Elias Breeskin
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Elias Breeskin | |
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Background information | |
Born | Yekaterinoslav, Russian Empire | October 25, 1895
Died | May 9, 1969 Mexico | (aged 73)
Occupation(s) | Violinist, composer, conductor |
Instrument(s) | Violin |
Elias Breeskin (Russian: Элиас Бреескин; Ukrainian: Еліас Бреескін; October 25, 1895 – May 9, 1969) was a violinist, composer and conductor.
Elias was born on October 25, 1895, in
First years
Elias was the youngest of three brothers. His older twin brothers were about ten years older than he, and were identified as potential classical musicians. The story has it that Boris and Daniel, at the age of 19, went off to the Caucasus Mountains to play a violin gig. Boris ran outside in the frigid air without his overcoat, caught pneumonia, and died. Elias was profoundly affected by the death of his brother. Olga, Elias' mother, realized that he had musical talent as well, and bent her strong will to providing him with the best musical education that could be obtained in Russia at the time.
Elias’ references to his mother were always curious in nature. He referred to her with a mixture of emotions, among them being strong love, fear, admiration, and wonder, all present in his face. Elias' father was a quiet, dear man who had learned, appropriately, not to cross his indomitable wife, who was approximately 200 pounds in weight, and quite muscular.
First successes
In 1903, shortly after Elias’ seventh birthday, his mother turned him over to a professional violinist in the local Conservatory in Cracow, Poland, for lessons. At the age of 8, he played Bach's E major concerto, and was a sensation. During the next two years, he toured through Ukraine and western Russia, where he was also tutored by Leopold Auer, personal musician to the Czar. Young Elias was met with overwhelming responses to his violin playing. He was hailed as one of the greatest child prodigies ever.
The family left Russia because of the Jewish massacre. They came to America and settled in Washington, DC where they already had relatives established. Before he left Russia, Elias in 1906 played for
In the United States
When the family arrived in America, Olga sought funding for her son’s musical career. She ensconced herself in front of
In the early part of the century, the best violin instructor in America was
A wealthy patron, Edward Schafer, a member of the
In 1917, Elias became a member of the
First health problems
In 1919, Elias met
Around the time of this marriage, Elias became pathologically
As a conductor
Elias and Adelyn settled down, and he became concertmaster of the
As a composer
When Elias returned in disgrace to New York, he composed Cosmopolis, a descriptive piece which somewhat resembles
The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra
Elias was the arranger and one of the performers for the
In Mexico
In the 1940s he moved to Mexico and became an exclusive artist of the
In 1941, Anna, Gene, and John Breeskin joined Elias in Mexico City, where he had become musical director for XEW, the most important radio station in the country. John Breeskin describes one Christmas sitting in box seat in the principal orchestra hall in Mexico City near the President of Mexico, and watching his father Elias take the stage, lift his baton, and give the downbeat for Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. John Breeskin also describes living in a mansion with several servants, including a chauffeur, a gardener, a bodyguard, a cook and two young maids. Elias would come home from work, take off his suit jacket, and reveal a tiny Capuchin monkey tucked into his armpit. He would come home from the mercado with a parrot with violently colored feathers perched on his shoulder; this was typical.
In prison
In May 1945, Elias was arrested and taken to jail as a political prisoner due to his gambling debts and for being on the wrong side of the political process; he was sent to "
During this time his marriage ended. After Elias got out of jail, he married his third wife Lena Torres, with whom he had a daughter Olga and son Elias Junior, also an accomplished violinist. While in prison, before he was pardoned by the president of Mexico, Manuel Ávila Camacho (1 December 1940 – 30 November 1946)
His death
Elias, who never bothered to look about him when he was crossing the street, was hit by a car and broke his hip. The hip was replaced, but he broke it again. He died in his sleep of pneumonia on Friday May 9, 1969, at the age of 73.
References
- ^ "Elias Breeskin's Training". The New York Times. March 18, 1917. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ^ "STRADIVARIUS FOR A YOUNG RUSSIAN" (PDF). The New York Times. March 7, 1917. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ^ "Elias Breeskin, Violinist, Reappears" (PDF). The New York Times. March 1, 1918. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- ISBN 0-313-31866-2.
- ^ "THREE CONCERTS FILL DAY" (PDF). The New York Times. April 2, 1919. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
- Pittsburgh Symphony.
- ^ "Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, née Dohme". Dictionary of Art Historians.
- ^ FDR Artifacts & Articles
External links
- Elías Breeskin at IMDb