOBER, 1868 – NEW YORK, USA, 30 OCTOBER, 1941)

 

 

 

Michael Joshua Banner was an American violin prodigy whose early career attracted wide attention in the United States and Europe during the late 19th century.

Banner began violin lessons with his father at the age of five. He soon progressed beyond his father’s instruction and was placed with more advanced teachers. At the age of nine, he made his public debut in San Francisco, followed by a series of further appearances there and a concert in his native Sacramento. Contemporary press response was enthusiastic, and he was dubbed “the rising Paganini.”

By 1879, Banner’s parents decided that his musical education should continue in Europe. Before leaving the United States, however, he spent three formative years studying at the Cincinnati College of Music. His first appearance at the Students’ Music Recital was praised as the finest performance the institution had yet witnessed. During this period, he was also awarded the Springer Gold Medal at the students’ examination.

In 1882, Banner entered the Paris Conservatory, where he quickly distinguished himself. At the school’s 1884 competition, he was unanimously awarded first prize, an achievement that brought him considerable recognition. Following this success, he returned to the United States to take advantage of the publicity surrounding his European triumph.

Banner resumed his European career in 1887, undertaking concert engagements in London, Breslau (now Wrocław), and Berlin, establishing himself as an internationally active violinist during the later 19th century.

 

 

MISCHA DOBRINSKI (1900 – 1969)

 

 

 

Mischa Dobrinski was a Russian-born violinist and conductor who built an international performing career in Asia and Australia.

Dobrinski was born in Kremenchoug, Russia, the son of Leo and Chaya Bluma Dobrinski. He studied violin at the Petrograd Conservatory under the conservatory director Alexander Glazunov and the celebrated Austrian violinist Leopold Auer. His formal studies were interrupted by the Russian Civil War, during which he traveled extensively across the country as an itinerant musician, often performing with a folk singer in territories controlled alternately by the Red and White Armies.

After the war, Dobrinski reached Siberia and then crossed into China, where he spent 18 months as conductor of a symphony orchestra in Harbin. He later conducted and performed with a private orchestra in Peking and toured the Far East. His first mention in the Sydney press occurred in August 1923.

In January 1924, Dobrinski became engaged to Beryl Alexander, who would accompany him in concerts and recordings for much of his career. By 1927, he had signed an exclusive recording contract with the Columbia Graphophone Company, and in 1928 he acquired Australian citizenship.

Dobrinski was also active in chamber and ensemble music. He formed Mischa Dobrinski and his Gypsy Serenaders and the Dobrinski Trio, and for several years he led the string section of George Trevare’s Sydney State Theatre Orchestra.

He died suddenly on 15 October 1969, leaving a legacy as a versatile violinist, conductor, and recording artist who bridged Russian, Asian, and Australian musical life.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Abram (Addash) Frydman Melodie (Gluck-Kreisler) Imperial 1400
2. Abram (Addash) Frydman Menuett (Mozart) Imperial 1400
3. Arcadie Birkenholz Le Coq d’Or (Rimsky-Korsakov) Hymn to the Sun Edison 52502-R 18995
4. Arcadie Birkenholz Largo (Veracini-Corti) William Friedman (piano) Edison 80875-R 11274-B-1-3
5. Arcadie Birkenholz Song Of India from Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Edison 52502-L 18996
6. Arcadie Birkenholz Scènes de la Csárda No.3, Op.18 (Hubay) William Friedman (piano) Edison 80875-L 11275-B-1-4
7. Michael Banner Fantasie on themes of Leonard and Paganini Edison 373
8. Michael Banner Variations de concert sur le Carnaval de Venise (Benedict) Edison 302
9. Mischa Dobrinski The Merry Widow (Lehar) I Love You So Columbia 0999 T561
10. Mischa Dobrinski Un Peu d’Amour (Silesu) Columbia 0999 T560