Morton Estrin
Encyclopedia
Morton Estrin, the noted American pianist, was born in Burlington, Vermont
in 1923. His career began in 1949 with a well-received recital at Town Hall. He studied with the noted teacher Vera Maurina-Press and others.
Estrin is well-known for making the first-ever recording of Alexander Scriabin
's complete opus 8 Etudes, which he re-recorded in 1991. Both recordings contain many of the hallmarks of Estrin's style - a robust tone, formidable technique, and an unusually large and sophisticated tonal palette.
Other notable recordings include a selection of Brahms intermezzos along with his Opus 119
piano pieces, and the complete Opus 32 Preludes
of Sergei Rachmaninoff
. These records, released in the early 1970s on the Connoisseur Society
label, are among the best recordings of these works ever made, and continue to be available in re-release on CD. Rarely has the Rachmaninoff been rendered with such a balance of tone, energy, and romantic fervor. Rarely has Brahms sounded so robust. After being out of print for a number of years, these recordings, along with the rest of Estrin's output for the Connoisseur Society, have been re-released on CD.
In 1985, Estrin played all 24 Rachmaninoff Preludes at Alice Tully Hall
.
Estrin has also recorded several albums of miniatures entitled "Great Hits You Played When You Were Young." More recent recordings include a suite by Brahms contemporary Joachim Raff
and Etudes by Anton Rubinstein
.
Although Estrin has actively concertized throughout his career and continues to do so, he has devoted most of his time to teaching. Estrin has long been a professor at Hofstra University
and private teacher on Long Island
, where he resides. Particularly accomplished students include Jeffrey Biegel, John Mauceri
, Seth Carlin, Annie Pasqua, Rhoda Pinsley Levin, Billy Joel
and Deborah Gibson
.
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
in 1923. His career began in 1949 with a well-received recital at Town Hall. He studied with the noted teacher Vera Maurina-Press and others.
Estrin is well-known for making the first-ever recording of Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
's complete opus 8 Etudes, which he re-recorded in 1991. Both recordings contain many of the hallmarks of Estrin's style - a robust tone, formidable technique, and an unusually large and sophisticated tonal palette.
Other notable recordings include a selection of Brahms intermezzos along with his Opus 119
Four Pieces for Piano, Op. 119 (Brahms)
The Four Pieces for Piano Op. 119, are four character pieces for piano composed by Johannes Brahms in 1893. The collection is the last composition for solo piano by Brahms. Together with the six pieces from Op...
piano pieces, and the complete Opus 32 Preludes
Preludes, Op. 32 (Rachmaninoff)
Thirteen Preludes , Op. 32, is a set of thirteen preludes for solo piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1910.-Works in this opus:Opus 32 contains 13 preludes:*No. 1 in C major *No. 2 in B flat minor...
of Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
. These records, released in the early 1970s on the Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society
Connoisseur Society is an American audiophile classical music and jazz record label based in New York. It was founded by E. Alan Silver and James Goodfriend. Silver is also leading the company In Sync, which offers remasterings on CDs from tapes and LPs.Silver and Goodfriend helped artists from the...
label, are among the best recordings of these works ever made, and continue to be available in re-release on CD. Rarely has the Rachmaninoff been rendered with such a balance of tone, energy, and romantic fervor. Rarely has Brahms sounded so robust. After being out of print for a number of years, these recordings, along with the rest of Estrin's output for the Connoisseur Society, have been re-released on CD.
In 1985, Estrin played all 24 Rachmaninoff Preludes at Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
.
Estrin has also recorded several albums of miniatures entitled "Great Hits You Played When You Were Young." More recent recordings include a suite by Brahms contemporary Joachim Raff
Joachim Raff
Joseph Joachim Raff was a German-Swiss composer, teacher and pianist.-Biography:Raff was born in Lachen in Switzerland. His father, a teacher, had fled there from Württemberg in 1810 to escape forced recruitment into the military of that southwestern German state that had to fight for Napoleon in...
and Etudes by Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
.
Although Estrin has actively concertized throughout his career and continues to do so, he has devoted most of his time to teaching. Estrin has long been a professor at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
and private teacher on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where he resides. Particularly accomplished students include Jeffrey Biegel, John Mauceri
John Mauceri
John Francis Mauceri is an American conductor, producer and arranger for theatre, opera and television. For fifteen years, he served on the faculty of Yale University. He was a protege of Leonard Bernstein...
, Seth Carlin, Annie Pasqua, Rhoda Pinsley Levin, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
and Deborah Gibson
Deborah Gibson
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Gibson is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. In 1987 she was pronounced the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, with her song "Foolish Beat" and she remains the youngest female to write, record, and...
.