Roman Totenberg (January 1, 1911 – May 8, 2012) was a Polish-American violinist and educator. A child prodigy, he lived in Poland, Moscow, Berlin, and Paris, before formally immigrating to the U.S. in 1938, at age 27. He performed and taught nationally and internationally throughout his life.[1][2]
One of Totenberg's favorite instruments was the Ames Stradivarius, which was stolen from his office in the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts after a concert in May 1980. The instrument was recovered and returned to Totenberg's daughters on August 6, 2015.[3]
Early life
Roman Totenberg was born in Łódź, Poland to a Jewish family, the son of Adam (an architect) and Stanisława (Winawer) Totenberg. He spent his early childhood years (1914–1921) in Moscow, where the family moved at the beginning of World War I.[4][5]
Totenberg was a child prodigy[3]
who made his concert debut at the age of eleven with conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg.[6] Returning to Warsaw in 1921, he studied with Mieczyslaw Michalowicz,[7] and made his debut at the age of eleven as soloist with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. He was also awarded the gold medal at the Warsaw Chopin Conservatory.[8]
In 1935, he made his British debut in London and his American debut in Washington, D.C. In 1936, at age 25, he played at the White House[9] for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt.[7] In 1938, at age 27, he formally immigrated to the U.S.[9] under the distinguished artist visa program.[11] Many of his family members were murdered in the Holocaust, though he managed to rescue his mother. His sister survived the Warsaw Ghetto, where her own husband had died.[12]
In 1988, he was awarded the highest Medal of Merit by the Polish government for lifelong contributions to Polish society.[9]
Family
Roman Totenberg's wife, Melanie Frances Eisenberg (1917–1996), was his business manager for 50 years.[35][12] Roman and Melanie Totenberg were the parents of National Public Radio journalist Nina Totenberg, judge Amy Totenberg, and businesswoman Jill Totenberg. Nina told the story of the theft and belated recovery of her father's Stradivarius in an article for NPR.[36][3]
Recording career
Totenberg recorded for many labels, including Deutsche Grammophon, Telefunken, Philips, Vanguard, Musical Heritage Society, Heliodor, Remington, Da Camera, Dover, Titanic and VQR.[citation needed]
Ames Stradivarius
One of Totenberg's favorite instruments was the Ames Stradivarius, which he purchased for about $15,000 in 1943 (equivalent to $264,000 in 2023).[37] It was stolen from his office after a concert in May 1980. Totenberg suspected aspiring violinist Philip S. Johnson of the theft, but police at the time did not believe there was enough evidence to issue a search warrant. The instrument was recovered thirty-five years later in 2015, four years after Johnson's death, when his former wife discovered it among his effects and sought to have it appraised.[3][36][38]
The recovered instrument was returned to Totenberg's daughters on August 6, 2015, after which it was to be restored to playing condition.[38][39]
The family stated that they planned to sell the instrument after it had been restored. According to Nina Totenberg, "We will make sure it is in the hands of another virtuoso violinist. And once again, the beautiful, brilliant and throaty voice of that long-stilled violin will thrill audiences in concert halls around the world."[36] It has since been sold to an unknown buyer,[40] who subsequently lent it to young American violinist Nathan Meltzer.[41]
^String Player, vol. 1, W. Moennig + Son, Limited, 1948, Darius Milhaud's Violin Concerto No. 2 was received enthusiastically at its first performance in Albuquerque, N. M., on October 6. Roman Totenberg played the solo part, with the Albuquerque Civic Symphony Orchestra
^"Bartok". The Gramophone. 40. C. Mackenzie: 465. 1962. Retrieved June 8, 2018. Roman Totenberg (violin), Vienna State Opera Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Golschmann
^"The Mozarteum". The Music Magazine and Musical Courier. 164 (6). Summy-Birchard Publishing Company. 1962. Retrieved June 8, 2018. The Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria — Composer Alexander Tcherepnin, violinist Roman Totenberg, and singer Ellen Repp will represent the United States among instructors assembled for the international summer academy
^"Roman Totenberg". Violins and Violinists' Magazine. 8–10: 238. 1947. Retrieved June 8, 2018. Roman Totenberg made a short stay in Chicago on his way to California where he officiates as head of the violin department at Santa Barbara's Music Academy of the West