David Oistrakh
By:
September 30, 2011
One of the greatest of all violinists, DAVID OISTRAKH (1908-74) carefully assayed exuberance and diffidence to thrive as a Soviet artist. Born to Jewish parents in Odessa, he began musical studies at age five and his graduation program from Odessa Conservatory included Sergei Prokofiev’s then recent violin concerto. Moving to Moscow, Oistrakh married, had his son, Igor, with whom he’d later perform, and began teaching. The war made Oistrakh a legend: he performed in Stalingrad, won the Stalin Prize, premiered Prokofiev’s violin sonata. Afterwards, Oistrakh became one of the U.S.S.R.’s leading cultural ambassadors, touring widely — KGB agents in tow — and making scores of recordings, all combining his superior technique and intellect with searing emotionalism. (See the finale of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto below). Yet questions remain about the passions of David Oistrakh. Former students and friends recall his storytelling, jokes, love of chess. Others — mostly non-Soviets — question Oistrakh’s non-dissident politics, as some do those of his friend Dmitri Shostakovich. Is this fair? Recall here a conversation late in Gravity’s Rainbow between Russian intelligence officer, Vaslav Tchitcherine and German industrial spy, Wimpe:
“Revolutionary suicide, fine. But look: if History’s changes are inevitable, why not not die, Vaslav? If it’s going to happen anyway, what does it matter?”
“But you haven’t ever had the choice to make, have you.”
“If I ever did, you can be sure —”
“You don’t know. Not till you’re there, Wimpe. You can’t say.”
“That doesn’t sound very dialectical.”
“I don’t know what it is.”
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On his or her birthday, HiLobrow irregularly pays tribute to one of our high-, low-, no-, or hilobrow heroes. Also born this date: Dave Arneson.
READ MORE about members of the Partisans Generation (1904-13).