Rudolf Serkin

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  fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/Serkin/serkin-e.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/8/2008    Last Visited: 4/8/2009  

  Rudolf Serkin(28th Mar. 1903~8th May 1991)
  
  [ The piano has always been less interesting to me than the music ]
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  The opposite cases are so rare, in which I think Rudolf Serkin perhaps succeeded most. Furthermore, he is one of the most outstanding example of a professional musical family in 20th century.
  
  Rudolf Serkin was born in Eger(Bohemia? Austria?) on 28th March 1903 in a Jewish Russian family. He was taught music by father(singer) and moved to Vienna at nine, where piano by Richard Robert and composition by Joseph Marx(then George Szell was among his pupil, and the two musician coworked in many recordings later in USA). Rudolf was hailed as a child prodigy as he played Mendelssohn's concerto with Vienna Philharmonic at twelve, but he started regular concert carrier in 1920.
  
  It is said that his connection with Busch family was in 1920, also. (I heard this story that) Adolf Busch was seated at a concert by Rudolf.
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  Rudolf gave the Berlin d ébut concert by Brandenburg Concerto with Adolf conducting, which won the great applause from the audiences. It is now legendary that the encore he played was Goldberg variations. The best encore I have ever heard, and perhaps worth while to being recorded in the Guinness Book. (Another fairy-tale-like thing) when Rudi was invited at Busch's home, Adolf's daughter Irene, only at four, said "I'll marry you after I am grown up". (Whether you believe it or not) it was surely true she - also violinist and played in her father's chamber ensemble - married Rudi in 1935. Therefore, Adolf Busch(violinist), his elder brother Fritz(famous conductor; 1890~1951), younger brother Hermann(cellist; 1899~1972), Irene and Rudolf, their son Shorn(hornist) and Peter(famous pianist; 1947~ ) are most famous and strongest music family in 20th century.
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  Adolf Busch was highly acclaimed in Europe by noble and well-structured playing and his fame grew widespread, and as his constant accompanist, chamber musician of Busch quartet, and solist of Busch chamber ensemble Rudolf Serkin's fame also did.
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  But his Jewish blood was not overlooked by Nazi, so Serkin and Busch family emigrated to USA through Swiss in 1939. Rudolf took the post of Curtis Music Institute in the same year, and settled at Guilford, Vermont. He founded Marlboro(near Guilford) Music Festival with Adolf, becoming the only leader after two years because of the Adolf's death. Marlboro Festival is now one of the most famous music festival in America, of which among the regular member was many outstanding musicians like Pablo Casals who was invited by Serkin himself.
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  Serkin said " Although I am pianist, the piano has always less been interesting to me than the music itself ". When he is at Curtis, he stopped teaching to research Bach's cantatas for a year, from which we cannot but think that he was somewhat 'disinterested' in piano playing itself. (Therefore) the sound he produced is somewhat different from those of others.
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  A Japanese critic said in his books, "When we criticize Serkin, it will make many mistakes to hear only his records without listening his live concerts. He continued, "Serkin is very sincere in recordings, therefore extremely concentrates on texture and structures of the music, which makes many differences between live and records. Critics say "He moves strangely in concert, and pulsed the music after his motion", and we can often hear his humming habit even in records. As far as I listen his records, I think his music is abnormally well-balanced, but that his music often seems to break it.
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  Schubert is recommended as the next choice for Serkin.
  
  In his recordings, above all, I recommend '75th anniversary concert'(Sony) , which is one of his rare live recordings. The program was Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, and very good performance - but not 'live Serkin' yet. The style is settled down to that of the recordings.
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  Serkin was very sincere artist in many respect.
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  Columbia planned to record Beethoven's complete sonatas by Serkin, but in vain(Sony was surely unlucky in the project. Gould's are imperfect, also. I think Perahia will). I heard the behind stories; In early 1950s, at a Beethoven sonata session Serkin was too serious and perfect, so Columbia technicians had to take the longest time in Columbia's history. They had no choice to give the project up as they thought it would not be sufficient even to spend all the lifetime of Serkin.

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  www.wednesday-night.com/Wed1012.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/25/2001    Last Visited: 6/13/2008  

  A student of Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute of Music, Professor Berkowitz' recent performances and recordings have focused on the piano music of Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms.A recording artist for Meridian Records, his discography includes a seven-volume CD set of the complete Schubert Piano Sonatas, as well as Schumann's Kreisleriana, which was selected by the BBC Record Review as the best of all available recordings of the work.

