Ginzburg plays Rossini / Ginzburg

Grigory Ginzburg transcription of "Largo al factotum" from "Il barbiere de Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)" by Rossini.

Recorded in 1951.

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Grigory Romanovich Ginzburg (1904 - 1961)

Russian pianist, born into a family with no musical traditions. However, his parents insisted that their three sons become acquainted with the basics of music and play piano at least on an amateur level. Grigory, the youngest child, displayed the greatest interest in music.

He initially started to study with his mother, and then in his native Nizhny Novgorod with Sofia Barabeichik, sister of the pianist and conductor Issay Dobrowen.

Tales of the remarkably talented boy reached Alexander Goldenweiser in Moscow. In 1910, the Ginzburgs introduced their son to Goldenweiser, who immediately decided to teach him music and piano playing. After the death of Grigori's father, Goldenweiser became a surrogate father to the boy.

Goldenweiser placed particular emphasis on the development of basic technique. He worked Ginzburg through Hanon's exercises, teaching how to transpose them to any chosen key, play complicated rhythms, tempos and contrasting dynamics.

Ginzburg was accepted to the Moscow Conservatoire at the age of twelve, to the so-called lower course, but soon became a full-time student in Alexander Goldenweiser's class. Goldenweiser was Ginzburg's only teacher during the entire course of his musical education.

Ginzburg was still a student when he made his debut in 1922, playing Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major with the renowned Moscow 'Persimfans' orchestra.

In spring 1924 Ginzburg graduated from the Conservatoire earning a gold medal, which meant his name was engraved on a white marble plate that listed the best graduates of the Conservatoire. During 1924 - 1928, Ginzburg undertook post-graduate studies at the Conservatoire under the supervision of Goldenweiser, and started his teaching career as an assistant.

1927 brought him great success when he took 4th place at the 1st International Chopin Competition in Warsaw; Lev Oborin being the first prize winner, Stanislaw Szpinalski the second and Rosa Etkin-Moszkowska the third. He was among the favourites of the Warsaw audience who believed he should have been awarded 1st Prize.

He joined the staff of the Moscow Conservatoire in 1929 and was appointed full professor in 1935. He devoted considerable energy to educational matters; he was the President of All-Russian Union of Music Teachers, was instrumental in establishing a conservatoire in Nizhny Novgorod the early 1950s and played a vital role in improving the quality of pianos in use throughout the USSR when Steinway began to make appearance.

Ginzburg abhorred the Soviet communist system and yet, for much of his life and unlike some of his peers, he miraculously remained unscathed. However, by April 1959, the bureaucracy in Moscow Conservatoire, being in the hands of communist civil servants, had become so intolerable that Ginzburg tendered his resignation. His only option seemed to start extensive concert tours the get away from Moscow but as he embarked upon this new phase in his career he suffered a heart attack.

He made a remarkable recovery but when he recommenced his travels it was with the knowledge that he had developed an inoperable cancer. Undaunted, he continued, his final triumph being a sensational tour of Yugoslavia in May 1961.

He died in Moscow, December 1961.

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This post is dedicated to my colleague, Ms. Asma Pardi, passing away today, 20 January 2010, at a very young age.

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