David Oïstrakh

David Fiodorovitch Oïstrakh (in; ), born the September 30th 1908 with Odessa and dead the October 24th 1974 with Amsterdam, is one of the most famous violonists of the 20th century. Violonist and altist, it deeply influenced the technique of the instrument, by its technical control, its disconcerting relaxation, its virtuosity. Musician, it durably marked the history of the music through the collaboration which it maintained with large Compositeur S which dedicated their works to him. His/her son and disciple Igor Oïstrakh are also a famous violonist.

Biography

First years

David Oïstrakh is born in Odessa, then Russian city. During, a great migration coming from Poland had made some most Jewish of the big cities of the Russian Empire. In the southern districts of this very cosmopolitan city, Fiodor Davidovitch Oïstrakh and Isabella Stepanovna Kolker, themselves of Jewish origin, live in a small apartment. Fiodor is a modest officer, who must sell seeds of sunflower to improve his incomes. He plays well of the Violon, but also of the horn wind and other instruments. Isabella is singer of chorus to the opera. Very early, Isabella takes along his/her David son to the repetitions.

Odessa was then an arts center and scientific more alive. The coffees and the restaurants received violonists; the Richelieu Public garden, of the whole of coppers and the Neapolitan orchestras; personalities of and the other whole string quartets of room; the Theater, Glazounov, Chaliapine, Sobinov, Caruso, Anna Pavlova or Isadora Duncan.

In this promising atmosphere, and on its request, David receives its first violin at five years, to replace its violin toy from which it was inseparable and with which it liked to be shown. David is motivated, certainly, but its chance will be its first professor, Piotr Solomonovitch Stoliarski.

The pedagogy of Stoliarski was founded on the play, and a knowledge of the talents and character of each one of its pupils. At the same time very present, but in favor of autonomy, he played only seldom, preferring to let his pupils apprehend and to solve the difficulties by their own means. They studied the violin and the viola, played in small whole with the Unisson or in Orchestre, and often gave hearings and Concert S in order to be accustomed to the trac and the public, and to finance in same time this so particular school. David there côtoie another future violonist virtuoso, Nathan Milstein, five years its elder, with which he plays in Quatuor, Nathan taking care of the part of Violoncelle!

He will be never a child prodigy (like will be in its generation Heifetz or Menuhin) - Stoliarski will say besides: “I do not want only Dodik oneself a child prodigy, because it is a true musician”.

The First World War and the Russian Révolution slow down only little progress of David. Its family, like so much of others, dark in poverty, but Stoliarsky manages to spare good conditions of work to its pupils. And after difficult years, the Soviet capacity brings back a beginning of order in 1920.

Its first concert took place in 1923. In the program appeared the Concerto in the minor of Bach. This concerto, as well as the sonata Trilles of the devil of Tartini, the Airs bohêmiens of Sarasate, was reproduced on the first posters to bear the name of David Oistrakh, the following year.

Its first round proceeded in Ukraine in 1925, with the orchestra of the Academy of Odessa. The conditions are difficult, the testing voyages.

David Fiodorovich left the academy in 1926; its programme of end of the year reveals already the large musician: beside more current works, the chaconne of Bach and the sonata of Tartini, David makes appear the sonata for viola of Anton Rubinstein and the first concerto of Prokofiev. This work, very difficult and very innovative, was an enormous taking risk, the more so as it had just been written (1917) and created (October 18th 1923, with the Opéra of Paris by Marcel Darrieux) and whose Russian first dated only of October 21st 1923 in Moscow (Nathan Milstein, Vladimir Horowitz with the piano).

Career

Beginnings

In 1935, it finishes second with the contest Wieniawski with Warsaw behind Ginette Neveu. In 1937 it obtains the first price of the first international musical Concours Queen-Elisabeth-of-Belgium then (" Contest Eugene Ysaÿe ") in Brussels. This victory opens to him the doors of a great international career.

The Second world war

Its career develops initially inside the borders of the Soviet Union. It created the concertos of Nikolai Miaskovsky and Aram Khatchatourian, the sonata of Serge Prokofiev. It receives the Prix Stalin in 1942 - of which it transfers the reward with the Red Army. It binds durable friendship with Serge Prokofiev and Dmitri Chostakovitch. When the Soviet Union enters in war, whereas many artists flee, it remains with Moscow and continuous to teach with the conservatory . He will travel on the frontlines to be given in concert in front of the soldiers and the workmen.

International career

After the war, and following the example other artists, it is authorized to travel - initially inside the borders of the Soviet block, for example with the festival " Spring of Prague" , then gradually in “the West”. In 1951, it is with the festival " Maggio Musicale" of Florence; in 1952 in East Germany for the Beethoven festival; in France in 1953, England in 1954; in 1955, with the the United States.

It begins in 1959 a career from Leader, directs to Moscow in 1962. It receives the Prix Lénine in 1960. In 1967, its collaboration with Sviatoslav Richter starts.

Last years

Its health is degraded gradually. It is concerned a Infarctus in 1964, but does not slow down its frantic rate of work: he is then the principal ambassador of the art Soviet, and considered as one of the largest violonists of the century - he is thus not question than he takes rest.

In 1968, for its sixty years take place of large celebrations. In 1974, it directs a cycle Brahms with Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam; it dies there of a new infarction.

It rests with the cemetery of Novodevitchi.

Teaching

David Oïstrakh found time to teach.

Dedicated works

Concerto for violin n° 1 of Dmitri Chostakovitch, October 29th 1955
Concerto for violin n° 2 of Dmitri Chostakovitch, 1967 for its 60 years
Concerto for violin of Nikolaï Miaskovski, November 1938
Sonata for violin n° 1 in minor F sharp of Sergueï Prokofiev, created the October 23rd 1946
Concerto for violin of Aram Khatchatourian, November 16th 1946
Trio with keyboard of Arno Babadjanian, 1952
Sonata for violin of Dmitri Chostakovitch , 1968

Catalog of films

(1994) “David Oïstrakh, Artist of the People? ” - Documentary Portrait by Bruno Monsaingeon

Instruments

Violins

Eight Stradivarius apart from what it called its " samovars" :

the Youssoupov (1736)
the admiral Kayserinov (1699)
the Sergeï Shakovsky (1707)
the ex-Poliakin (1712)
the Malakov (1713)
the the USSR (1717), personal
the Countess Fontana (1702), personal
the Marsick (1705), personal

Violas

A Andrea Guarneri (currently played by his/her son Igor)

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