Early life and career Yehudi Menuhin

menuhin bruno walter (1931)

yehudi menuhin born in new york city family of belorussian jews. through father moshe, former rabbinical student , anti-zionist, descended distinguished rabbinical dynasty. in late 1919 moshe , wife marutha (née sher) became american citizens, , changed family name mnuchin menuhin. menuhin s sisters concert pianist , human rights activist hephzibah, , pianist, painter , poet yaltah.

menuhin s first violin instruction @ age 4 sigmund anker (1891–1958); parents had wanted louis persinger teach him, persinger refused. menuhin displayed exceptional talent @ age. first public appearance, when 7 years old, solo violinist san francisco symphony orchestra in 1923. persinger agreed teach him , accompanied him on piano first few solo recordings in 1928–29.

when menuhins moved paris, persinger suggested menuhin go persinger s old teacher, belgian virtuoso , pedagogue eugène ysaÿe. menuhin did have 1 lesson ysaÿe, disliked ysaÿe s teaching method , advanced age. instead, went romanian composer , violinist george enescu, under tutelage made recordings several piano accompanists, including sister hephzibah. student of adolf busch. in 1929 played in berlin, under bruno walter s baton, 3 concerti bach, beethoven , brahms.

according henry a. murray, menuhin wrote:

actually, gazing in usual state of being half absent in own world , half in present. have been able retire in way. thinking life tied instrument , justice?

his first concerto recording made in 1931, bruch s g minor, under sir landon ronald in london, labels calling him master yehudi menuhin . in 1932 recorded edward elgar s violin concerto in b minor hmv in london, composer himself conducting; in 1934, uncut, paganini s d major concerto emile sauret s cadenza in paris under pierre monteux. between 1934 , 1936, made first integral recording of johann sebastian bach s sonatas , partitas solo violin, although sonata no. 2, in a minor, not released until 6 transferred cd.

his interest in music of béla bartók prompted him commission work him – sonata solo violin, which, completed in 1943 , first performed menuhin in new york in 1944, composer s penultimate work.