Isaac Stern

Musician

• Born: July 21, 1920
• Birthplace: Kremenets, Ukranian Socialist Republic (now in Ukraine)
• Died: September 22, 2001
• Place of death: New York, New York

Russian American classical violinist

A leading concert violinist, Stern performed with every major orchestra in the world during his career, which spanned six decades. He recorded extensively, he was an advocate for aspiring musicians, and he spearheaded the successful campaign to save Carnegie Hall in New York City from demolition in 1960.

The Life

Isaac Stern was born in Ukraine, and he moved with his parents to San Francisco before he was a year old. In California he began his musical education with Robert Pollak, continuing in his teenage years with San Francisco Symphony concertmaster Naoum Blinder, whom Stern credited as being his most influential teacher. Later, he studied with Louis Persinger.

By the age of fifteen, Stern had performed with the San Francisco Symphony, although he claimed his debut was a 1936 performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor (1880) with Pierre Monteux as the conductor. Two appearances that earned public acclaim, however, were his performance of Max Bruch’s Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 (1866) in New York City in 1937 and his New York recital debut in 1943 at Carnegie Hall. Following his successful campaign to save Carnegie Hall from demolition in 1960, he became the chair of the Carnegie Hall Board, a post he retained for more than thirty years.

Stern was first married to ballet dancer Nora Kaye. When they divorced, Stern married Vera Lindenblit. They had three children—Shira, Michael, and David—and were married for more than forty years. Following their divorce, in 1996 he married Linda Reynolds.

Stern received many honors in his lifetime, including multiple Grammy Awards (beginning in 1961) for his numerous recordings; becoming an officer of the Legion of Honor in France in 1979; receiving a Kennedy Center Honors Award in 1984; and being named Musician of the Year by Musical America in 1986. He received several Emmy Awards for broadcasts on public television’s Great Performances. In 1987 he received the Wolf Prize in Israel, the Gold Baton from the American Symphony Orchestra League, the National Music Council’s American Eagle Award, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991 he was awarded the National Medal of the Arts, and in 1992 President George H. W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. It was followed five years later by Japan’s highest honor, the Order of the Rising Sun.

Institutions of higher education that have awarded him honorary doctorates include Yale University, Bucknell Univesity, Columbia University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Oxford University, Hebrew University, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School.

During the 1990’s, Stern collaborated with pianist Yefim Bronfman on several recordings and recital tours, and he regularly recorded and performed piano trios and quartets with pianist Emanuel Ax, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and violist Jaime Laredo.

In his later years, Stern performed mostly in chamber settings. He died of heart failure in New York City in 2001.

The Music

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, under the management of impresario Sol Hurok, Stern’s concert career brought him to the major concert and recital halls of the world. He increasingly included sonata recitals in his annual schedule with his long-standing collaborator, pianist Alexander Zakin.

Carnegie Hall. In 1961 Stern joined cellist Leonard Rose and pianist Eugene Istomin to create a piano trio for a benefit concert for Carnegie Hall. The performance received solid praise, and it launched the trio’s further concert engagements, which lasted until Rose’s death in 1984. This benefit was one of many of Stern’s efforts to save Carnegie Hall from demolition in 1960. In addition, he used his considerable stature and influence and impassioned speeches to mobilize the artistic and financial communities of New York in the preservation of the cultural landmark. His success may be considered one of his finest achievements, and it added the honorific cultural statesman to his already established reputation as a violinist. In recognition of his leadership both in the 1960 preservation and in the 1986 renovation of Carnegie Hall, the main concert room was named the Isaac Stern Hall.

Musical Diplomat. Stern was a musical diplomat in several capacities: He supported the establishment of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1964 by recognizing and promoting some of the emerging talent in America and later by serving as musical ambassador from the West to China. The rise of the next generation of violin artists—including Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Shlomo Mintz, Miriam Fried, and Sergiu Luca—was advanced with his energy and with the force of his powerful connections in the music world.

Concert of the Century. In 1976 Stern participated in the Concert of the Century, which recognized the eighty-fifth anniversary of Carnegie Hall. He shared the stage with conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, pianist Vladimir Horowitz, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, soprano Martina Arroyo, and the New York Philharmonic. In this concert, Stern performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (1731) with Menuhin and a movement from Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Trio in A Minor, Op. 50 (1882) with Horowitz and Rostropovich.

