Erna Rubinstein (March 2, 1903–1966), born Ernesztina Rubinstein, was a Hungarian violinist.

Early life

Ernesztina Rubinstein was born in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

in 1903. Her mother was a singer. She studied violin with József Füredi in

Debrecen Debrecen ( ; ; ; ) is Hungary's cities of Hungary, second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain Regions of Hungary, region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the large ...

, and with

Jenő Hubay Jenő Hubay von Szalatna ( ; 15 September 185812 March 1937), also known by his German name Eugen Huber (), was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher. Early life Hubay was born into a German family of musicians in Pest, Hungary ...

at the

Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Franz Liszt Academy of Music (, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the Liszt Collection, which features several ...

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, from 1913 to 1918. As a young woman violinist, she was often grouped with (and compared to) her peers, (1901–1959) of Bulgaria, and Erika Morini (1904–1995) of Austria.

Career

Rubinstein toured as a young violinist in Europe and the United States. She gave a recital at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in 1922. "There is repose and poise in her performance," commented the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reviewer Richard Aldrich, "but there is no lack of the brilliancy and spirit and rhythmic verve". She played in the American midwest and plains states in 1923 and 1924, and in California in 1925. She accompanied Frieda Hempel in a 1928 concert, and played in Minnesota and New York in 1929. Rubinstein appeared in two films, ''Stolen Wednesday'' (1933, also known as ''Tokajerglut''), and ''Under a Gypsy Moon'' (1938, a musical short). She was heard on the

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

radio program in 1939, and was a guest performer with the El Paso Orchestra that year.

Personal life

In 1944 Rubinstein married an American screenwriter, George Bruce. Their short and tumultuous marriage ended in divorce in 1946, after widely publicized allegations of cruelty and violence, including an accusation that Bruce twisted Rubinstein's hand badly enough to affect her musical ability. In the 1950s, she lived quietly with her mother in the

San Lorenzo, California San Lorenzo (Spanish language, Spanish for "Saint Lawrence, Saint Laurence") is a census-designated place, census-designated place (CDP) located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County, ...

, and used the name Edna Ford. She did some translation for Hungarian refugees in the East Bay area. She died in 1966, in her sixties.

References

External links

* * , Erna Rubinstein plays "Sérénade Espagnole" by

Cécile Chaminade Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (8 August 1857 – 13 April 1944) was a French composer and pianist. In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer. Ambroise Thomas said, "This is not a woman who composes, but a ...

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, with marked por ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rubenstein, Erna 1903 births 1966 deaths Hungarian classical violinists Hungarian women violinists American classical violinists American women violinists Musicians from Sibiu