Description

MAXIMILIAN ROSE (BESSARABIA, RUSSIAN EMPIRE, 1905/1906 – NEW YORK CITY, 1971)

 

 

 

 

Maximilian Rose was an American violinist who came to public attention in New York as a gifted youth shortly after the First World War. He was born in Bessarabia and immigrated to the United States as a child, growing up on New York’s Lower East Side. His early life was marked by hardship: by his mid-teens he was already helping support his widowed mother and younger brother, earning money by playing the violin in cafés and small establishments.

After four years of systematic study with the violinist Alos Trnka, Rose emerged onto the formal concert stage. His New York recital debut took place on 3 March 1919 at Aeolian Hall, when he was still a teenager. The New York Times described him as a “boy violinist from the East Side” and emphasized the musical seriousness and emotional restraint of his playing, praising the sentiment and refinement of his interpretations rather than mere virtuosity. His debut program included a sonata by Veracini and a new violin concerto by Cecil Burleigh, demonstrating both classical grounding and engagement with contemporary repertoire.

Rose’s progress was rapid. On 29 February 1920, he appeared in a violin recital at Carnegie Hall, an engagement documented in the Carnegie Hall archives and confirming his acceptance into New York’s major concert venues. This appearance marked a significant step beyond his debut, placing him among the young professional recitalists active in the city at the time.

By January 1922, Rose continued to be heard in public concerts, as noted in the New York Times under the heading “Maximilian Rose, Violinist, Heard.” These notices indicate that he remained active as a recital artist in the early 1920s, sustaining a career that bridged the transition from youthful prodigy to established performer.

Maximilian A. Rose died in April 1971, as reported in the New York Times. While details of his later professional life are sparsely documented in surviving press accounts, his early career stands as a notable example of an immigrant musician rising from modest circumstances to major New York concert stages through discipline, talent, and perseverance.

 

 

 

FRANCIS ERNST ARÁNYI (COLOGNE, GERMANY, MARCH 21, 1893 –  SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES, MAY, 1966)

 

 

 

 

Francis Arányi was a distinguished violinist, orchestral leader, and music educator, notable for his performances in Europe and the United States and for founding the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO).

Arányi was born in Cologne, Germany, and received advanced violin training in Europe before beginning a professional performing career. By the mid-1910s, he was already performing with major orchestras in Vienna, including the Wiener Tonkünstler‑Orchester, establishing himself as a skilled violinist on the European concert scene.

He immigrated to the United States and continued his career as a soloist and orchestral musician. On October 19, 1937, Arányi made his New York recital debut at Town Hall, as noted in The New York Times, performing a program that opened with La Folia and demonstrated his mastery of both historical and modern repertoire.

By 1941, he was active in the Pacific Northwest, performing as a violinist and serving as concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony. In 1942, Arányi founded the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, the first conductor of the ensemble, starting with a small group of 46 young musicians. Under his leadership through 1959, SYSO grew into a prominent youth training orchestra, a legacy still celebrated in 2003 during its 60th anniversary.

Arányi’s career combined performance, orchestral leadership, and music education. He helped shape classical music culture in Seattle, mentoring generations of young musicians and developing community music programs.

Francis Arányi died in May 1966 in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 73, leaving behind a lasting impact on the musical life of the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

 

JOEL BELOV (EKATERINOSLAV, RUSSIAN EMPIRE, OCTOBER–DECEMBER, 1894 – ?)

 

 

 

 

Joel Belov (born in Ekaterinoslav, Russian Empire, October–December 1894) was an American violinist and respected music educator best known for his rich career as an orchestral player and teacher in the United States. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1911 and soon became active in the American classical music scene.

Belov trained at the Ekaterinoslav Royal Conservatory of Music in Russia before moving to America as a young musician eager to pursue performance and teaching opportunities.

As a performer, Belov served as first violinist in the violin section of the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the United States’ premier orchestras, during the early decades of the 20th century. His orchestral work helped define the ensemble’s sound in a period when it was growing in prominence under influential conductors.

In addition to his work in Philadelphia’s top symphony, Belov was active as a concertmaster and leader in the University Symphony Orchestra (historical mentions indicate he functioned in leadership and assistant conducting roles in university ensembles during his career).

Beyond performance, Belov was a dedicated teacher. He held faculty positions at prestigious institutions, including the Curtis Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, where he influenced generations of violinists with rigorous technique and expressive musicianship. His teaching was respected by students and fellow educators alike.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Maximilian Rose Largo (Handel) Emerson 4475-1 No. 02029-XP
2. Maximilian Rose Minuet In G (Beethoven) Emerson 4476-2 No. 02029-XP
3. Frances Arányi Jocelyn (Godard) Oh! Ne t’éveille pas encore Anker 111-II
4. Frances Arányi Serse (Händel) Ombra mai fù Anker 111-I
5. Francis Aranyi Polonaise, op.38 (Vieuxtemps) Polydor 95114 724 bm, 725 1/2 bm
6. Joel Belov Air for G string (Bach) Robert Gayler (piano) Edison 6289
7. Joel Belov Lament (Belov) Robert Gayler (piano) Edison 80422 6089
8. Joel Belov Menuet in G (Beethoven) Robert Gayler (piano) Edison 6288
9. Joel Belov Romanza andaluza (Sarasate) Robert Gayler (piano) Edison 80422 6090
10. Albert Faber Melodie (Op. 42) (Tchaikovsky) Operaphone 51131-B 51131B
11. Albert Faber Songs my Mother Taught Me (Dvorak-Kreisler) Operaphone 51133-B 51133B