- Leonid Kogan
Infobox musical artist
Name = Leonid Kogan
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Leonid Borisovich Kogan
Born =November 14 1924
flagicon|USSRDnepropetrovsk ,Ukraine ,USSR
Died =December 17 1982 (age 58)
flagicon|USSRMytishchi ,USSR
Instrument =Violin
Genre = Classical
Occupation =Violinist
Years_active =
Label =
Associated_acts =
URL =
Notable_instruments =Leonid Borisovich Kogan (
November 17 1924 -December 17 1982 ) ( _he. לאוניד בוריסוביץ' קוגן, _ru. Леонид Борисович Коган) was aviolin virtuoso , and one of the 20th century's most famousSoviet violinists. Together withDavid Oistrakh , he ranked among the greatest representatives of the Russian-Jewish tradition of violin playing.Life and career
Kogan was born in
Dnepropetrovsk ,Ukraine , as the son of a photographer who was an amateur violinist. After showing an early interest and ability for violin playing, his family moved toMoscow , where he was able to study. At age ten he studied with violinist Abram Yampolsky and at age 12 withJacques Thibaud . Thibaud arranged for the young student to live at his home where he was able to progress rapidly with daily lessons.Kogan went to study at the Central Music School in Moscow, then at the
Moscow Conservatory (1943-48) and as a postgraduate (1948-51).At the age of 17, and while still a student, he performed throughout the
USSR . While still a student, he was co-winner of the first prize at the World Youth Festival, inPrague . In 1951 Kogan won first prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition inBrussels with a dazzling performance of Paganini's first concerto that included an outstanding interpretation of the Sauret Cadenza.His official debut was in 1941, playing the Brahms Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
His international solo tours took him to
Paris andLondon in 1955, and thenSouth America and theUSA in the following years. Kogan had a repertoire of over 18 concertos and a number of concertos by modern composers were dedicated to him.In 1952, Kogan began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory, and in 1980 he was invited to teach at the
Accademia Musicale Chigiana inSienna ,Italy . Kogan shunned publicity, and as a result his career was overshadowed by his good friend David Oistrakh, who was strongly promoted by Soviet authorities. He was made an Honoured Artist in 1955 and aPeople's Artist of the USSR in 1964, and received theLenin Prize in 1965.Kogan married Elizaveta Gilels (sister of the famous pianist
Emil Gilels ), also a concert violinist. His son, Pavel Kogan, born in 1952, became a famous violinist and conductor.Kogan died of a heart attack (in the city of
Mytishchi ), while travelling by train betweenMoscow andYaroslavl to a concert he was to perform with his son, Pavel.Technique
Kogan is regarded as one of the greatest of all technical players and interpreters. His style is considered more modern while less idiosyncratic than those of his contemporaries such as Oistrakh. His playing was lean, angular and aggressive with a faster and purer vibrato. He would maintain an even and full tone across all strings and in all positions, without fading out at high positions. Possibly as a result of his right arm technique, he would not allow the G string to sound unnecessarily mellow.
Kogan was the only Classical Violinist of note that preferred to play on all 4 steel strings (Thomastic brand). Most serious Classical players prefer steel E-string, and maybe also steel A-string (as in case of David Oistrakh), while using gut or synthetics on G and D strings. Steel gave Kogan more clarity and power, while sacrificing warmth, depth and sweetness associated with gut or synthetics.
Instruments
Kogan owned two
Guarneri del Gesù violins; the 1726 ex-Colin and the 1733 ex-Burmester. He played on French bows byDominique Peccatte . Kogan never actually owned these instruments; they were provided on loan from the Soviet government. Today they are worth more than $4 million USD.Recordings
Kogan formed a Trio with pianist Gilels and cellist Rostropovich, recordings of which include Beethoven's "Archduke Trio", the Schumann D minor, the Tchaikovsky, the Saint-Saëns, the Brahms Horn Trio, and the Fauré C minor Quartet. Kogan later formed another Trio with the conductor Svetlanov on piano and cellist Luzanov. Kogan was the first Soviet violinist to play and record Berg's Violin concerto. He also made a famous recording of
Khachaturian 's violin concerto for RCA (his America debut recording); this version is still considered the most exciting reading of this concerto. Kogan has also recorded violin concerti by other Soviet composers, such as the two byTikhon Khrennikov .There are more than 30 albums of his performances on the Arlecchino label. EMI has recently issued a 4-CD box set containing his concerto recordings for EMI.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HaZMCD6lKM Kogan - Waxman Carmen Fantasy on YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovnky2hwgWM Kogan plays Paganini YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVvdBF3SZ1k kogan plays khakaturian YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsie6Kddzqo&feature=related Shostakovich - prelude]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Wlx8OeFlo&feature=related Kogan plays Shostakovich cadenza & 3rd mvt YouTube]References
* Violin Virtuosos (from Paganini to 21st century) - Henry Roth 1997 ISBN 1-8879395-15-0
*В сб.: Музыкальное исполнительство, в. 6, М., 1970, с. 162—193; - Гринберг М., Пронин В., В классе П. С. Столярского
*«Советская музыка», 1972, № 3. - Ойстрах Д., Фурер С., Мордкович Л., О нашем учителе. (К столетию П. С. Столярского)
*Elena Fedorovich, Ekaterinburg, 2007
*Leonid Kogan Bibliography - M. Zazovsky, L. K. (Moscow, 1956).
*"Leonid Borisovich Kogan." BAKER'S BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF MUSICIANS, Centennial Edition. Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor Emeritus. Schirmer, 2001.
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