Leonard Rose America's Golden Age and Its First Cellist

“Pure gold.” thus the New York Times described the playing of Leonard Rose, the most successful American-born cellist of his generation. Rose’s knowledge of the instrument was unsurpassed. Every phrase of every piece he recorded—his legacy—continues to sparkle with meaning. His Beethoven and Brahms were noble in style, favoring huge dynamic contrasts and rhythmic freedom. His Schumann and Schubert each had a semblance of epic beauty. His Bach could be transcendently romantic and powerful. His signature concerti had a consistency, accuracy, and no-nonsense approach. And, notably, he performed works by living American composers, a tendency many of his peers shunned. This book examines the multifaceted American cellist and the classical music context that dominated Rose’s twentieth century. Professionally, the era during which he achieved greatness and the direction he chose to pursue could not have been musically richer. While Leonard Rose is a more than worthy solo biographical subject, he felt that the story of his inordinate contact and collaboration with his era’s most renowned musicians was especially valuable for posterity. So my aim in this volume was to showcase Rose among the countless musical figures he affected and those who affected him.