The art of Emanuel Feuermann; Dvorak, Chopin-Feuermann, and Valensin, part 1

From four College Radio in Amherst the eastern educational radio network presents the second in a six part series of programs devoted to the art of a manual for your mom and host for the series is cellist Seymour Itzkoff a member of the Department of Education at Smith College. Emanuel for women was born in Kolar me and Alysia on November 22nd one thousand nine hundred two Komi and now part of the Soviet Union was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a busy agricultural and trading town of 33000 people half of whom were Jews. A town typical of many other small communities in their part of Central and Eastern Europe which were rapidly entering the modern world. It was the kind of environment that not only produced this greatest of cellists but produced literally dozens of rituals so instrumentalist that it was not only the town itself but the kind of society and culture that existed in these last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th that were responsible for producing this historic group of musicians. Both ahead experience for

women halves of the cellists family were deeply involved in music. Many made their living directly from music others engaged in differing trades and businesses were invariably drawn back into some kind of participation in the musical life of the family or the community. The elder foreman was a music teacher and though his main instrument was the cello of necessity he taught all the instruments. He was out on a teaching around to early morning to late evening traditionally the purpose of music in this environment was not to provide concert artist or professionals in our sense. Music was an integral part of the overall fabric of their culture. It was used as an enhancement of the rhythm of ordinary life as an expression at least in this one dimension of existence. Other basic emotional thrust for Beauty and the time when life was both hard and precarious. Even if the distinctions between amateur and professional were less clear cut in these communities the level of instrumental achievement as in that other folk art that of the Hungary and Gypsy was by no means minimal. What occurred

was that White had always been a rather distant and indirect cultural commerce with the great centers of Vienna St. Petersburg Prague and Budapest had during this era become a close and continuing cultural presence. All the musicians had always gravitated to the great cities and indeed the cities had been invigorated even suckered by the musical resources of the hinterlands. Never before had there existed such opportunities that were now open for the musician in the urban middle class musical culture. In fact the bourgeoisie had transmitted what had been an aristocratic and parochial aesthetic into a truly international art form. The impact of this culture reached into even the smallest of towns. Jewish families such as appointments in the cities symbolized the freedoms and opportunities they could not have been conceived a generation or so earlier when they still lived under conditions of virtual forced confinement. It was in this general context of life in art that the elder Foreman decided in one thousand eight hundred eight to leave calling Mia and establish his family in the capital Edmee and out some

500 miles to the west. Manual had been started on a cello while still in color Mia he had become infatuated with an instrument left at the point home by a student and had asked to be taught on that instrument. Like any child his desire exceeded his maturity and patience and he was recalcitrant rather than eager when it came to practicing. Nevertheless his abilities were soon manifest. The move to Vienna however was not made on his account. There was Brother Sigman two years Emanuel senior who had already developed into a violin prodigy started on a violin at a very early age. Zygmunt had progressed so rapidly that at five and a half he was taken to Lemberg now Leboeuf to perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. And when it was learned that a great subject had returned to Vienna to have the master school for violin and to be an academy of music. Zygmunt was taken to be enrolled in his class. Family life continued in Vienna as in call on Mia with her father pursuing his teaching vocation.

But now the economic well-being of the family was quite precarious for a time a suitable chela for Emmanuel was out of the question. So the thought of going to the peg on to a viola and the daily early morning lessons continued as before. It was a grinding regimen for both boys who like all children would rather have played and practice their instruments which incidentally they often used as toys dragging them about the house. But they could not transgress the tradition of musical achievement that they had inherited from family and culture. It was an integral part of their lives and it was expected of them. And so work on instruments continued in a serious direct and perhaps even economical manner. Their parents expected progress and the children responded with a complete commitment of body and mind. Later a younger sister Sophie joined him on the piano. In the end all three children succeeded in a matter commensurate with the family's commitment. He's even completed his work in

Septic's masterclass in only one year and was immediately engaged to concert ties. The father accompanied him on these tours and therefore decided to place Emmanuel now with a real cello under the tutelage of emus cellist entente Valter. Emanuel's progress was now equally as rapid as sigmond and a year later in 1907 Delta felt the recital was an order. It was an unheralded debut and the audience was somewhat sparse during the concert. It is told the Nine year old cellist suffered a lapse of memory in the middle of one of the major pieces. In an instant the well-prepared elder for human music in hand ran down the aisle to rescue a sledge Ling concert artist. Fortunately the reviews of the debut were agile at Tory So much so that on the following day a delegation of the beanies cultural elite searched out the foreman home to see the young genius whose recital they had missed. They were greeted by the family and directed to the yard where they found the manual rolling on the ground in mortal combat with a neighbour's child.

