Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist.
Born in Poland, Stern came to the US when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, and performing extensively in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, a country to which he had close ties since shortly after its founding.
Stern received extensive recognition for his work, including winning the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
and six
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
, and being named to the French
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...
. The Isaac Stern Auditorium at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
bears his name, due to his role in saving the venue from demolition in the 1960s.
Biography
The son of Solomon and Clara Stern,
Isaac Stern was born in
Kremenets,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
(now
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
), into a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family. He was 14 months old when his family moved to San Francisco in 1921. He received his first music lessons from his mother. In 1928, he enrolled at the
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied until 1931 before going on to study privately with
Louis Persinger
Louis Persinger (11 February 1887, Rochester, Illinois31 December 1966, New York, New York) was an American violinist, pianist and professor of violin.
Persinger had early lessons in Colorado, appearing in public by the age of 12. His main studie ...
.
He returned to the San Francisco Conservatory to study for five years with
Naoum Blinder
Naoum Blinder (July 19, 1889 – November 21, 1965) was a Russian-American virtuoso violinist and teacher, born in Yevpatoria (then Russian Empire, now Ukraine).
Early life and education
He graduated from the Imperial Musical College of Odessa ...
, to whom he said he owed the most.
At his public début on February 18, 1936, aged 15, he played
Saint-Saëns' Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor with the
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San F ...
under the direction of
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in ...
. Reflecting on his background, Stern once memorably quipped that cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Soviet Russia were simple affairs:
:: "They send us their Jews from
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, and we send them our Jews from Odessa."
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Stern was rejected from military service due to flat feet. He then joined the
United Service Organizations and performed for US troops. During one such performance on
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the se ...
, a Japanese soldier, mesmerized by his playing, sneaked into the audience of US personnel listening to his performance before sneaking back out.
Stern toured the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
in 1951, the first American violinist to do so. In 1967, Stern stated his refusal to return to the USSR until the Soviet regime allowed artists to enter and leave the country freely. His only visit to Germany was in 1999, for a series of master classes, but he never performed publicly in Germany.
Stern was married three times. His first marriage, in 1948 to ballerina
Nora Kaye, ended in divorce after 18 months, but the two of them remained friends. On August 17, 1951, he married Vera Lindenblit (1927–2015). They had three children together, including conductors
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
and
David Stern. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1994 after 43 years. In 1996, Stern married his third wife, Linda Reynolds. His third wife, his three children, and his five grandchildren survived him.
Stern died September 22, 2001 of heart failure in a Manhattan, New York, hospital after an extended stay.
Music career
In 1940, Stern began performing with Russian-born pianist
Alexander Zakin, collaborating until 1977.
Within musical circles, Stern became renowned both for his recordings and for championing certain younger players. Among his discoveries were cellists
Yo-Yo Ma and
Jian Wang, and violinists
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...
and
Pinchas Zukerman.
In the 1960s, he played a major role in saving New York City's
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
from demolition, by organising the Citizens' Committee to Save Carnegie Hall. Following the purchase of Carnegie Hall by New York City, the Carnegie Hall Corporation was formed, and Stern was chosen as its first president, a title he held until his death.
Carnegie Hall later named its main auditorium in his honor.
Among Stern's many recordings are concertos by
Brahms,
Bach,
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
,
Mendelssohn,
Sibelius,
Tchaikovsky, and
Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...
and modern works by
Barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
,
Bartók,
Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
,
Bernstein,
Rochberg, and
Dutilleux
Henri Paul Julien Dutilleux (; 22 January 1916 – 22 May 2013) was a French composer active mainly in the second half of the 20th century. His small body of published work, which garnered international acclaim, followed in the tradition of ...
. The Dutilleux concerto, entitled ''L'arbre des songes''
The Tree of Dreams"was a 1985 commission by Stern himself. He also
dubbed actors' violin-playing in several films, such as ''
Fiddler on the Roof
''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
''.
