Nathan Milstein facts for kids
Nathan Milstein (born January 13, 1904 – died December 21, 1992) was an amazing violinist from Russia who later became an American citizen. He was known as a virtuoso, which means he was incredibly skilled at playing the violin.
Many people think Milstein was one of the best violinists of the 1900s. He was especially famous for playing music by Johann Sebastian Bach and pieces from the Romantic period. He also had a very long career, performing at a high level until he was in his mid-80s. He only stopped playing after he broke his hand.
Biography
Nathan Milstein was born in Odessa, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. He was the fourth of seven children in his family. His family wasn't musical, but that changed after they saw an 11-year-old Jascha Heifetz play the violin. This inspired them to have Nathan learn the instrument.
When Nathan was seven, he started taking violin lessons. His parents thought it would keep him busy and out of trouble! His teacher was Pyotr Stolyarsky, a famous violin teacher who also taught another well-known violinist, David Oistrakh.
When Nathan was 11, a famous musician named Leopold Auer invited him to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Milstein might have been the last great Russian violinist to have studied directly with Auer.
Milstein also studied with Eugène Ysaÿe in Belgium. He once said that he didn't learn much about playing the violin from Ysaÿe, but he really enjoyed spending time with him. He felt it was good because it made him think for himself.
In 1921, Milstein met the famous pianist Vladimir Horowitz and his sister Regina in Kiev. They invited him for tea, and Milstein joked, "I came for tea and stayed three years!" Milstein and Horowitz became lifelong friends. They performed many concerts together across the Soviet Union. In 1925, they even went on a concert tour in Western Europe.
In 1929, Milstein played his first concert in America with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He eventually moved to New York and became an American citizen. He traveled a lot, performing all over Europe and living in London and Paris.
His Music and Instruments
Nathan Milstein was not just a performer; he also arranged music for the violin and wrote his own cadenzas. A cadenza is a special solo part in a concerto where the musician can show off their skills. He worked very hard to make sure every note he played sounded perfect.
One of his most famous compositions is Paganiniana. This piece is a set of variations based on different tunes by another famous violinist, Niccolò Paganini.
Milstein played many different violins when he was younger. But in 1945, he found a special violin made in 1716 by Stradivarius. He called this violin the "Maria Teresa" after his daughter Maria and his wife Therese. He used this violin for the rest of his life.
In 1948, Milstein made a recording of Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. This recording was special because it was the very first item released on Columbia's new long-playing vinyl records.
Awards and Later Life
Milstein received many honors during his life. In 1968, France gave him the Légion d'honneur, which is a very important award. In 1975, he won a Grammy Award for his recording of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas. He also received Kennedy Center honors from US President Ronald Reagan.
One of his last performances was a concert in Stockholm in June 1986. He was 82 years old, and his playing was still amazing! Soon after, he had a fall and badly broke his left hand, which sadly ended his performing career.
In the late 1980s, Milstein wrote his life story in a book called From Russia to the West. In it, he talked about his life of constant performances and meeting many famous people. He wrote about composers like Alexander Glazunov, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Igor Stravinsky. He also shared stories about his friends, including pianist Vladimir Horowitz, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, and ballet director George Balanchine.
Nathan Milstein was married twice. He was married to his second wife, Therese, until he passed away from a heart attack in London on December 21, 1992. He was almost 89 years old. Therese died in 1999.
See also
In Spanish: Nathan Milstein para niños