The next four years consisted of study and concertizing for both brothers. A group of beanies to anthropos provided of fine instruments and in other ways helped sponsor the boys in their tours. But it was the elder Foreman's watchful and ever present direction that provided the nurturing requisite for their development. In retrospect it seems apparent that Emanuel for a minute was meant for only one career yet seemingly it was not so apparent to those involved that the boys would make music their only vocation. Even though at that time they were the sole support of the family. After all the four humans experienced a bitter economic deprivations that a musician's existence can entail. Now in Vienna they were in a position where a certain amount of choice was available. The sponsors of the formant brothers had provided an academic tutor a professor Cliff or marker to prepare them for giving us the M.. Unfortunately Emanuel although academically quite able did not respond to the kind of

drudgery which preparation to this kind assessor tape it. Perhaps the cello was too deeply ingrained in him. At any rate he failed the crucial Latin section of the qualifying examination and was therefore excluded from pursuing his education. Along these lines. Instead it was decided to enroll him in the Leipzig conservatory under the internationally known cellist teacher and chamber musician Julius Klingle in Leipzig. In addition to his cello studies he would be trained in music theory as well as in a variety of academic subjects. Emanuel spent two years at Leipzig for 1015 to 917 And these years provided for the most intense period of practice and devotion to the instrument that he was ever to undertake. Every day five six and even seven hours were devoted to the polishing the technique and completing his knowledge of the cello repertoire. For now he had been toured from the young child due to fully fulfilling obligations about whose significance he could never clearly and completely

fathom to a point of adolescent awareness not only of his own powers on the instrument but the significance of abilities of this kind in the international cultural setting. Soon after returning home. Upon completing his second year at Leipzig the foreman family was informed by Klingle that a position as Professor of cello had become vacant at the Kim or cologne conservatory clanger would recommend a manual if the family was interested. Of course it was but the negotiations became somewhat protracted when the officials of the conservatory learned that Foreman was barely 16 years old. They pleaded with Klingle to provide them with alternate names of a more appropriate professorial age quangos reply was unequivocal. I want students present and past. There was no one who could recommend who could approach Emanuel for women. At last cologne accepted but with a final stipulation the position would be offered

as proposed except that the title professor would be withheld in our own institutional jargon he would probably be known today as a lecturer. And so with his older sister as chaperone the sixteen and a half year old almost full professor of cello set forth on his first full time professional venture. During the four years at Cologne one thousand one thousand to one thousand twenty three four human was in addition to his teaching duties to be first jealous of the group's new August tour of the conservatory and would perform a solos 12 times yearly. He would also be the cellist of the old ring quartet in residence led by the distinguished Dutch violinist Bram elder in this latter experience was up in estimable value in polishing his ensemble abilities so brilliantly exemplified in his later trio recordings of the Berlin and Los Angeles series. His use presented somewhat of a problem but through an intense self-examination of his own technique he was able to communicate his knowledge in a manner

which won the respect of his students many of whom were quite a few years his senior. One of the first changes to which he had to adjust with the hours of professional musicians at Leipsic he usually retired at 8:30 in Cologne concerts began at this time. During one of the first quartet recitals l during noticed that the held bass note of the cello was becoming weaker and weaker. When the diminuendo was indicated in the music and looking up it for him and he saw that Emanuel's eyes were averted downward and his chin was practically touching his chest. A quick nudge by the violist evoked a sudden crescendo but also I now very alert. Cellist. The recording of the divorcement cello concerto we are going to hear first was made in one thousand twenty eight five years after he left cologne. These five years were spent touring the world and it was during this period that the name pointman began to be known internationally. When he returned in one thousand twenty eight it was to take up a real professorship in Berlin again at the

unlikely age of 25. This recording with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra under Michael taupe does not equal the magnificently poetic collaboration of George Selim Publica sols made some eight years later in Prague when Casals was already 60. Informants to voice shock we find the typical exuberance of the young British are also asserting his physical mastery over the technical problems of the instrument. Yet there are a number of lovely stylistic intimations of things to come. Foreman's vitality and musicality more than make up for the recordings imperfections. He asks for no concessions in orchestral tempi or balances the solo is pellucid and you alight in its openness. Throughout the concerto. And and and.

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