Adolf Busch facts for kids

Adolf Busch (right), his wife and daughter, with famous conductor Arturo Toscanini (wearing a hat).

Adolf Busch (born August 8, 1891 – died June 9, 1952) was a very talented German-Swiss musician. He was a famous violinist, a conductor who led orchestras, and a composer who wrote music.

Early Life and Training

Adolf Busch was born in a place called Siegen in Germany. He started learning music at the Cologne Conservatory. There, he studied the violin with teachers like Willy Hess. He also learned how to compose music from Fritz Steinbach.

Forming Music Groups

In 1912, Busch started a music group called the Vienna Konzertverein Quartet. They played their first concert at the Salzburg Festival in 1913. After World War I, he created another group called the Busch Quartet. This quartet became very famous. It included Gösta Andreasson on violin, Karl Doktor on viola, and Paul Grümmer on cello. The group played together until 1951.

Another important musician in Busch's life was Rudolf Serkin. He became Busch's music partner when he was 18. Later, Rudolf Serkin married Busch's daughter, Irene, in 1935. The Busch Quartet and Serkin formed the main part of the Busch Chamber Players. This group was one of the first modern chamber orchestras.

Moving to Switzerland and the USA

In 1927, Adolf Busch decided to leave Germany. He moved to Basel, Switzerland, because he strongly disagreed with the Nazi party, which was gaining power. Even though he was not Jewish and was very popular, he stood against their ideas from the beginning. He even boycotted Italy in 1938 because of its political situation.

While living in Basel for 12 years, Busch did many things. He started a chamber orchestra there. He also helped create the Lucerne Festival in 1938 with Arturo Toscanini and his brother Fritz Busch. He taught many students, including the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

When World War II started in 1939, Busch moved again, this time to the United States. He settled in Vermont. There, he and Rudolf Serkin helped start the Marlboro Music School and Festival.

Famous Performances and Recordings

The Busch Quartet was especially known for playing music by Brahms, Schubert, and especially Beethoven. In the 1930s, they made many recordings of these composers' string quartet pieces.

Adolf Busch was also a great solo performer. He played concertos (pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra) by composers like Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvořák. He also made recordings of music by Bach and Mozart. His recordings of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos helped make them well-known after many years. Busch had a unique sound and amazing technique on the violin.

Compositions and Family

As a composer, Adolf Busch wrote his own music. He was one of the first to write a "Concerto for Orchestra" in 1929. Some of his compositions have been recorded, including his Violin Concerto and pieces for organ. He once said that if he could come back after he died, he would want to be an organist.

Adolf Busch came from a very musical family. His father, Wilhelm Busch, made musical instruments. His brothers were also famous musicians: Fritz Busch was a conductor, Hermann Busch was a cellist, and Heinrich Busch was a pianist. His son-in-law was the pianist Rudolf Serkin, and his grandsons, Peter Serkin and Judith Serkin, also became musicians.

See also

In Spanish: Adolf Busch para niños