From Mao to Mozart.In 1979, at a time when China was just beginning to open its doors to the West, Stern took a pioneering tour of the country, serving as a cultural ambassador from the West to China. He performed several concerts, and, more importantly, he coached young Chinese musicians. Stern’s experiences in China were videotaped and edited into a feature-length documentary film, From Mao to Mozart (1980), which opened the Western musical world’s eyes to the talent and energy latent in China’s musical youth that was hidden behind China’s isolationist foreign policy. From Mao to Mozart won the Academy Award for best documentary in 1981.

Other films that featured Stern were A Journey to Jerusalem (1968), which arose from a concert in Israel following the Six-Day War in 1967; Tonight We Sing (1953), a biopic about his manager Hurok, in which he played the part of violinist Eugene Ysaÿe; Humoreske (1946), a dark, romantic film about a violin virtuoso and the unhappy woman who loved him, starring John Garfield; and Fiddler on the Roof (1971), for which Stern played the violin on the sound track.

Repertoire and Recordings. Stern’s repertoire emphasized major concerti, violin sonatas, and chamber music. He was an important champion of twentieth century music, and he performed the world premieres of Serenade (1954) by Leonard Bernstein and of violin concerti by George Rochberg (1975), Krzysztof Penderecki (1977), Henri Dutilleux (1985), and Peter Maxwell Davies (1986).

Stern released more than one hundred recordings during his career, representing numerous composers and pieces from concerti to chamber music. His label was Sony (formerly CBS Masterworks), and he became the label’s first artist laureate upon fifty years of recordings in 1985. He was highly praised for his interpretation of Johannes Brahms’s Violin Concerto in D Major (1879) and Double Concerto in A Minor (1887), which Stern performed and recorded with cellist Rose. His interpretations of Henryk Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 2 (1862), Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor (1845), and sonatas by César Franck, Paul Hindemith, and Sergei Prokofiev received high praise and several Grammy Awards.

Stern’s violin of choice was his 1740 Guarnerius del Gésu (once thought to have belonged to violinist Ysaÿe) or his 1737 Vicomte de Panette del Gésu. He also owned at various times a 1721 Stradivarius (known as “the Kruse”), a Vuillaume (known as “the Tsar”), a Carlo Bergonzi, and two 1750’s Guadagnini violins.

Critical Reception. As a concert violinist, Stern received varying reviews, dependent to some extent upon the repertoire and the time of his life. His concerto performances and recordings spanned a wide repertoire, including the concerti of Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Jean Sibelius. His recorded repertoire was not as large as that of his contemporary Jascha Heifetz, who recorded all the Bach sonatas and partitas, commissioned several important concerti, and arranged numerous pieces originally written for other musical instruments as violin encores. Early reviews frequently mentioned the visceral tone, yet flexible interpretation that Stern produced from his violin. He was known for bringing each composer’s unique personality to the fore rather than emphasizing his temperament over that of the composer’s. Later in his career, however, reviews frequently mentioned imperfections in his preparation and execution, while they maintained an overall respect for his legendary stature and his contributions to the field of music.

Musical Legacy

Stern’s most lasting contribution to the music world is probably his work to save Carnegie Hall. In addition, he played a significant role as a cultural ambassador in making his groundbreaking trip to China in 1979 and as a mentor in fostering the musical careers of Perlman, Zukerman, and others.

