Emanuel Leplin (October 3, 1917; San Francisco, California – December 1, 1972; Martinez, California) was a composer,(12/04/1972). "Emanuel Leplin, Violinist, Composer". The Washington Post and Times-Herald (1959-1973), p. C6. conductor, and painter"Emanuel Leplin, Composed and Painted Despite Polio," The New York Times, Sunday, December 3, 1972 active mainly in the second half of the 20th century. He was born in San Francisco, and joined the San Francisco Symphony as a violist in 1941, conducting it in two of his own works, in 1941San Francisco Symphony program including Emanuel Leplin's Prelude and Dance, Emanuel Leplin conducting, in a concert by Pierre Monteux, December 16, 1941"City Acclaims Young Composer: Emanuel Leplin, Promising Talent", San Francisco Chronicle, 1941 and 1947.San Francisco Symphony program including Emanuel Leplin's Comedy, Emanuel Leplin conducting, in a concert by Pierre Monteux, 26, 27, 28, December, 1947 In 1954, he contracted polio, and afterward, was unable to hold a brush or compose using anything below his neck but the first three fingers of his right hand.Emanuel Leplin Archive, San Francisco History Center San Francisco Public LibraryThe San Francisco Symphony—Music, Maestros, and Musicians, David Schneider, Presidio Press, 1983"Composer-artist Leplin dies," Palo Alto Times, December 5, 1972 p. 16 With these fingers he composed three symphonies, a violin concerto, and many other works for orchestra and chamber groups.Free Library of Philadelphia
Violin student
Leplin was the only child of Russian Jewish immigrants Dora and James Leplin.Leplin. Ancestry.com. He began violin study at the age of eight and began composing at the age of 16.American Symphony Orchestra League, Inc., The League 1959–60 Recording Project for Contemporary Music Catalogue, 1960 When he was 14, James was committed to the Napa State Hospital, an asylum for those with a serious mental illness. His diagnosis was major depressive disorder. Dora Leplin, a seamstress, raised Leplin, then called "Manny", by herself.
Daniel Koshland Sr., a founder of Levi Strauss & Co., paid for Leplin to have violin lessons with Kathleen Parlow, a Canadian former child prodigy turned virtuoso. Other San Francisco philanthropists who sponsored Leplin included Ruth Haas Lilienthal, an affiliate of Levi Strauss & Co., and Agnes Albert, vice president of the San Francisco Symphony Association."Composer Emanuel Leplin Dies," San Francisco Chronicle, December 1972 After Parlow, Leplin studied with Naoum Blinder, concertmaster of the Symphony.Emanuel Leplin Wins Scholarship, S.F. Chronicle, 1937
Paris and painting Leplin attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of California, Berkeley Department of Music, where he studied with E.G. Strickland and Albert Elkus. He studied composition for two summers with Roger Sessions, in 1936 and 1937. In 1939, he won the George Ladd Prix de Paris competition, earning a two-year fellowship to study in Paris. Rather than study with the popular Nadia Boulanger, he chose Darius Milhaud. Milhaud was one of the Groupe des Six (Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, Francis Poulenc, Germaine Tailleferre, Georges Auric, Louis Durey), who wrote rhythmically and harmonically animated pieces such as the Scaramouche Suite for two pianos, and, while in Brazil, Le bœuf sur le toit (The Ox on the Roof of The Nothing-Doing Bar).
Leplin studied conducting first in the South of France, then in Hancock, Maine, at the schools of Pierre Monteux, then the conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. He studied violin with Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu, and with Yvonne Astruc, whose Paris salon was a venue for chamber concerts.
Leplin spent the years 1943–46 in the United States Army. Upon his return from Paris, Leplin formed his own string quartet, directed a woodwind quintet, and rejoined the Symphony at the request of Monteux as a violist,"Man of Music", Day and Night With Radio and Television, by Dwight Newton, San Francisco Examiner, March 19, 1955 and began composing works for orchestra, and painting oils of San Francisco, its skyscrapers, museums, and bridges, and the Japanese Tea Garden. He also painted scenes of Monterey Harbor and the Carmel Valley.
Performances and reviews
Viola Luther Hagopian, author of Italian ars nova Music: A Bibliographic Guide to Modern Editions and Related Literature, wrote: "This talented young man directed the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at the Civic Auditorium, December 16 (1941) in his own composition Prelude and Dance. The music critics give him very high ratings as to his music and conducting. He is possessed of a wonderful personality and the gift of composing, playing and teaching. Emanuel Leplin will some day be rated amongst the world's greatest artists.""City Acclaims Young Composer: Emanuel Leplin, Promising Talent", San Francisco Chronicle, 1941
Marjory M. Fisher wrote: "Leplin's 'Prelude and Dance' was strongly reminiscent in its scoring and general brilliance of the Rimsky-Korsakoff Introduction and Wedding March from 'The Golden Cockerel,' which had opened the program. The Prelude was the more impressive, but the Dance had much of the glitter and excitement of the Russian's instrumentation plus an obvious bit of jazz influence...As a conductor, the 23-year-old composer displayed unusual competence and skill. Mr. Leplin is without doubt capable of making his name mean something in the musical world.""Three Ovations Scored in 'Pop' Symphony," San Francisco Call, December 17, 1941.
