Most don't realize that Rabin "competed" with all the great artists of that day, for concert dates all over the globe in the 1950s and 60s. At that time, the short list was: Heifetz, Menuhin, Milstein, Ricci, Morini, Ida Haendel, Francescatti, Stern, and...Rabin. Very few people outside of older violinists know who Rabin was. THANK GOD, he recorded a lot and we have all those incredible recordings to listen to.
@@sma1968 Although Heifetz was in a class of his own, you wouldn't be wrong to put Rabin ahead of Heifetz. Musically, Rabin was even better. Heifetz was his idol - but he out-did him in a number of areas, and even composers. Rabin was better at Bach. I think he also had a better left hand than Heifetz even did and that's saying a lot. Rabin recorded at least a few of the Ysaye Sonatas and all the Paganini Caprices but Heifetz never did. Rabin and Heifetz met two or three times - but we have to remember, they were competitors in a way. Heifetz never made any comments about Rabin's playing, for better or worse. Then again, he usually - and wisely - kept his mouth closed about his rivals.
The one concert at The Meadowmount School of Music I'll never forget was the memorial concert for Michael Rabin back in '72. The most beautiful music was chosen for the event: Mahler, Symphony No.5: Adagietto. For two of my seven years at Meadowmount, I stayed at the Lelonde Motel (Rte 9 & Lewis-Wadhams Rd), which I assume is no longer there. When Michael Rabin stayed there, (many years before me), Mrs. Lalonde had a gas station, and Michael was happy to be her service attendant, filling the tanks, checking the radiator and oil; putting air in the tires. He was a very gracious man. It was also noted how when Michael recorded in the studio, the musicians would go home early! Michael always performed perfectly, first time every time.
He was one of the greatest violinists in history. The reason he died prematurely was not drug related, as most people have said. The answer is in the book about his life by Anthony Feinstein, MD. Read it. It is a wonderful book - although the story is very depressing. Michael's parents had two of their children die. Michael's mother died not long after he did. His death pretty well killed her.
@rickyanthony His death was from a rather domestic accident. It is suspected that based on the time of death, he got out of bed to go to the kitchen in an early morning hour, tripped, fell and cracked his head open. The autopsy report stated that the only drug in his system was an over-the-counter sleeping drug or two, and at well below lethal levels. You should really read the book, it's eye-opening.
He was mixed and this is why I am just now discovering him right now and I started playing my violin in 1978 until 1990 and then picked it back up recently. I had no inspiration this is why I stopped playing by design for which I was so unaware but now I am awake. It is never too late to wake up. This Gem was well hidden. What is done in the dark will surely come out into the light.
So brief, but wonderful. Any glimpse into this gigantic talent is worth seeing. Somewhere there must exist a tape of a Tonight Show performance of, I believe, the Carmen Fantasie. It was probably 1968 or thereabouts. I watched it with my father--also an enthusiast of Rabin, and he played a little fast, which we attributed to TV nerves. But he was still amazing. Maybe someone with better scholarship skills than I have can locate that.
My teacher was a student of Galamian, just a few years younger than Rabin and remembers Rabin vividly as a fellow student he looked up to. I adore Rabin's playing and it reminds me a bit of my teacher as well. I wish I could have sat in the same room as Rabin and Galamian. Thank you for making this video.
No, he did not die from an "epileptic seizure." He sustained a basilar skull fracture after falling backward and striking his head. It has never been established as what caused the fall.
What caused the fall was literally a domestic accident. He tripped and fell, as you said. It could've been narcolepsy. I had a friend who died a few years ago of exactly the same thing.
There is one composer Michael Rabin struggled with; Mozart. Why his mother chose Mozart to be played at his funeral is a mystery. She may have been the main cause of his neuroses. He became addicted to Doriden, & that medication may have been what killed him when he fell & hit his head on a table in his apartment. His bow became wobbly towards the end of his life, & he'd become dizzy while performing; probably due to the drug. There is no one alive today who can play like him. Like Heifetz, his playing was truly unique. I knew a friend of his who studied with Galamian at the same time he did.
Rabin didn't struggle with any composers. However, you are right that his mother was a double-edged sword. It was as if without him, he wouldn't have had a career but she was an impossible woman according to the account of her given in Anthony Feinstein MD's book. I'm curious to know how you came by the information that his bow was "wobbly towards the end of his life and he'd become dizzy while performing." Were you there and did you see this first-hand?