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  fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/Szell/discography-szell - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/19/2008    Last Visited: 4/8/2009  

  * with Rudolf Serkin (p) / Columbia Symphony
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  * with Rudolf Serkin (p) / Cleveland Orchestra
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  * with Rudolf Serkin (p) / Cleveland Orchestra
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  * with Rudolf Serkin (p) / Cleveland Orchestra
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  * with Rudolf Serkin (p) / Cleveland Orchestra

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  inkpot.com/concert/graffmanbreakfast.html - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/17/2006    Last Visited: 10/26/2008  

  All this changed when Rudolf Serkin (from the Austro-German school) became the Principal of Curtis. This same scenario is however repeated today with Chinese conservatories. Many young Chinese pianists come to Curtis without having played the piano part of a single violin sonata. He feels that more attention should be given to chamber music, as an addition to what they are already learning.
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  Thus Horowitz thought of the piano in terms of the human voice, which was in contrast with Rudolf Serkin who thought instrumentally ("This is a horn, this is a bassoon,")

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  www.petesart.com/contentnav/content/fineart/construct/s - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/31/2007    Last Visited: 8/31/2007  

  Rudolf Serkin the late eminent pianist was the artistic director of the Marlboro Music Festival where my childhood summers were spent and where I later went on to photograph.He had a profound influence on how I look at life and art.

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  Boston Globe Online / Living | Arts / Marlboro is a... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 7/28/2002    Last Visited: 7/28/2002  

  Yes, its list of alumni reads like a roll call of the last half-century's greatest musicians, stretching from Adolf Busch and Rudolf Serkin to more recent luminaries such as Leila Josefowicz and Hilary Hahn.
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  That kind of selfless music making was what the festival's founders - Busch, Serkin, and a group of other European immigrants - set out to impart when they created Marlboro in 1951.
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  When Busch died the following year, Serkin became the festival's artistic director and guiding light until his death in 1991.
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  Serkin envisioned Marlboro not as a venue for star-studded recitals, but as a retreat for study and learning.And although it attracts draws some of the world's top performers, that is what it remains.About 75 musicians attend every summer, 50 or so young performers and the rest so-called senior members who have devoted many of their summers to Marlboro.Ensembles mix the younger players with their elders, with the more experienced often taking the less prominent roles.
  
  This novel arrangement prompted Serkin to call it "a republic of equals," though he conceded that "some of us are more equal than others."
  
  It isn't a simple case of teachers and pupils.Younger musicians (most of whom are already professionals) come to Marlboro to learn how players who bring different perspectives to a work can create a unified interpretation.
  
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  As Serkin once put it, "We are all students here."
  
  At Marlboro an ensemble is given as much time as it needs to hone a piece, without the pressure generated by an imminent performance deadline.Works are submitted for public consumption only when the performers think they are ready.

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  Brattleboro Reformer - Entertainment - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/4/2005    Last Visited: 8/4/2005  

  A tradition started by Rudolf Serkin, long-time artistic director and a Guilford resident until his death in 1991, the Town Benefit has provided funds annually for the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue.

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  Cascade Head Music Festival, a chamber music annual... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/9/2000    Last Visited: 8/15/2001  

  After graduating from Harvard , Mr. Levin was invited by Rudolf Serkin to head the Theory Department of the Curtis Institute of Music.

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  Chopin : Great interpreters - [Cached Version]
  Last Visited: 12/7/2009  

  Bolet's European debut was in Amsterdam (1935), and his American debut in Philadelphia (1937), followed by further studies with Rudolf Serkin. In 1937 he won the Naumberg Prize and in 1938 the Josef Hofmann Award. From 1939 to 1942 he taught as Serkin's assistant at the Curtis Institute. Military service took him to Japan, and in 1946 he conducted the Japanese premiere of The Mikado. After the war he resumed his career and spent some time working with Abram Chasins. From the early 60's his artistry and virtuosity have been acclaimed as transcendent, and he is generally considered in the USA (he has less played in Europe) to be one of the last representatives of the grand tradition of Romantic piano playing.

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  Darol Anger & Phil Aaberg - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/10/2007    Last Visited: 3/10/2007  

  Invited to Marlboro Chamber Music Festival, Pablo Casals, conductor, Rudolf Serkin, director

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