Alfred Frankenstein, music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote: "This proved to be a dynamic, high-spirited, saltily orchestrated piece...quite worth the hearing."."Music: Robeson Proves He's Still Greatest Bass," S.F. Chronicle, December 17, 1941 Alexander Fried, music critic of the San Francisco Examiner wrote: "(It has) incisive modern energy, intricacy, and directness...Incidentally, Leplin proved to be a keenly talented conductor.""6,000 Attended S.F. Symphony, Hear Robeson," S.F. Examiner, December 17, 1941
Alfred Frankenstein wrote of the premiere of Leplin's Romantic Fantasy for Woodwinds and Piano: "It seemed the production of a modernist amusing himself with romanticism, and finding some breezy, stimulating, fresh-turned material in the process.""Music: Five Works Heard at Forum," S.F. Chronicle, February 1941 Alexander Fried wrote: "The honors in technical ability went to Mr. Leplin's Romantic Fantasy...It was a joy to hear suspensions which were practically non-existent in the preceding works.""Composers Forum," S.F. Examiner, February 1941
Marjory Fisher wrote of Leplin's Suite for Quartet: "It proved a most engaging novelty. Gay little melodies and definite rhythms characterized the six brief movements of the suite. Yet there was one plaintive melody which distinguished the Andante no less than Leplin's command of quartet instrumentation distinguished the whole suite. The work proved one of the most ingratiating of the new scores introduced in several seasons.""Quartet Heard in Novel Fare," S.F. Call-Bulletin, March 13, 1947 Alfred Frankenstein wrote: "six short, tuneful, beautifully tailored and cleanly executed movements. This is, to my taste, the most vivid, neatly formed and deftly expressive work of Leplin which has yet been given here.""S.F. Quartet Continues Brahms Cycle," S.F. Chronicle, March 13, 1947
In 1947, the San Francisco Symphony went on a transcontinental tour, performing 56 concerts in 57 days. Leplin's orchestral piece Comedy was chosen to be a featured work of this tour."Local Composer's Work Accepted by Symphony," S.F. Chronicle, December, 1947"A Tribute To Two Colleagues" by David Schneider, San Francisco Sunday Examiner and Chronicle, November 25, 1979Pierre Monteux, Maitre, by John Canarina, Amadeus Press, 2003 p. 171 Leplin first conducted Comedy in San Francisco, and at the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, on May 23.San Francisco Symphony Program, Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, Sunday May 25 Alexander Fried wrote, "It is a speedy, whimsical, tight-knit score. Its strong points are its adroit, tireless energy, its high-strung impudence and its spicy, tingling mixtures of orchestral sound.""Menuhin Draws Concert Crowds," S.F. Examiner, May, 1947 Samuel T. Wilson wrote of the April 21 performance in Columbus, Ohio: "Mr. Leplin thinks clearly, concisely, and naturally in modern musical idioms. His instrumental writing is notably lucid and direct...an exceedingly effective essay...indications were that Mr. Leplin has definite gifts as a conductor." Of the performance in Sacramento, Mila Landis wrote: the composer "conducted Comedy with great zeal...(it) proved to be stimulating...it issues a peremptory challenge for interest and attention.""S.F. Symphony and Monteux Get Hearty Reception Here," The Sacramento Bee, 1947
Comedy received this review in Pasadena:
Comedy was to be the second part of a four-part work called The Drama. The first part, Prologue, was written in 1960 and premiered by the Fresno Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Vermel. Tragedy and Epilogue were never written.
Also in 1960, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, under the auspices of the American Symphony Orchestra League, Inc. (now the League of American Orchestras), recorded Comedy. The conductor was Frank Brieff, who wrote as follows for The League 1959–1960 Recording Project for Contemporary Music catalogue:
On March 20, 1962, the Sacramento Symphony performed Comedy, with conductor Fritz Berens.Program of the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra, Season 1961-62, March 20, 1962
Leplin wrote four more orchestral works in the 1940s: Galaxy, for two solo cellos and orchestra (1942), Cosmos for violin and orchestra (1947), Incidental Music for Iphegenia of Sophocles, and Birdland (1948).
Leplin conducted a concert by the American Federation of Musicians in San Francisco on August 26, 1949, featuring his own works along with those of Schubert, Beethoven, and Bartók. Alfred Frankenstein wrote: "Leplin came out quite well, both as a creator and interpreter. His peppery, intense and brilliantly orchestrated set of three dances was especially impressive...(the Beethoven symphony) was an assured, breezy, well-considered interpretation...on the whole intelligently conceived and knowingly executed.""AFL Concert Is Conducted By Leplin," S.F. Chronicle, August 27, 1949
In 1953, Leplin founded the San Jose Junior Symphony,"Handicapped Artist," by Vera Graham, San Mateo Times, February 6, 1965 p. 12A"The Marquee" by Barbara Bladen, San Mateo Times, January 6, 1966 now called the San Jose Youth Symphony and in 1953 and '54 he conducted the first three performances of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.Programs for concerts composed of members of the San Francisco Symphony, and conducted by Emanuel Leplin at B'Nai B'Rith Hillel Foundation, Berkeley, April 12, and at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, May 21, 1953; Program for the Second Annual Spring Concert of members of SFS conducted by Emanuel Leplin at San Francisco City College on May 11, 1954 On summer Sundays, Leplin played with SFS at Stern Grove.
Sierra trip
In the summer of 1954, Leplin went to the High Sierra with several members of the San Francisco Symphony, including Robert S. Gottlieb.
Polio