Sheldon Rotenberg (BSO violin, 1948-1991) oral history interview: Rotenberg, Sheldon, interviewee, 1991-12-26T00:00:00+00:00, 2023-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 5: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on December 26, 1991.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 05, Side A

0:08 INTERVIEW BEGINS

Sheldon Rotenberg December 20, 1991

0:29-5:15 Early Life and interest in music, listened to recordings while ill, lessons with WINTERNITZ and KEISLER, Harry DUBBS and also studied with WINTERNITZ

5:15 Studied at Conservatory during high school, worked with Arthur FIEDLER

6:20-7:30 Tanglewood, playing with Hindemith Quartet, Paul HINDEMITH

7:35-8:40 KOUSSEVITZKY walking around with cape as a Duke, story of Koussevitksy critiquing Irving FINE as conductor

9:30-12:01 Fabien SEVITZKY organized youth orchestra with many members who would go on to the BSO: Henry Portnoi played violin, Peacock sisters, others

12:45 elistment with army, trained at Officer's School, was assigned to miltary intelligence, no music whatsoever

14:25-18:45 Memories of playing with and studying under George ENESCO and YEHUDI MENUHIN; memories of Yehudi MENUHIN performance after liberation of France

18:45-** invited by Jerome LIPSON to audition, invited to dinner with Baroness Veronika ROTHSCHILD after she saw him at Tanglewood; audition with KOUSSEVITZKY

** Quartet with Joseph DE PASQUALE, Cripps, Segura

26:35-28:49 first memories of the BSO, experience with KOUSSEVITZKY 27:00 - "He was like an alchemist. He could conjure up sounds that were unbelievable." 28:30 - "He devoted all of his energies, totally, completely to the orchestra. He didn't run around

28:49- Story of KOUSSEVITZKY as guest conductor at Tanglewood, multiple languages

29:55-31:00 Tanglewood, 1950 with Victor DE SABATA and Leonard BERNSTEIN

31:35-32:50 discussion of Pierre MONTEUX as guest conductor, memories of MUNCH as conductor, who avoided reptition

33:00-33:50 meeting with Laurence OLIVIER, Eleanor ROOSEVELT, Leonard BERNSTEIN during UN concert

34:10-35:34 fond memories of MUNCH

35:34-37:00 family and personal life, meeting his wife

[35-36 skipped]

39:00-42:10 MUNCH encouraged inclusion of women in orchestra; KOUSSEVITZKY brought in players who were not the absolute top and pushed them, which is no longer the case, only the best of the best are brought in now

42:10 INTERVIEW ENDS

42:17 ADDENDUM BEGINS

42:18 Exchange program with Japanese orchestra, supported by state department, Rotenberg went from 1968-1969, studied under Akeo WATANABE at the Japan Philharmonic, and Seiji OZAWA

45:10 RECORDING ENDS

Tape 05, Side B

0:11 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:11-3:10 memories of Japanese exchange program and feeling of the orchestra "as a family"

3:12 INTERVIEW ENDS

!! Unlabelled Music on tape 3:35-38:37