@@BenjiOrthopedicYES HE DID!!! He didn't have a feel for Mozart, which is a well known fact among MR's admirers. About his wobbly bow, in Anthony Feinstein's book you will find lots of information of how drugs like Doridan affected Michael's playing, starting from pg. 174. As for Mozart, of course, he was able to play the music technically very well, but not on the level of Isaac Stern & Heifetz musically, & he was well aware of that, which was why he avoided it. Heifetz himself said that Mozart & Beethoven were the most difficult composers for him. Drugs not only destroyed MR, but also Eugen Fodor, who also struggled with Mozart, which is why he stuck mainly to the pyro-technical stuff. My 2nd violin teacher knew MR, & I used to have long conversations with Fodor's best friend & student, William Woolcot. I recommend that you read Feinstein's book, if you have any more issues. You won't find a better one than that.
Seems as if he was given psychotic and died of a seizure caused from the drug withdrawal. Sad. The pharmaceutical companies should be tried and convicted for murder.
That is not the reason he died. Good luck trying and convicting the drug companies for a death that happened 52 years ago though!! Big pharma has plenty of lawyers too. They get away with everything, although settlements may be made in some cases. A drug has to kill a lot of people before they'll stop manufacturing it.
@@BenjiOrthopedic my friend told me he took medication because violin caused him anxiety and it made him pass out and hit his head. The violin industry doesn't want you to know that because it would mean loss of money for them. Everyone know the violin industry is the biggest rip off in the history of mankind. Paying millions for a piece of wood is a joke.
Most don't realize that Rabin "competed" with all the great artists of that day, for concert dates all over the globe in the 1950s and 60s. At that time, the short list was: Heifetz, Menuhin, Milstein, Ricci, Morini, Ida Haendel, Francescatti, Stern, and...Rabin. Very few people outside of older violinists know who Rabin was. THANK GOD, he recorded a lot and we have all those incredible recordings to listen to.
Rabin could run circles around Stern and Menuhin any day of the week. Frankly, I put Rabin at the top. (obviously, not including Heifetz)
@@sma1968 Although Heifetz was in a class of his own, you wouldn't be wrong to put Rabin ahead of Heifetz. Musically, Rabin was even better. Heifetz was his idol - but he out-did him in a number of areas, and even composers. Rabin was better at Bach. I think he also had a better left hand than Heifetz even did and that's saying a lot. Rabin recorded at least a few of the Ysaye Sonatas and all the Paganini Caprices but Heifetz never did. Rabin and Heifetz met two or three times - but we have to remember, they were competitors in a way. Heifetz never made any comments about Rabin's playing, for better or worse. Then again, he usually - and wisely - kept his mouth closed about his rivals.
And Szeryng
The one concert at The Meadowmount School of Music I'll never forget was the memorial concert for Michael Rabin back in '72. The most beautiful music was chosen for the event: Mahler, Symphony No.5: Adagietto.
For two of my seven years at Meadowmount, I stayed at the Lelonde Motel (Rte 9 & Lewis-Wadhams Rd), which I assume is no longer there. When Michael Rabin stayed there, (many years before me), Mrs. Lalonde had a gas station, and Michael was happy to be her service attendant, filling the tanks, checking the radiator and oil; putting air in the tires. He was a very gracious man. It was also noted how when Michael recorded in the studio, the musicians would go home early! Michael always performed perfectly, first time every time.
He was one of the greatest violinists in history. The reason he died prematurely was not drug related, as most people have said. The answer is in the book about his life by Anthony Feinstein, MD. Read it. It is a wonderful book - although the story is very depressing. Michael's parents had two of their children die. Michael's mother died not long after he did. His death pretty well killed her.
@rickyanthony His death was from a rather domestic accident. It is suspected that based on the time of death, he got out of bed to go to the kitchen in an early morning hour, tripped, fell and cracked his head open. The autopsy report stated that the only drug in his system was an over-the-counter sleeping drug or two, and at well below lethal levels. You should really read the book, it's eye-opening.
A wonderful tribute to my favourite violinist. Thank you!
Thank you to all concerned for this wonderful glimpse of my favorite violinist.
Wonderful violinist Michael Rabin beautiful playing in the movie Rhapsody too, Meditation!!!!!! So great!!!!!