Stern served as musical advisor for the 1946 film, ''
Humoresque'', about a rising violin star and his patron, played respectively by
John Garfield
John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...
and
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
. He was also the featured violin soloist on the soundtrack for the 1971 film of
Fiddler on the Roof
''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
. In 1999, he appeared in the film ''
Music of the Heart'', along with
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...
and several other famed violinists, with a youth orchestra led by
Meryl Streep (the film was based on the true story of a gifted violin teacher in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
who eventually took her musicians to play a concert in Carnegie Hall).
In his autobiography, co-authored with
Chaim Potok
Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 – July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. His first book '' The Chosen'' (1967), was listed on ''The New York Times’'' best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies.
Biography
...
, ''My First 79 Years'', Stern cited
Nathan Milstein
Nathan Mironovich Milstein ( – December 21, 1992) was a Russian-born American virtuoso violinist.
Widely considered one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, Milstein was known for his interpretations of Bach's solo violin works and ...
and
Arthur Grumiaux as major influences on his style of playing.
He won Grammys for his work with
Eugene Istomin and
Leonard Rose in their famous chamber music trio in the 1960s and '70s, while also continuing his duo work with Alexander Zakin during this time. Stern recorded a series of piano quartets in the 1980s and 1990s with
Emanuel Ax,
Jaime Laredo and Yo-Yo Ma, including those of
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
,
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
,
Schumann and
Fauré, winning another
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in 1992 for the
Brahms quartets Opp. 25 and 26.
In 1979, seven years after
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
made the
first official visit by a US president to the country,
the People's Republic of China offered Stern and pianist
David Golub an unprecedented invitation to tour the country. While there, he collaborated with the China Central Symphony Society (now China National Symphony) under the direction of conductor
Li Delun. Their visit was filmed and resulted in the
Oscar-winning documentary, ''
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China''.
Ties to Israel
Stern maintained close ties with
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. Stern began performing in the country in 1949.
[Noam Ben Zeev (1 November 2012)]
"New Tel Aviv street to honor Isaac Stern."
''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner ...
'' Daily. Retrieved 6 June 2013. In 1973, he performed for wounded Israeli soldiers during the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...
. During the 1991
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
and Iraq's
Scud missile
A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...
attacks on Israel, he had been playing in the
Jerusalem Theater
The Jerusalem Theatre ( he, תיאטרון ירושלים, The Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts) is a centre for the performing arts in Jerusalem. The theatre opened in 1971. The complex consists of the Sherover Theatre, which seats ...
. During his performance, an air raid siren sounded, causing the audience to panic. Stern then stepped onto the stage and began playing a movement of
Bach. The audience then calmed down, donned gas masks, and sat throughout the rest of his performance. Stern was a supporter of several educational projects in Israel, among them the America-Israel Foundation and the
Jerusalem Music Center The Jerusalem Music Centre is an institute for musical education in Mishkenot Sha’ananim, Jerusalem. The centre helps young Israeli musicians to develop their talents through multi-annual programs and courses, master classes, and performances. .
Instruments
Stern's favorite instrument was the
Ysaÿe Guarnerius, one of the violins produced by the
Cremonese
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label=Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' (Po Valley). It is the capi ...
luthier
A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...
Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. It had previously been played by the violin virtuoso and composer
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar".
Legend of the Ysaÿe violin
Eugène Ysa ...
.
Among other instruments, Stern played the "Kruse-Vormbaum"
Stradivarius (1728), the "ex-Stern" Bergonzi (1733), the "Panette" Guarneri del Gesù (1737), a Michele Angelo Bergonzi (1739–1757), the "
Arma Senkrah" Guadagnini (1750), a Giovanni Guadagnini (1754), a
J. B. Vuillaume copy of the "Panette" Guarneri del Gesu of 1737 (c.1850), and the "ex-Nicolas I" J.B. Vuillaume (1840). He also owned two contemporary instruments by
Samuel Zygmuntowicz and modern Italian
Jago Peternella Violins.
