Typed Letter Signed to Raymond Lewenthal

Typed letter signed from the great dancer and choreographer to American pianist Raymond Lewenthal. February 20, 1973; 1 p. Robbins writes: "Dear Mr. Lewenthal: I had already gotten my own recordings and had listened to them way before I received your recordings, and rather than open yours or give them away I thought it only courteous to return them. You may be a tune detective but your other deductions are way off-key. Very truly yours, Jerome Robbins." Fine. 7.25 x 10.5 inches (18.4 x 26.6 cm).

Raymond Lewenthal (1923–1988) was an American pianist. Lewenthal made his debut in 1948 with Dimitri Mitropoulos and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The occasion marked the first time a soloist had been invited to play Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 under Mitropoulos's direction—that being a work which the conductor was famous for playing himself. The success of this performance was followed a few weeks later by Lewenthal's New York recital debut. These events launched his North American career, which flourished until it came to a sudden halt in 1953; while walking through New York's Central Park, Lewenthal was attacked by a gang of hoodlums and suffered broken bones in his hands and arms. Although he did recover and return to performing, with a particular focus on the works of lesser-known Romantic composers, his career never quite lived up to the promise of his debut. (17313)

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Classical Music

Dance

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