He was mixed and this is why I am just now discovering him right now and I started playing my violin in 1978 until 1990 and then picked it back up recently. I had no inspiration this is why I stopped playing by design for which I was so unaware but now I am awake. It is never too late to wake up. This Gem was well hidden. What is done in the dark will surely come out into the light.
Thanks for uploading
So brief, but wonderful. Any glimpse into this gigantic talent is worth seeing. Somewhere there must exist a tape of a Tonight Show performance of, I believe, the Carmen Fantasie. It was probably 1968 or thereabouts. I watched it with my father--also an enthusiast of Rabin, and he played a little fast, which we attributed to TV nerves. But he was still amazing. Maybe someone with better scholarship skills than I have can locate that.
Thank you so much for this! My idol!
Michael Rabin, my favorite Violinist of all time!
My teacher was a student of Galamian, just a few years younger than Rabin and remembers Rabin vividly as a fellow student he looked up to. I adore Rabin's playing and it reminds me a bit of my teacher as well. I wish I could have sat in the same room as Rabin and Galamian. Thank you for making this video.
his recording of Meditation is the best among the best.
Thank you.
Fantastic interview.
Thank you! And that Wieniawski was live?!?! Glorious.
More....!! Anything Rabin....
There was something about Rabin's sound. Just unforgettable.
The "something" was that he was just extraordinarily gifted.
No, he did not die from an "epileptic seizure." He sustained a basilar skull fracture after falling backward and striking his head. It has never been established as what caused the fall.
What caused the fall was literally a domestic accident. He tripped and fell, as you said. It could've been narcolepsy. I had a friend who died a few years ago of exactly the same thing.
Correct. He slipped coming out of the shower. His best friend thinks he was trying to answer the phone.
There is one composer Michael Rabin struggled with; Mozart. Why his mother chose Mozart to be played at his funeral is a mystery. She may have been the main cause of his neuroses. He became addicted to Doriden, & that medication may have been what killed him when he fell & hit his head on a table in his apartment. His bow became wobbly towards the end of his life, & he'd become dizzy while performing; probably due to the drug. There is no one alive today who can play like him. Like Heifetz, his playing was truly unique. I knew a friend of his who studied with Galamian at the same time he did.
Rabin didn't struggle with any composers. However, you are right that his mother was a double-edged sword. It was as if without him, he wouldn't have had a career but she was an impossible woman according to the account of her given in Anthony Feinstein MD's book. I'm curious to know how you came by the information that his bow was "wobbly towards the end of his life and he'd become dizzy while performing." Were you there and did you see this first-hand?
@@BenjiOrthopedicYES HE DID!!! He didn't have a feel for Mozart, which is a well known fact among MR's admirers. About his wobbly bow, in Anthony Feinstein's book you will find lots of information of how drugs like Doridan affected Michael's playing, starting from pg. 174. As for Mozart, of course, he was able to play the music technically very well, but not on the level of Isaac Stern & Heifetz musically, & he was well aware of that, which was why he avoided it. Heifetz himself said that Mozart & Beethoven were the most difficult composers for him. Drugs not only destroyed MR, but also Eugen Fodor, who also struggled with Mozart, which is why he stuck mainly to the pyro-technical stuff. My 2nd violin teacher knew MR, & I used to have long conversations with Fodor's best friend & student, William Woolcot. I recommend that you read Feinstein's book, if you have any more issues. You won't find a better one than that.
He slipped and hit his head coming out of the shower. It was an accident. There was no epileptic seizure.
Seems as if he was given psychotic and died of a seizure caused from the drug withdrawal. Sad. The pharmaceutical companies should be tried and convicted for murder.
That is not the reason he died. Good luck trying and convicting the drug companies for a death that happened 52 years ago though!! Big pharma has plenty of lawyers too. They get away with everything, although settlements may be made in some cases. A drug has to kill a lot of people before they'll stop manufacturing it.
He simply slipped and hit his head coming out of the shower
That was misreported. He slipped and hit his head just right and died.
@@concertmasterntl yes, but what caused him to lose his balance and fall?
@@emmanuelvacakis4463 his feet were wet and he exited the shower too fast, probably trying to answer the phone. Freak accident.
I'm sure the violin killed him
Why are you sure of that? Inquiring minds want to know!
@@BenjiOrthopedic my friend told me he took medication because violin caused him anxiety and it made him pass out and hit his head. The violin industry doesn't want you to know that because it would mean loss of money for them. Everyone know the violin industry is the biggest rip off in the history of mankind. Paying millions for a piece of wood is a joke.