Edmund Kurtz

Edmund Kurtz ( Russian Эдмунд Курц * Dec. 29, 1908 ^{. Jul} / 11. January  1909 ^greg. In St. Petersburg ; † 19th August 2004 in London ) was a Russian cellist .

Life

Kurtz began his musical training at an early age with piano lessons without much progress. At the age of eight he heard Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations in A major op. 33 for cello and orchestra in a concert , whereupon he decided to become a cellist. After the October Revolution , the Kurtz family emigrated to Germany, where the boy's occupation with the cello quickly bore fruit. In 1922, thirteen-year-old Edmund Kurtz was accepted by Julius Klengel to study cello in Leipzig . In 1924 Kurtz made his successful debut in Rome and then performed in Berlin . To complete his training, he studied with Leó Weiner in Budapest for some time , and on Pablo Casals' advice he also took lessons with Diran Alexanian in Paris .

Kurtz combined his solo career with work in the orchestra by becoming a soloist at the Bremen Opera in 1926 . 1927–1930 he gave guest performances with the ballerina Anna Pawlowa, in particular with the dying swan after Camille Saint-Saëns . From 1932 to 1936 he was first cellist at the Deutsche Oper in Prague under George Szell . After that he preferred to move to the USA . From 1936 to 1944 Kurtz was a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra . At the same time he gave guest appearances with Jascha Spiwakowski and Tossi Spiwakowski ( Spiwakowski Trio ). Then he concentrated on solo performances.

In 1945 Kurtz gained greater attention with Dvořák's Cello Concerto with the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini . In 1946 he was the soloist at the premiere of Darius Milhaud's 2nd Cello Concerto with the New York Philharmonic under Artur Rodziński . In 1948 he played Chatschaturjan's Cello Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Sergei Kusewizki .

During his later years Kurtz dealt with Johann Sebastian Bach . 1978–1983 he worked on a critical edition of the six suites for solo cello based on the handwriting of Anna Magdalena Bach . He also worked with the pianist William Kapell on the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19 by Sergei Rachmaninoff .

Edmund Kurtz's siblings were also excellent musicians. Efrem Kurtz (1900–1995) was a conductor , Arved Abram Kurtz (1899–1995) was rector of the New York College of Music and Mary Kurtz Rosenwald (1906–1985) was first violinist of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo . Mary Kurtz Rosenwald joined the leadership of the philanthropic organization United Jewish Appeal , which her husband William Rosenwald founded together with the youngest son Julius Rosenwald and others.

literature

• Margaret Campbell: Edmund Kurtz, cellist and editor of Bach's Six Solo Suites . Independent August 23, 2004 (accessed February 23, 2016).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Necrology of the mother Efrem Kurtz ', Mrs. Simha Krestmein Kurtz (1874–1949). The Billboard December 3, 1949.
2. ^ Mary K. Rosenwald, Violinist Active in Philanthropic Work . The New York Times November 15, 1985 (accessed February 23, 2016).
3. ↑ Violinist Mary Kurtz Rosenwald, 79 . Chicago Tribune November 15, 1985 (accessed February 23, 2016).