Michael Rabin

Michael Rabin managed to be one of the most talented and tragic violin virtuosi of his generation. Hailed as a child prodigy, his talent matured gracefully into an adult level, but he failed to follow in his emotional growth. He remained one of the most fondly remembered virtuoso violinists for listeners and fellow musicians. Rabin recorded the most important part of his legacy for Capitol-EMI, including the Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1, the first and second violin concertos of Wieniawski, and the Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Glazunov concertos. At the end of the 1950s, Rabin suddenly cut short his recording career for reasons that were never clear. He continued to perform regularly in concerts around the world, and even made broadcast recitals during the '60s which found his talents undiminished. In 1972, while still in the prime of his life, he died after a fall.