Gottfried Wilfinger (BSO violin, 1950-1998) oral history interview: Wilfinger, Gottfried, interviewee (Side A); Harvey Seigel (BSO violin, 1971-1997) oral history interview: Seigel, Harvey, interviewee (Side B), November 12, 1997; November 20, 1997, 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 74: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on November 12, 1997 (Side A); Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on November 20, 1997.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 74, Side A

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Gottfried "Joe" Wilfinger (BSO violinist, 1950-1998) Date: November 12, 1997

0:07 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:30-2:52 early life, born in Pennsylvania; parents liked music but did not play; siblings played music growing up and still; loved music from the beginning; parents purchased a violin for him

2:52-8:23 teacher suggested he move to Philadelphia to train with Sasha JACOBINOFF; when Jacobinoff moved to California, he invited Gottfried to move with him; Gottfried moved to San Francisco with his sister and cousin via bus; attended Berkeley High School

8:23-10:02 auditioned for Naoum BILINDIR and began to study with him in San Francisco

10:02-11:23 eventually returned to Allentown High School, played in All State Orchestra in Pennsylvania

11:23-13:17 next went to school with Raphael BRONSTEIN at Settlement School in Philadelphia; stayed at the school and taught younger students on the weekends;

13:57-15:04 when BSO was playing in Philadelphia, Bronstein sent him to audition for BSO

15:04-17:18 played for Youth Competition in Philadelphia; won an award to play in series of concerts;

17:18-18:40 attended and played for Tanglewood; studied with BURGIN, conducted by KOUSSEVITZKY; friendship with Harvey SEIGEL, Kenneth GORDON

20:22-21:01 story of parents trying to come to see his performance in Philadelphia but unsuccessful due to bad storm

21:01-22:23 hitchhiked from Tanglewood to Boston, then traveled to the West Coast; went to Long Beach to perform for a week

22:23-24:24 Richard BURGIN invited Gottfried to study with him in Boston, to attend New England Conservatory; spent summers in Tanglewood

24:24-27:12 invited to audition by Rosario MAZZEO; brought his wife to serve as accompaniest during his audition; audition for MUNCH; was accepted at the same time as Roger SHERMONT

27:12-29:52 experiences in the orchestra; positive memories of MUNCH, was his "favorite of all time", felt every performance was unique; did not like LEINSDORF, felt he was cold and did not project into the audience, felt he treated the orchestra like an opera orchestra

29:52-31:45 travel with the BSO; went to Europe in 1952, played in France and in Berlin

31:45-33:33 first impression of Arthur FIEDLER was frightening; memory of being late to a recording session with the Pops; ultimately got along well with FIEDLER

33:33-37:37 personal life, had five children between 1951-1959; eldest daughter plays flute, eldest son is a football and basketball coach; first wife passed away, second wife, Jean, had been a childhood friend; is resigning from the BSO and is about to move to Arizona

37:37-39:30 decision to retire based on arthritis in his hands; move to Sedona, AZ, and hopes to play with chamber group there

39:30-41:07 reflections on time in the BSO very positive

41:12 INTERVIEW CONCLUDES

Tape 74, Side B

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Harvey Seigel (BSO violinist, 1971-1997) Date: November 20, 1997 Location: Newtonville, MA

0:09 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:32-4:02 early life, born in 1928 in Canada; father was musical, while mother was "more visual", musicians in the family; sister is a pianist and piano teacher

4:02-7:58 introduced to the violin through social groups among Jewish circles in Toronto; friendship with Jerry GELDMAN; began playing violin around age 4, then attended the Toronto Conservatory of Music (later Royal Conservatory of Music); studied with Audrey COX at the Conservatory

7:58-11:57 continued training on violin with Maurice SAULOWAY; played with the Toronto Symphony and did recitals at around age 10

11:57-23:46 next moved to teacher CHAUHALDIN; HEIFITZ was in Toronto for a recital, so Harvey and a friend followed him to his hotel to ask to perform for him; was accompanied by Emmanuel BAY; Heifitz asked him to play scales which Harvey struggled with, Heifitz encouraged him to practice these and suggested a Chauhaldin as new teacher; studied with Chauhaldin for 2-3 years

23:46-31:48 studies with Chauhaldin, continued recitals etc. around Toronto; story of playing on the CBC and being confronted by teacher for program choice;

31:48-34:46 went to New York to study at Julliard next; discussion of musical scene in New York around 1946

34:46-42:00 in Toronto, had been a student of Kathleen PARLOW; discussion of both Kathleen and himself performing for each other in Toronto; education was very rigorous with Kathleen, had to prepare a concerto each week to perform in sessions with her

42:00-49:52 went to Mischa MISCHAKOFF for training at Julliard; story of Mischakoff's training; was about 17 years old, money was very limited; impressions of Mischakoff and his teaching style, his encouragement for violinists to act as soloists even in orchestral settings

49:52 RECORDING ENDS