David Nadien

David Nadien (March 12, 1926 – May 28, 2014) was an American virtuoso violinist and violin teacher. He was concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic from 1966 to 1970. His playing style; characterized by fast vibrato, audible shifting noises, and superb bow control; has been compared to that of Jascha Heifetz, who is considered by many to be the greatest violinist of all time.[1]

David Nadien
Birth nameDavid Nadien
Born(1926-03-12)March 12, 1926
Brooklyn, New York, USA
DiedMay 28, 2014(2014-05-28) (aged 88)
Manhattan, New York, USA
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Violinist, pedagogue
InstrumentsViolin
Years active1940-2014

Life

David Nadien was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 12, 1926, the son of Armenian-American George and Bertha Nadien. His father was a local boxer who went by the last name "Vanderbilt." He started learning violin with his father, then entered the Mannes School of Music; he also studied at the Juilliard School. His teachers included Adolfo Betti, Demetrius Constantine Dounis, Adolf Busch and Ivan Galamian. When he was 18 he was drafted into the US Army, and played with the Army Service Forces Orchestra upon the recommendation of Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassoonist Sol Schoenbach, who recognized his talents.[2]

He made his first concert appearance with the New York Philharmonic at the age of 14,[3] and at the age of 20 won the Leventritt Award.[4]

Nadien won the prestigious Leventritt Award, judged by a panel that included Arturo Toscanini, at 20. Afterwards, he worked mainly as a freelance studio musician until in 1966 he was invited to audition and eventually selected by Leonard Bernstein to replace the retiring John Corigliano Sr., the father of the composer, as concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. Although he had little experience of orchestral playing, Bernstein praised his unusually acute sight-reading skills and called him "an extraordinary violinist", and he had previously received an offer from George Szell to be principal second violin of the Cleveland Orchestra. As concertmaster, Nadien was engaged as a soloist with the orchestra frequently and featured in several of Bernstein's "Young People's Concerts." He left the orchestra in 1970 and resumed studio work in New York, which was far more lucrative than the concertmaster post.[2] As a violin teacher, he worked at the Mannes College of Music and taught privately.

Nadien owned the "Prince of Orange, Wald, Hoffmann" violin, made by Guarneri del Gesù in about 1743.[5]

He is well known for his recordings of Parts 1 to 4 of the "Suzuki violin method".[6][7][8][9]

He died of pneumonia aged 88 on May 28, 2014.[2]

Selected discography
  • Vivaldi, The Four Seasons --- (David Nadien, violin; strings of the Kapp Sinfonietta; Igor Kipnis, harpsichord; Emanuel Vardi, conductor / Sleevenotes by Igor Kipnis - LP 33rpm, Kapp KCL-9056 - 1960)[10]
  • The Virtuoso Violinist - recital: Wieniawski, Scherzo Tarantelle Op.16 / Sarasate, Habanera Op.21 No.2 / Sarasate, Zapateado Op.23 No.2 / Paganini (arr. Kreisler), Caprice No.20 / F.M.Veracini, Largo / Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro 'in the style of Pugnani' / Paganini, Moto perpetuo Op.11 / Sarasate, Caprice basque Op.24 / Kreisler, Recitative and Scherzo Caprice Op.6 -violin solo- / Vieuxtemps, Regrets Op.40 No.2 / Kreisler, Variations on a Theme by Corelli --- (David Nadien, violin; Boris Barere, piano - LP 33rpm, Kapp KCL-9060 - 1961)
  • Humoresque - recital: Dvořák (arr. Kreisler), Humoresque Op.101 No.7 / Massenet (arr. M.P.Marsick), Méditation de Thaïs / Mendelssohn (arr. Heifetz), On Wings of Song Op.34 No.2 / Elgar, Salut d'amour Op.12 / Beethoven (arr. Maud Powell), Minuet in G WoO.10 No.2 / Drdla, Souvenir / Brahms, Waltz Op.39 No.15 / Schubert (arr. Wilhelmj), Ave Maria D.839 / Rubinstein (arr. Auer), Melodie in F Op.3 No.1 / Raff, Cavatina Op.85 No.3 / Schubert (arr. Sitt), Serenade (Ständchen, No.4 from 'Schwanengesang' D.957) --- (David Nadien, violin; Boris Barere, piano - LP 33rpm, Kapp KS-3342 (Kapp KL-1342, mono release) - 1963)
  • Franck, Violin Sonata in A / Debussy, Violin Sonata in G / Ravel, Pièce en forme de habanera / Fauré, Berceuse Op.16 --- (David Nadien, violin; David Hancock, piano - LP 33rpm, Monitor MCS2017 - 1968)
  • Prokofiev, Sonata for 2 violins Op.56 --- (Ruggiero Ricci, violin I; David Nadien, violin II - LP 33rpm, Decca DL710177 - 1970)
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References
  1. Gary Lemco (18 November 2008). David Nadien: The Legendary Violinist Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, review. Audiophile Audition. Accessed June 2014.
  2. Vivien Schweitzer (8 June 2014). David Nadien, Philharmonic Concertmaster, Is Dead at 88, The New York Times. Accessed June 2014.
  3. [s.n.] (29 May 2014). Former New York Philharmonic concertmaster David Nadien has died aged 88 Archived 2014-06-03 at the Wayback Machine. The Strad. Accessed June 2014.
  4. VC Hidden Gems: Unassuming American violin virtuoso David Nadien. The Violin Channel. Accessed June 2014.
  5. Owners (A-Z): David Nadien. Cozio archive. Accessed June 2014.
  6. Suzuki Violin School, Vol.1 (CD), performed by David Nadien (1994)
  7. Suzuki Violin School, Vol.2 (CD), performed by David Nadien (1995)
  8. Suzuki Violin School, Vol.3 (CD), performed by David Nadien (1995)
  9. Suzuki Violin School, Vol.4 (CD), performed by David Nadien (1995)
  10. Billboard Music Week, pg.40 "Reviews and Ratings of New Albums", (February 6, 1961)
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