In 2001, Stern's collection of instruments, bows and musical ephemera was sold through
Tarisio Auctions. The May 2003 auction set a number of world records and was at the time the second highest grossing violin auction of all time, with total sales of over $3.3M.
Awards and commemoration
*
Sonning Award (1982;
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
)
*
Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of nati ...
*
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
(1984)
*
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) (1962, 1963, 1965, 1982)
*
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance (1971, 1992)
*
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
(1991)
*
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
(1992)
*Elected to the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
(1995)
*
Polar Music Prize (2000;
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
)
* Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (1990)
* Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1991)
* Carnegie Hall Midtown Manhattan, New York: main auditorium was named for Isaac Stern in 1997.
In 2012, a street in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
was named for Stern.
Discography
::
*1944
::Brahms: String Sextet No. 1 (with
Alexander Schneider,
Milton Katims
Milton Katims (June 24, 1909February 27, 2006) was an American violist and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony for 22 years (1954–76). In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and le ...
,
Milton Thomas,
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), usually known in English by his Castilian Spanish name Pablo Casals, and
Madeleine Foley)
*1944
Brahms: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello No. 1 in B Major, op. 8(with
Myra Hess and
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), usually known in English by his Castilian Spanish name Pablo Casals, )
*1946
::Violin selections from the movie
Humoresque (1946 film) with
Oscar Levant on the piano,
Columbia Masterworks Records set MM-657
*1951
::Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major (with
Sir Thomas Beecham and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
),
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
*1952
::Bach: Partita in E Minor & G Minor for Violin and Piano, Sonata No.3 in E Major for Violin and Piano (with
Alexander Zakin)
*1957
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, op. 22(with
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscriptio ...
; conductor:
Eugene Ormandy)
*1958
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major op. 35(with Philadelphia Orchestra; conductor:
Eugene Ormandy)
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in e minor op. 64(with Philadelphia Orchestra; conductor:
Eugene Ormandy)
*1959
Saint-Saens: Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso op. 28(with Philadelphia Orchestra; conductor:
Eugene Ormandy)
::Beethoven: Violin Concerto op. 61 (with
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
; conductor:
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
)
*1964
::Hindemith: Violin Concerto (1939) (with
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
; conductor:
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
)
*1978
::Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 1 (1976)(with
Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall.
History
Em ...
; conductor:
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Ca ...
)
*1983
::Bach, Vivaldi: Concertos for 2 Violins
::Isaac Stern: 60th Anniversary Celebration
::Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto; Beethoven: Romances in G & F Major
::Haydn: London Trios
*1984
::Barber Violin Concerto
*1985
::An Isaac Stern Vivaldi Gala
*1986
::Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
*1987
::Dutilleux: L'Arbre des Songes (Concerto pour Violin et Orchestre)
::Maxwell Davies: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
::Celebration
::Bach: Double Concerto; Violin Concertos Nos.1 & 2
::Beethoven: Violin Concerto
::Mozart: The Flute Quartets
::Bach: Concertos for Violin, BWV 1041–43 & 1060
*1988
::Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.2; Cello Sonata
::Brahms: Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 102 & Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60
::Prokofiev: Violin Concertos No. 1 & 2
::Brahms: Violin Concerto
*1989
::The Japanese Album
::Music, My Love
::Prokofiev: Concertos No. 1 & 2 for Violin and Orchestra
::Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos.4 & 5
*1990
::Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert: Trios
