Theodore Lettvin
Theodore Lettvin (1926–2003) was an American concert pianist and conductor. He was one of the four children of Solomon and Fanny Lettvin, two Ukranian immigrants who settled in Chicago. Neurophysiologist and MIT professor Jerome Lettvin was his eldest brother.
Lettvin's first concert was at the age of 5 at the Lyon & Healy in Chicago. On March 15, 1939, he appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under conductor Frederick Stock, performing the first movement of Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto no. 1. As a teenager, he was accepted as a scholarship student of Rudolf Serkin and Mieczysław Horszowski at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In his twenties, he won the Michaels Memorial Award, First Prize in the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Piano Competition. He made his European debut touring France with violinist Sidney Harth in 1951-1952 in a concert series organized by the National Music League and the Jeunesses Musicales International.[1]
Honored by audiences, critics, colleagues and students throughout a musical career spanning more than sixty five years, Theodore Lettvin enthralled, engaged and entertained as he performed and taught from the piano.
Some of the orchestras with which Lettvin performed include the New York Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Atlanta, Vienna, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo. He also participated in the summer festivals at Tanglewood, Ravina, Saratoga, Sarasota, Salzburg and Interlochen.
Prior to his appointment as Professor Emeritus by Rutgers University and the University of Michigan, Lettvin was a Distinguished Professor in their music departments where he directed their Doctor of Musical Arts and Artist Diploma programs. Before joining these universities, Mr. Lettvin was on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music, the Cleveland Music School Settlement, and Artist in Residence at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Some of the foremost teachers and performers have been his students.
After his death in August 2003, many of his students and family have continued his legacy. There is a concert series in Bradford, New Hampshire, named for him, as a testament to his impact on the community and on the music world.
Discography
From IPAM (International Piano Archive at University of Maryland).
| Index to performances by Theodore Lettvin on compact disk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Work | Performance Date | CD number |
| BACH | English Suite No. 3 | March 28, 1962 | 1 |
| BACH | English Suite No. 3 excerpt | (unspecified date) | 4 |
| BACH-BUSONI | Rejoice, Beloved Christians | April 16, 1975 | 13A |
| BACH-BUSONI | Rejoice, Beloved Christians | July 1977 | 14 |
| BARTOK | Scherzo for Piano & Orchestra | December 20, 1964 | 6 |
| BARTOK | Two Romanian Dances | March 28, 1962 | 1A |
| BEETHOVEN | Cello Sonata No. 1 (Olefsky) | unspecified | 11 |
| BEETHOVEN | Cello Sonata No. 3 (Olefsky) | unspecified | 11 |
| BEETHOVEN | Cello Sonata No. 4 (Olefsky) | unspecified | 11 |
| BEETHOVEN | Cello Sonata No. 5 (Olefsky) | unspecified | 12 |
| BEETHOVEN | Concerto No. 2, Op. 19 | July 9, 1965 | 4 |
| BEETHOVEN | Concerto No. 2, Op. 19 | unspecified | 6 |
| BEETHOVEN | Concerto No. 3, Op. 37 | August 4, 1967 | 15 |
| BEETHOVEN | Rondo, Op. 51 No. 1 | April 16, 1975 | 13 |
| BEETHOVEN | Rondo, Op. 51 No. 1 | unspecified | 19 |
| BEETHOVEN | Rondo a capriccio, Op. 129 | unspecified | 19 |
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata No. 3, Op. 2 No. 3 | April 16, 1975 | 13 |
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata, Op. 2 No. 3 (1st mvt) | April 16, 1975 | 13A |
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata No. 3, Op. 2 No. 3 | July 1977 | 8 |
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata No. 26, Op. 81a | March 28, 1962 | 1 |
| BEETHOVEN | Sonata No. 26, Op. 81a | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| BEETHOVEN | Triple Concerto | unspecified | 18 |
| BEETHOVEN | Variations on "God Save the King" excerpt | (unspecified) | 4 |
| BEETHOVEN | Variations on "Rule Brittania" | May 17, 1967 | 2 |
| BEETHOVEN | Variations for Cello and Piano (Olefsky): | ||
| 7 Variations from "The Magic Flute" | unspecified | 12 | |
| 12 Variations from "The Magic Flute" | unspecified | 12 | |
| 6 Variations from "Judas Maccabeas" | unspecified | 12 | |
| BRAHMS | Concerto No. 2, Op. 83 | June 20, 1980 | 7 |
