Alfred Wallenstein
Cellist and conductor Alfred Wallenstein was a prodigy on his instrument, and later became the principal cellist in two of America's finest orchestras. As a conductor, he made music over the radio on a regular basis, using that "podium of the air" to perform neglected works and those written by contemporary composers.
Wallenstein could boast of a distinguished lineage: his Austrian father was a descendent of Count Wallenstein, who played a crucial role in Europe's seventeenth-century political arena. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Los Angeles. At age eight, Alfred was given a cello by his father and began lessons with the mother of composer Ferde Grofé. Following further studies with Julius Klengel, he made his debut in Los Angeles and swiftly gained a reputation as a child prodigy. After touring the country through the Orpheum theatre network, he returned to California and, at the age of 17, was appointed to the San Francisco Symphony. Subsequently, he was engaged by the famous dancer Anna Pavlova to perform as solo cellist in a South and Central American tour.
In 1919, Wallenstein joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming that ensemble's youngest member. Engaged by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1922, Wallenstein traveled back to the city of his birth to perform under Frederick Stock, often as featured soloist, and to take up a teaching position at the Chicago Musical College. In 1929, Arturo Toscanini engaged Wallenstein as principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic, a post he held until the Italian conductor's departure in 1936. There, too, Wallenstein was frequently presented as soloist in many of the most important cello concertos. From Toscanini, he also received the advice that he employ his exceptional musicianship as a conductor rather than remaining an instrumentalist.
In 1931, therefore, Wallenstein entered the conducting phase of his career by directing for a radio broadcast. The year following, he was appointed leading conductor for the Hollywood Bowl and, in 1933, he began conducting his own Sinfonietta on New York's radio station WOR. In 1935, he was made the station's music director.
Wallenstein held to the high road in matters of musical quality with both his Sinfonietta and the Symphony of Strings. Many neglected masterworks were revived and newly composed works were given a hearing, given exposure to audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands. In addition to his regular orchestral programs, he undertook several special series. One, heard on Sunday evenings, was devoted to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Another, heard Saturday evenings, offered the operas of Mozart, some of which were not familiar to American audiences. A third series presented contemporary American choral works and yet another featured pianist Nadia Reisenberg in the piano concertos of Mozart.
Wallenstein's guest appearances included those with the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and the NBC orchestras. Columbia Records issued several Mozart works with Wallenstein directing his Sinfonietta. In 1943, he returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic as its music director, a post he held until 1956. In 1968, he joined the faculty at the Juilliard School of Music, becoming head of the orchestral department in 1971.
During the latter part of his conducting career, Wallenstein often accompanied some of the world's most distinguished artists, such as Artur Rubinstein and Jascha Heifetz.
© TiVo
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Dvorak / Elgar: Cello Concertos
Pierre Fournier, Berliner Philharmoniker, George Szell, Alfred Wallenstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 3 Aug 1988
The Qobuz Essential Discography24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lalo / Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos
Pierre Fournier, Orchestre Lamoureux, Berliner Philharmoniker, Alfred Wallenstein, Jean Martinon
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1999
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Bolero & Bizet: Carmen Suites, Extracts (Stereo Version)
Virtuoso Symphony of London, Alfred Wallenstein
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Szymanowski: Symphonie No. 4 - Rachmaninoff: Rhapsodie sur un thème de Paganini (Mono Version)
Arthur Rubinstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Alfred Wallenstein
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1954
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Fantasy Overture "Romeo and Juliet" & Suite from The Nutcracker (Stereo Version)
Virtuoso Symphony of London, Alfred Wallenstein
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Berlioz / Chabrier / Smetana
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Alfred Wallenstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 22 Mar 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21
Arthur Rubinstein, Alfred Wallenstein, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Vinyle Numérique on 2 Feb 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lalo: Cello Concerto / Saint-Saëns:Cello Concerto
Pierre Fournier, Orchestre Lamoureux, Jean Martinon, Berliner Philharmoniker, Alfred Wallenstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 1 Jan 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorák / Elgar: Cello Concertos
Pierre Fournier, Berliner Philharmoniker, George Szell, Alfred Wallenstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 3 Aug 1988
The Qobuz Essential Discography16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Concerto pour piano No. 1 (Mono Version)
Arthur Rubinstein, Alfred Wallenstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Laud to the Nativity - Monteverdi: Magnificat
Marie Gibson, Marilyn Horne, Charles Bressler, Roger Wagner Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Clarion on 31 Aug 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Arthur Rubinstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Alfred Wallenstein
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on 22 Mar 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Liszt: Piano Concerto No 1 in E Flat, S 124 - Hungarian Rhapsody No 1 - No 6
Arthur Rubinstein, Symphony of the Air, Alfred Wallenstein, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Doráti
Pop - Released by Ginkgo Classical on 30 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin : Concertos pour piano
Arthur Rubinstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein, William Steinberg
Classical - Released by Naxos on 28 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Double Concerto, Op. 102 (Mono Version)
Jascha Heifetz, Alfred Wallenstein, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Concertos pour violon, BWV 1041 & BWV 1042 (Mono Version)
Jascha Heifetz, Alfred Wallenstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Zino Francescatti, Vol. 1: Bach & Paganini
Zino Francescatti, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein, Unknown Artist
Classical - Released by DOREMI on 5 Mar 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chopin: Concerto pour piano No. 2 & Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante (Mono Version)
Symphony Of The Air Orchestra, Arthur Rubinstein, Alfred Wallenstein
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1959
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Grieg: Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16
Alfred Wallenstein, The RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Arthur Rubinstein
Classical - Released by Music Manager on 31 Aug 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Master of Classic Music, Erich Wolgang Korngold - Violin Concerto Op. 35
Jascha Heifetz, Alfred Wallenstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Classical - Released by Oscardigital on 18 Aug 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bizet, Tchaikovsky & Ravel: Orchestral Works
Alfred Wallenstein, London Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Jube Classic on 5 Feb 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo