Grand Masters of the Cello II

I was kind of tired when I got home from work, so I decided to take a little nap.  I ended up sleeping until nearly 1 o'clock, but hey, I guess I needed the rest.  Fortunately, I had already pulled together what I needed for today's featured Grand Master of the Cello before going to work.  So let's get right to it, shall we?

Our Grand Master of the Cello for today was the first preeminent American Born Cellist, Leonard Rose.  "Leonard Rose (1918-1984) was one of the very best American teachers and musicians of the twentieth century. Rose's parents came from Kiev, Russia; but Leonard was born on July 27 in Washington, D.C. His father was a cellist, and gave him his first lessons on the instrument. When he was ten he took lessons from Walter Grossman at the Miami Conservatory, and shortly after that studied with his cousin, Frank Miller, who was principal cellist with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York. When Rose was sixteen he began studying with Felix Salmond at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and two years later became Salmond's assistant." (cello.org)

When Rose graduated from Curtis at 18, he became the Principle Cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra under Artur Rodzinski.  Five years later when Rodzinski moved to the podium of the New York Philharmonic, he took Rose with him.  At the tender age of 26, Rose was the Pinciple Cellists of the Premiere Orchestra in America.  In 1946 he was offered a professorship at Julliard which he accepted finally in 1951, deciding to devote his life to a teaching, solo and recording career.  He eventually became head of the department at Julliard where he served until his death in 1984.  

His students number among the elites of Classical Music and speak of Rose in tones of reverence:

Lynn Harrell, Yo Yo Ma and Stephen Kates are but three of the fine cellists that were taught by Leonard Rose; and they all revered him as a wonderful teacher. Kates said that Rose had a wonderful ability to make his students perform at a higher level, and that one would exit a lesson with Rose "...feeling like a million dollars. He had a wonderful way to make you play better that was not methodology, but he gave you confidence. He made you feel good about yourself when you were doing it." 

According to Yo Yo Ma, "One of the marks of a great teacher lies not only in an ability to impart knowledge but also in knowing when to encourage a student to go off on his own. I remember vividly the day after a New York recital I played when I was fifteen: -- I came to a lesson and Mr. Rose said to me, 'You played very well but I would like you to take the Fourth Sonata of Beethoven and figure it out for yourself.' The Beethoven Sonata was an unfamiliar piece and, being a late work, is written very densely. The twists and turns of the writing are a real challenge to the imagination. It took many years before I was able to make sense of it. But it was the beginning of my conscious search for independence and individuality. It takes a great teacher to grant that kind of permission and encouragement." 

His career touched the lives of many of the renowned names of Classical Music from Casals and Toscanini to Bernstein and Barenboim.  His famous collaboration with Isaac Stern and Eugene Istomin as a trio played publicly and recorded to much acclaim almost until the time of his death.  

A student in his last class at Julliard, Steven Honigberg has written a new biography: Leonard Rose: America's Golden Age and Its First Cellist.  A word from the author:

"From 1979 to 1984, I attained my childhood dream: I had the honor of studying at Juilliard in, as it turned out, Leonard Rose’s final class, his final opportunity to imbue a group of young musicians with his powerful mastery of the instrument. Rose was a superb teacher—kind, patient, encouraging, and exacting. I admired him enormously. Few interpersonal experiences rival the intimacy of a master artist’s lesson. 

Rose served as a father figure who bestowed undivided attention to those pupils who desired and warranted it. His verbal instruction may have lacked magic, but the way he played and demonstrated thrilled students. His quest for perfection hovered over every lesson. Rose instilled in us a profound respect for the compositions we studied and a rich knowledge of the heritage he passed down from previous generations. 

Most vital of all, he bestowed us with infinite inspiration. After his passing in 1984, my admiration for the cellist never faded. Inspired by his eternal aura, in 2005 I decided to solicit written tributes from fellow Rose students. I was curious to learn if others shared a comparable fondness for the man, and if his teaching continued to influence their lives and playing as it still affected mine. The outpouring of responses was enthusiastic and touching. Instead of satiating my curiosity; these remembrances underscored the paucity of widely available information about this extraordinary pedagogue, artist, and human being. I resolved to rectify the literary omission and historical oversight. The result—Leonard Rose: America’s Golden Age and Its First Cellist—finally seats Leonard Rose in his proper place in the musical pantheon.

This book examines the multifaceted American cellist and the classical music context that dominated Rose’s twentieth century. Professionally, the era during which he achieved greatness and the direction he chose to pursue could not have been musically richer. While Leonard Rose is a more than worthy solo biographical subject, he felt that the story of his inordinate contact and collaboration with his era’s most renowned musicians was especially valuable for posterity. So my aim in this volume was to showcase Rose among the countless musical figures he affected and those who affected him."

Today's video presentation is part documentary, part book review, commentary from musical notables and filled with beautiful music.  The photos and commentary are interspersed with excerpts from the book, so you will need to actually watch not just listen to this one to get the full measure of it.  Meanwhile the companion piece on my tumblr is Rose playing the Schumann Cello Concerto in A Minor, Opus 129 with Berstein and the NewYork Philharmonic from 1960.  

Finally for today, look out for some Random Hotness down below and the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr for some visual inspiration for your day.  Thanks for stopping in, see you tomorrow for another Grand Master of the Cello.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!