::Brahms: The Piano Quartets
::Rameau: Pieces de clavecin en concerts
::Lalo, Bruch, Wenianski, others: Violin Concertos
::Bach, Mozart, Brahms, others: Violin Concertos
::Mozart, Telemann, J.C. Bach, Reicha: Trios, Quartets
::Schubert: Violin Sonatas
::Humoresque: Favorite Violin Encores
*1991
::Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 "Emperor"; Triple Concerto
::Beethoven: Complete Trios
::Concert of the Century: Celebrating the 85th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall
::Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Violin Concerto
::Webern: Complete Works, Op. 1 – Op. 31
*1992
::Brahms: Sextets; more
::Beethoven & Schumann Piano Quartets (with
Emanuel Ax,
Jaime Loredo, &
Yo-Yo Ma)
*1993
::Tchaikovsky: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra & Serenade for Strings
::Fauré: Piano Quartets
*1994
::Greatest Hits: Violin
::The House of Magical Sounds
::Greatest Hits: Schubert
::Greatest Hits: Brahms
::Beethoven, Schumann: Piano Quartets
::Mozart: Sonatas for Violin and Piano, K. 454, 296 & 526
::Beethoven: Piano Trios "Ghost" & "Archduke"
::Bach: Violin Concerto, BWV 1041; Piano Concerto, BWV 1056; Brandenburg Concerto No.5; more
::Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante; Violin Concerto No.5
::Brahms: Sextet in B-flat major, Op. 18 & Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8
::Schubert: Quintet in C major, D956 & Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, D485
*1995
::Isaac Stern Presents Encores with Orchestra
::Telemann, Bach Family: Trio Sonatas
::Mendelssohn: Piano Trios 1 & 2
::Brahms: Piano Trios, Piano Quartets
::A Life in Music, Vol.3: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, more
::Beethoven: Piano Trios "Ghost" & "Archduke"; Variations
::Schubert, Haydn: Piano Trios; Mozart: Piano Quartet
::Bartók: Violin Concertos
::Bernstein/Dutilleux: Violin Concertos
::Berg: Violin Concerto; Kammerkonzert
::Prokofiev/Bartók: Violin Concertos; Rhapsody No.1
::Stravinsky/Rochberg: Violin Concertos
::Barber/Maxwell Davies: Violin Concertos
::Hindemith/Penderecki: Violin Concertos
::Berg: Piano Sonata; Krenek: Piano Sonata No.3; Webern: Piano Variations; Debussy, Ravel: works
::A Life in Music, Vol.1: Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, more
::Mozart: Haffner Serenade
::Mozart: Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Vol. II
::Beethoven, Brahms: Violin Concertos
::Tchaikovsky/Sibelius: Violin Concertos
::Bach: Violin Concertos; Double Concerto; more
::Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Concertos
::Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos.1–5; Sinfonia concertante; more
::Wieniawski/Bruch/Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos
::Mendelssohn/Dvorák: Violin Concertos
::Saint-Saëns: Violin concerto n°3, Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Chausson: Poème, Fauré: Berceuse, Ravel: Tzigane
*1996
::More Mozart's Greatest Hits
::Mozart: Violin Sonatas, Vol. III
::Schubert and Boccherini String Quintets
::A Life in Music, Vol.4: Bach, Bartók, Beethoven, Copland, Schubert, more
::Prokofiev: Violin Sonatas
::Bartók: Violin Sonatas; Webern: Four Pieces for Violin and Piano
::Beethoven: Violin Sonatas
::J.S. & C.P.E. Bach, Handel, Tartini: Violin Sonatas
::Hindemith/Bloch/Copland: Violin Sonatas
::Schubert: Sonatinas Nos.1–3; Rondeau Brillant; Grand Duo Sonata
::Franck/Debussy/Enesco: Violin Sonatas
::Brahms: Violin Sonatas No. 1-3
::Isaac Stern Presents Encores with Violin & Piano
*1997
::Barber: Adagio for Strings / Schuman – In Praise of Shahn etc.
::Bartók Sonatas for Violin and Piano
::Mozart: The Piano Quartets
*1998
::Isaac Stern Plays Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn
::Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D
::Bernstein: The Age of Anxiety; Foss: Serenade
::Bach, Vivaldi: Concertos
::Caprice Viennois: Music of Kreisler
*1999
::My First 79 Years
::Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
*2000
::Dvorák: Piano Quartet No.2, Sonatina in G, Romantic Pieces
::Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Concertos for Two Violins
References
Further reading
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External links
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Free recordingsat
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
Isaac Stern biographyat
Sony Classical
Interview with Isaac Stern 27 May 1991
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stern, Isaac
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San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumni
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1920 births
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