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'Artur Rodziński' (January 1, 1892 - November 27, 1958) was a Polish conductor.

Contents

Biography

Recordings

Death

References

Biography

Rodziński was born of Polish parents in Spalato, Dalmatia, today's Split, Croatia. He grew up in Lwów, Galicia, now part of Ukraine, where he studied law at the University of Lwów. In 1914, his father sent his family to Vienna, where Artur continued to study law, as well as enrolling in the ''Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien''. In 1916, he received his doctorate in law. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The Literary Digest'' it was ''rud-JEEN'-skee''.^[1]
After World War I ended in 1918, he moved to back to Lwów, then in Poland, where he found work as a conductor, making his debut conducting the opera ''Ernani''. In 1920, he moved to the Grand Theater in Warsaw.

He then moved to the United States, working with Leopold Stokowski from 1925 to 1929. His next move took him to California, where he conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic for four years. From 1933 to 1943, he was music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, where his tenure included several seasons of fully-produced opera presentations. He then became musical director of the New York Philharmonic, where he remained until 1947. He then took a position with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and worked with Chicago Lyric Opera. At this time of his resignation from his New York post he was so prominent, having conducted three of America's most prestigious orchestras in succession, that he received significant media coverage, including a ''Time'' magazine cover story. The Master Builder

Recordings

He recorded primarily for Columbia Records (with the New York Philharmonic) and EMI. A few of his later recordings were taped in stereo. His complete 1956 recording of Tchaikovsky's ''The Nutcracker'' was recorded on stereo master tapes in 1955, but released only on mono LP record, until the advent of compact disc, when the stereo version was finally released. The stereo version was also available earlier on commercially-released 2 track 7.5 ips Reel-to-reel audio tape recording.

Death

Rodziński died in Boston, Massachusetts.

References

1. What's the Name, Please?, , Charles Earle, Funk, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936,