| BRAHMS | Rhapsody, Op. 79 No. 2 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| BRAHMS | Rhapsody, Op. 119 No. 4 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| BRAHMS | Handel Variations, Op. 24 | December 1, 1976 | 9A |
| CHOPIN | Ballades 1, 2, 3 | July 1977 | 8A |
| CHOPIN | Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| CHOPIN | Ballade No. 1, Op. 23 | excerpt (unspecified) | 4 |
| CHOPIN | Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 | July 1977 | 14 |
| CHOPIN | Berceuse excerpt | (unspecified) | 4 |
| CHOPIN | Fantasy, Op. 49 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Fantasy-Impromptu, Op. 66 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Fantasy-Impromptu, Op. 66 | July 1977 | 8A |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 1, Op. 29 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 1, Op. 29 | July 1977 | 8 |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 2, Op. 36 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 2, Op. 36 | July 1977 | 8 |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 3, Op. 51 | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| CHOPIN | Impromptu No. 3, Op. 51 | July 1977 | 8A |
| CHOPIN | Nocturne, Op. 27 No. 2 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| CHOPIN | Prelude No. 24 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| CHOPIN | Prelude No. 24 | December 1, 1976 | 9A |
| CHOPIN | Prelude No. 24 excerpt | (unspecified) | 4 |
| GERSHWIN | Concerto in F | unspecified | 16 |
| HANDEL | Keyboard Suite in B-flat | December 1, 1976 | 9A |
| HAYDN | Andante & Variations in F Minor | May 17, 1967 | 2A |
| HAYDN | Andante & Variations in F Minor | December 1, 1976 | 9 |
| HAYDN | Concerto in G | May 3, 1970 | 5 |
| HUMMEL | Concerto, Op. 89 | unspecified | 18 |
| Interview with Martin Perlich (WCLV) | unspecified | 16 | |
| LISZT | Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 | unspecified | 14 |
| LITOLFF | Scherzo | unspecified | 18 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Concerto No. 1 | unspecified | 16 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Scherzo a capriccio | excerpt (unspecified) | 4 |
| MENDELSSOHN-LISZT | Wedding March | unspecified | 17 |
| MOZART | Concerto No. 24, K. 491 | May 3, 1970 | 5 |
| MOZART | Fantasy, K. 397 | March 28, 1962 | 1 |
| MOZART | Fantasy, K. 397 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| MOZART | Rondo, K. 485 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| PROKOFIEV | Sonata No. 3, Op. 28 | April 16, 1975 | 13 |
| PROKOFIEV | Toccata, Op. 11 | March 28, 1962 | 1A |
| PROKOFIEV | Toccata, Op. 11 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| PROKOFIEV | Toccata, Op. 11 | April 16, 1975 | 13 |
| RACHMANINOFF | Paganini Rhapsody | unspecified | 18 |
| SAINT-SAENS | Wedding Cake, Op. 76 | unspecified | 17 |
| SCHUBERT | Four Impromptus, Op. 142 | March 28, 1962 | 1A |
| SCHUBERT | Four Impromptus, Op. 142 | April 16, 1975 | 13A |
| SCHUBERT | Four Impromptus, Op. 142 | December 1, 1976 | 9 |
| SCHUBERT | Four Impromptus, Op. 142 | July 1977 | 8 |
| SCHUBERT | Impromptus Op. 142, Nos. 3 & 4 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| SCHUBERT | Moment Musical No. 3 | May 13, 1966 | 3 |
| SCHUBERT | Moment Musical No. 3 | April 16, 1975 | 13A |
| SCHUBERT | Sonata, Op.143 | unspecified | 14 |
| SCHUMANN | Sonata, Op. 22 | May 17, 1967 | 2 |
| SOLER | Two Sonatas in C Minor | unspecified | 17 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Concerto No. 1 | 1969 | 15 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Concerto No. 1 excerpt | (unspecified) | 4 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Concerto No. 1 | unspecified | 10 |
| WHITTAKER | Piano Sonata | unspecified | 14 |
| YARDUMIAN | Chromatic Sonata | May 17, 1967 | 2 |
Online recordings
Six sample recordings are available online at http://theodore.lettvin.com
References
- ↑ Ross Parmenter (August 21, 1955). "WORLD OF MUSIC: CULTURAL INTERCHANGE; National Music League Expanding Its Activities to Include Four Countries". The New York Times.
Further reading
- Bullamore, Tim, "Theodore Lettvin: Pianist with an interactive approach to performance", obituary in The Independent, 23 September 2003
- Sherlock, Barbara, "Theodore Lettvin, 76 : Pianist made his debut with CSO at 12", Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2003
External links
- Theodore Lettvin collection at the International Piano Archives at Maryland (accessed 12 Jul 2013)
- Music Library at The Colburn School of Music
- A website with some information about Lettvin
- Theodore Lettvin tours Southern Africa 1974. Photo dedicated to tour organiser Hans Adler.