Principal Recordings

albums:Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios, 1960; Debussy: Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Piano, 1960; Bartók and Berg: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra; Rhapsody No. 1; Rhapsody No. 2, 1962; Bartók: Concerto for Violin, 1962; Stravinsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra; Symphony in Three Movements, 1962; Mozart: Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto No. 5 in A Major for Violin and Orchestra, 1964; Prokofiev: Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto No. 2in G Minor for Violin and Orchestra, 1964; Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, 1965; Bloch: Baal Shem: Three Pictures of Chassidic Life; Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, 1965; Hindemith: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, 1965; Beethoven: Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello, No. 6, in B-flat Major, 1966; Dvořák: Concerto in A Minor for Violin and Orchestra; Romance, 1966; Bach: Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in A Minor, 1967; Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61, in D Major; Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 26, in G Minor, 1967; Brahms: The Trios for Piano, Violin, and Cello, 1967; Bruch: Concerto No. 1 in G Minor for Violin and Orchestra, 1967; Mozart: Concerto No. 3 in G Major for Violin and Orchestra; Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, 1968; Schubert: Trio in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, 1970; Sibelius: Concerto in D Minor for Violin and Orchestra; Karelia Suite, 1970; Bock: Fiddler on the Roof (Selections), 1971; The Mozart Flute Quartets, 1971; Brahms: Violin Concerto, 1972; Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra, 1972; Stamitz: Sinfonia Concertante in D Major, 1972; Isaac Stern Plays Brahms, 1973; Mozart: Concerto in C Major for Two Violins and Orchestra, 1974; Pleyel: Sinfonie Concertante in B-flat Major, 1974; Mozart: Divertimento in E-flat Major for String Trio, 1975; Isaac Stern Plays Saint-Saëns, Chausson, Faure, 1976; Lalo: Symphonie espagnole, 1976; Brahms: Double Concerto in A Minor for Violin and Cello, 1977; Bartók: Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, 1978; Bernstein: Serenade for Violin Solo, Strings, and Percussion, 1978; The Classic Melodies of Japan, 1978; Mozart: Concerto No. 4 for Violin and Orchestra in D Major; Concerto No. 5 for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, 1978; Mozart: Concerto No. 4 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto No. 2 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, 1978; Vivaldi: Concerto in D Minor; Concerto in C Minor, 1978; Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, 1978; Beethoven: Sonata No. 7 in C Minor for Violin and Piano, 1979; Frank: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano, 1979; Hindemith: Sonata for Violin and Piano, 1979; Mozart: Concerto in G; Concerto in D; Andante in C, 1979; Mozart: Sonata No. 26 in B-flat Major for Violin and Piano, 1979; Penderecki: Violin Concerto, 1979; Prokofiev: Sonata in F Minor for Violin and Piano; Sonata in D Major for Violin and Piano, 1979; Rochberg: Violin Concerto, 1979; Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra; Meditation, 1979; Viotti: Concerto No. 22 in A Minor for Violin and Orchestra, 1979; Wieniawski: Concerto No. 2 in D Minor for Violin and Orchestra, 1979; Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky: Concerto in E Minor for Violin and Orchestra; Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, 1981; Mendelssohn: Trio No. 1 in D Minor; Trio No. 2 in C Minor, 1981; Bach and Vivaldi: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins and String Orchestra; Concerto in C Minor for Oboe, Violin, and Orchestra; Concerto in A Minor for Two Violins and Orchestra, 1982; Haydn: “London” Trio No. 2 in G Minor; “London” Trio No. 3 in G Major; Divertissement No. 2 in G Major; Divertissement No. 6 in D Major; “London” Trio No. 4 in G Major, 1982; Bach: Trio Sonatas, 1983; Sonatas of J. S. Bach and Sons, 1983; Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart: Le quattro stagioni; Konzert fuer zwei Violinen und Streicher; Konzert fuer fier Violinen, Streicher, und Cembalo; Sinfonia concertante fuer Violine, Viola, und Orchester, 1983; Beethoven and Kreutzer: Sonata No. 9 in A Major for Violin and Piano; Sonata No. 5 in F Major for Violin and Piano, 1984; Beethoven: The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, 1985; Berg: Kammerkonzert for Piano and Violin with Thirteen Wind Instruments; Concert for Violin and Orchestra; To the Memory of an Angel, 1986; The Great Violin Concertos, 1986; Dutilleux and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: L’Arbre des songes; Concerto pour violon et orchestre (Dutilleux); Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Davies), 1987; Brahms: Double Concerto, Op. 102; Piano Quartet, 1988; Shostakovich: Trio No. 2 for Violin, Cello, and Piano; Sonata for Cello and Piano, 1988.

Bibliography

Applebaum, Samuel, and Sada Applebaum. The Way They Play. 14 vols. Neptune City, N.J.: Paganiniana, 1973. A multivolume set that describes the performing styles of great violinists from the middle twentieth century, including an entry on Stern.

Campbell, Margaret. The Great Violinists. New York: Doubleday, 1980. Using letters and private documents, the author looks at the lives of violin talents. She describes the artists’ technique, impact on public taste, and special achievements. Includes extended references to Stern.

Cowden, Robert. Instrumental Virtuosi: A Bibliography of Biographical Materials. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. A source book on virtuosi of many instruments, and Stern is among those profiled.

Creighton, James. Discopaedia of the Violin. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974. A list of violin recordings covering nearly a century, including those made by Stern.

Roth, Henry. Great Violinists in Performance: Critical Evaluations of over 100 Twentieth Century Virtuosi. Los Angeles: Panjandrum Books, 1987. In this book, critic Roth makes subjective evaluations of performances and recordings, and he includes a chapter on Stern.

Stern, Isaac, and Chaim Potok. My First Seventy-nine Years. New York: Da Capo Press, 1999. Stern’s autobiography covers his childhood and career details. In addition, he comments frankly on performances by other artists.