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Overview
(Amadeus). This first, authorized biography of one of the 20th century's greatest violinists chronicles the life of Michael Rabin from his young boyhood to his premature death at the age of 35. By his teen years in the 1950s, he had already joined the ranks of violin greats and he was being compared to Heifetz, Milstein, Stern, and Francescatti. Lovingly detailed, rich in music history and drama, this biography documents the many forces that shaped Rabin's extraordinary life and career, from his meteoric rise to his surprising decline. Feinstein charts Rabin's many artistic successes, as well as his struggles to make the transition from wunderkind to adult virtuoso, and sheds light on the true reasons for his fall from grace, debunking the many rumors that surrounded him during that time. Feinstein also clarifies the facts relating to Rabin's sudden death. What emerges is a unique profile of a prodiginous talent and a tragic life.
Synopsis
In 1950, 14-year-old prodigy Michael Rabin played his debut violin recital at Carnegie Hall, amazing critics with his technical brilliance. This biography tells the story of this remarkable musician, tracing the trajectory of his career from the wildly successful world tours of the 1950s through a slow decline in the 1960s as Rabin struggled with stage phobia and an addiction to barbiturates. Feinstein (psychiatry, U. of Toronto) also illuminates the circumstances surrounding Rabin's accidental death at the age of 36. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR