Leonard Rose
Cellist Leonard Joseph Rose was a member of a Russian family who had immigrated to the U.S. from Kiev. His father was an amateur cellist who gave him his first lessons on the instrument. Rose's formal studies began after the family had moved to Florida, at the Miami Conservatory with Walter Grossmann. After that, he moved to New York to study with Frank Miller, principal cellist of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, who was his cousin. At the age of 16, he won a scholarship to attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where his teacher was Felix Salmond. After two years of study, Rose became Salmond's assistant.
Rose is among those cellists whose career included a period of membership in an orchestra. Later, he would tell his students that this was the best way to gain experience. In Rose's case, he followed the path of his cousin by becoming a member of Toscanini's NBC Symphony Orchestra and by the age of 20 was principal cellist. After one season, he took a position with the Cleveland Orchestra, then conducted by Artur Rodzinski. In 1943, Rodzinski moved to New York, where he became the principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic. He brought Rose with him. Rose remained the leader of the orchestra's cellists through 1951. While with the Philharmonic, he made his debut playing the Lalo Cello Concerto in 1944. He also accepted a position teaching at the Juilliard School in 1947. Except for the years 1951 to 1962 when he taught at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, he was on the Juilliard faculty for the rest of his life.
Playing on a luscious-sounding Amati cello from 1662, Rose had a rich, flowing tone. His playing had a free, effortless sound, a free approach to rubato, and a resulting feeling of spontaneity. These were actually achieved by strenuous practice (four to five hours a day even on tour) and meticulous planning of all aspects of the performance. "I do not believe in receiving last-minute inspiration in public performance," he once said.
He developed a solid touring career, but he remained strongly devoted to teaching and developed into one of the most respected and successful cello teachers in America. Among his pupils were Yo-Yo Ma, Stephen Kates, and Lynn Harrell. Kates recalls that a student "generally speaking came out of a lesson feeling like a million dollars...he gave you confidence."
In his teaching, he favored positions and techniques that were natural. He disagreed with the school of thought that the cello bow could be held the way violinists held theirs, with the little finger on top of the bow. On the other hand, his approach to vibrato is directly taken from the technique of a violinist, Fritz Kreisler, in that the motion of the vibrato comes from the upper arm with the hand pivoting on the finger that is down on the string. He found the upper arm can move the most freely and allows vibrato of any width and speed.
Rose recorded for Columbia Records and among his great recordings are those of the Schumann concerto with Bernstein accompanying and Bloch's Schelomo with Eugene Ormandy. He also formed a chamber trio, the Istomin-Stern-Rose-Trio, which made many fine recordings.
© TiVo
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Dvorák: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 & Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Triple Concerto In C Major, Op. 56 - Schubert: Trio No. 1 In B Flat Major, Op. 99
Isaac Stern, Eugene Istomin, Leonard Rose
Classical - Released by RHI on 6 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56 - Brahms: Double Concerto, Op 102
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Eugene Istomin, The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell, Unknown Artist
Classical - Released by DOREMI on 1 Jul 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Double Concerto in A Minor, Op. 102 & Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129 & Bloch: Schelomo
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Leonard Rose - Romantic Music for Cello ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata & Boccherini: Cello Sonata in A Major & Sammartini: Cello Sonata in G Major
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3 & 5 ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lalo: Cello Concerto in D Minor & Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto in A Minor & Fauré: Élégie in C Minor
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Cello Sonata No. 1, Op. 38 & Cello Sonata No. 2, Op. 99 ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bloch: Schelomo & Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor & Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Cello & Violin Sonatas
Jaime Laredo, Leonard Rose, Jean-Bernard Pommier
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 May 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franck: Cello Sonata in A Major, FWV 8 & Grieg: Cello Sonata in A Minor, Op. 36 ((Remastered))
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 - Symphony No. 2 - Double Concerto
John Corigliano, Leonard Rose, Bruno Walter, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, New York Philharmonic
Symphonic Music - Released by Infinity on 30 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Double Concerto in A Minor, Op. 102 & Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C Major, Op. 56
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on 25 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Double concerto pour violon et violoncelle, Op. 102, Ouverture académique, Op. 80 & Ouverture tragique, Op. 81 (Mono Version)
Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Bruno Walter
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky & Bloch: Cello Works
Leonard Rose, Gladys Swarthout, New York Philharmonic, Dimitri Mitropoulos, George Szell, Gibner King
Classical - Released by Biddulph Recordings on 30 Sep 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Soloist: Greatest Moments
World - Released by Classic Music International on 15 Jun 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love for a Rose
Alternative & Indie - Released by Leonard Rose Songs on 14 Feb 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -