Oral Histories

Interview of Louis Kaufman

Film score and concert violinist.
Subtitle:
Violinist for Sound and Concert Stage
Series:
Z: Orphan Interviews pre 1999
Topic:
Music
Biographical Note:
Film score and concert violinist.
Interviewer:
Hast, Sybil D.
Interviewee:
Kaufman, Louis
Persons Present:
Kaufman, Hast, and Annette Leibole Kaufman.
Place Conducted:
Kaufman's home in Los Angeles, California.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Interviewer Background and Preparation:
The interview was conducted by Sybil D. Hast, B.A., French, Smith College; M.A., French, University of Pittsburgh; M.A., German, UCLA. Lecturer of music, UCLA. Hast prepared for the interview by conducting research in the UCLA Music Library and having several informal background discussions with the Kaufmans, who supplied her with records, cassettes, articles, and reviews.
Processing of Interview:
Richard Iosty, editorial assistant, edited theinterview. He checked the verbatim transcript of the interview against the original recordings, edited for punctuation, paragraphing, and spelling, and verifiedproper names. Words and phrases inserted by the editor have been bracketed.Kaufman reviewed the transcript. He verified proper names and made a number of corrections and additions. Teresa Barnett, editor, prepared the table of contents, biographical summary, interview history, and index.
Length:
9.25 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Abstract:
Parents meet in Romania and emigrate to the United States; begins learning the violin; touring the Pantages circuit; recording for Edison Records; Efrem Zimbalist and Maud Powell; studying with Franz Kneisel; learns to play the viola; Mischa Elman; Jascha Heifetz; Milton Avery; moves to Los Angeles; playing for motion pictures; timing music to fit the scene; the development of musical scores for motion pictures; Bernard Herrmann; recordings; Lloyd Wright designs the Kaufmans' house; Robert Russell Bennett; Hollywood composers' use of professional orchestrators; William Grant Still; concert tours throughout the world; reviving Vivaldi's music; Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California; donates paintings to Reed College; David Tamkin's The Dybbuk; suffers a detached retina while touring Greece; Warming-up Scales and Arpeggios: A Daily Five-Minute System for Violinists; types of violins and their makers; bows and bowing; recording versus live performances; Giuseppe Torelli; effect of harried schedules on musicians and repertoire; characteristics of a good concert program; the low level of American culture; teaching children a musical instrument; need for young performers to be exposed to other forms of art.