艾瑞卡·莫里尼 Erica Morini

Erika Morini Siracusano(January 5, 1904 - October 31 or November 1, 1995) was aJewishAustrianviolinist.

Early life and family

Morini was born inVienna, and received her first instruction from her father, Oscar Morini (originally spelled Oser or Ojser, family name Moritz), who was the director of his own music school in theImperialcapital Vienna, and completed her studies underOtakar Ševčík. Hers was a case of remarkable precocity.

Erika's mother was Malka Morini,néeWeissmann. Her father was born atCzernowitzinBukovina, which was then part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire. Morini had six siblings:

Alice Morini, pianist

Stella Morini, violinist

Haydee Morini, dancer

Frank Morini, art dealer

Albert Morini, impresario concert manager

Her cousin, Louis Morris (Last name Moritz was changed at Ellis Island), was a clarinetist forJohn Philip Sousa's band (1907–21)

Career

When she made her début in 1916, with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, underArthur Nikisch, the critics made no allowance for her youth, but spoke of her work as the equal of that of the most famous of the younger generation of violinists. HerAmericandébut at the age of seventeen inNew York(January 26, 1921) was one of the musical sensations of the year, and since then she performed in the United States often, both in recital and with the foremostorchestras. Shortly after her New York début, she was presented with theGuadagniniviolin which had been owned by the celebrated American ViolinistMaud Powell, who had died in 1920. In March 1921, Morini made her first recordings for theVictor Talking Machine CompanyinCamden, New Jersey, accompanied on the piano by her sister, Alice. She resided in New York after 1938, and began spelling her first nameErica. She made her first visit toLondonin 1923.

On the boat ride from Europe to New York, Erica and her cousin Louis played violin and clarinet together for the first class passengers, and were allowed to stay in first class on account of their popularity.

Along with the Guadagnini violin, Morini also played the"Davidov" Stradivariusviolin from the year 1727, named for the Russian cellistKarl Davydov. Morini’s father had purchased it for her in Paris in 1924 for $10,000.

Morini retired in 1976 and reportedly never played the violin again.

Morini's valuable Davidov Stradivarius (as well as paintings, letters, and her scores, complete with fingerings and other valuable notes) were stolen from her New York City apartment shortly before her death in October 1995, at the age of 91. She had been hospitalized withheart diseaseand was never told of the theft.The crime remains unsolved.

Legacy

Morini is believed to be the last surviving recording artist who made acousticRed Seal Recordsfor the Victor Talking Machine Company. Four months after her death, Erica Morini was described in the journalThe Stradas the “most bewitching woman violinist of this century.”

She was particularly admired for her performances of the concerto repertory, especially the concertos ofLudwig Spohr, which she helped restore to popularity. She also played and recorded the great concertos ofMozart,Beethoven,Mendelssohn,BrahmsandTchaikovsky.

Morini was honored with numerous awards and prizes. she received honorary doctorates from Smith College, Massachusetts, in 1955, and from the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, in 1963.New York City, where she died, honored her lifetime achievement with a gold medal in 1976. Despite the respect in which she was held, Morini is largely forgotten today.

A stage play about Morini,The Morini Strad,byWilly Holtzman, had its world premiere in 2010.

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