Wallenstein, Alfred, 1898-1983

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Alfred Franz Wallenstein was born in Chicago on October 7, 1898. Raised in Los Angeles, he studied music with composer Ferde Grofé's mother, Elsa Johanna Bierlich von Grofé, who was a professional cellist, and with Julius Klengel. Wallenstein joined the San Francisco Symphony as a cellist at age 17, and went on to play cello for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic under Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini encouraged him to pursue conducting, and his first conducting engagement came as a last-minute substitution at New York radio station WOR, bringing him to the attention of station management. In 1933, WOR began broadcasting the Wallenstein Sinfonietta, and when Toscanini left the New York Philharmonic in 1936, Wallenstein also left, and became the full-time music director at WOR from 1936 until 1943. As music director, Wallenstein capitalized on the platform to bring a wide range of music to an unprecedented number of radio listeners, both in the New York metropolitan area, on the Mutual radio network, and wherever WOR's clear-channel signal propagated. His coverage was comprehensive, presenting J.S. Bach's cantatas on the Sundays for which they were composed, along with all twenty-six of Mozart's piano concertos, as well as a diverse array of lesser known American composers. Wallenstein returned to Los Angeles as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1943 until 1956, and in 1968 joined the faculty of the Juilliard School of Music, where he became head of the orchestral department in 1971. Alfred Wallenstein died in New York on February 8, 1983.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Vanguard Press. Vanguard Press Records, ca. 1925-ca. 1985. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Antheil, George, 1900-1959. George Antheil papers, 1919-1959. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Gluck, Christoph Willibald, Ritter von, 1714-1787. Deh! placatevi con me / [Gluck ; arr. by] Alfred Wallenstein. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Nicolas Slonimsky Collection, 1873-1997, (bulk 1920-1990) Library of Congress. Music Division
referencedIn Edward E. Block Radio Heritage collection, circa 1950-1969 Western Washington University Heritage Resources
creatorOf Wallenstein, Alfred, 1898-. Letters, to Arnold Schönberg, 1944-1949. University of Michigan
creatorOf Szigeti, Joseph, 1892-1973. Joseph Szigeti collection of performance recordings [sound recording], 1941-1963. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn The Railroad hour, radio program [sound recording], 1948-1954 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Block, Edward E. Edward E. Block collection, 1948-1962 1960-1962. Western Washington University
referencedIn The Papers of Vladimir and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz., 1784-1991 Irving S. Gilmore Music Library
referencedIn Koussevitzky, Serge, 1874-1951. Serge Koussevitzky Archive, 1920-1976 (bulk: 1924-1951) Library of Congress. Music Division
referencedIn Henry Cowell collection of noncommercial recordings [sound recording], 1940-1953 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Juilliard School. Office of the President. General administrative records, 1933-1985, (bulk 1955-1983). The Juilliard School, Lila Acheson Wallace Library
referencedIn Phillips, Edna, 1907-2003,. Interview conducted by Oliver Daniel, Sept. 3, 1976 [sound recording]. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951. Letters from notable musicians, 1901-1950. University of Michigan
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, sound recordings, and other material, 1873-2001. Houghton Library
creatorOf Gluck, Christoph Willibald, Ritter von, 1714-1787. Men tiranne, ah, voi sareste al mio pianto / [Gluck ; arr. by Alfred Wallenstein]. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Joseph Schillinger collection of noncommercial recordings, 1937-1943 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Vanguard Press Records, ca.1925-ca.1985 Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Alfred Wallenstein / WOR Radio Library Music Manuscripts, 1936-1953 University of North Texas. Music Library
referencedIn Jascha Heifetz Collection, 1911-1972 Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries
referencedIn Horowitz, Vladimir, 1903-1989. The papers of Vladimir and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz, 1784-1991 (inclusive). Yale University, Music Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Antheil, George, 1900-1959. person
correspondedWith Block, Edward E. person
associatedWith Caramoor Festival corporateBody
associatedWith Challis, Bill person
employeeOf Chicago symphony orchestra corporateBody
associatedWith Cowell, Henry, 1897-1965 person
associatedWith Gluck, Christoph Willibald, Ritter von, 1714-1787. person
associatedWith Gould, Morton person
associatedWith Heifetz, Jascha, 1901-1987 person
associatedWith Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra corporateBody
associatedWith Horowitz, Vladimir, 1903-1989. person
associatedWith Horowitz, Wanda Toscanini. person
associatedWith Juilliard School. Office of the President. corporateBody
employeeOf Juilliard School of Music. corporateBody
associatedWith Klengel, Julius, 1859-1933 person
correspondedWith Koussevitzky, Serge, 1874-1951 person
employeeOf Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra corporateBody
correspondedWith Moldenhauer, Hans, collector. person
associatedWith Mutual Network. corporateBody
associatedWith NBC symphony orchestra corporateBody
associatedWith New York philharmonic corporateBody
associatedWith Pavlova, Anna, 1881-1931 person
associatedWith Pfeiffer, John, 1920- person
associatedWith Phillips, Edna, 1907-2003, person
associatedWith Railroad Hour Radio Program corporateBody
associatedWith Rethberg, Elisabeth, 1894-1976 person
associatedWith Rubinstein, Artur, 1887-1982 person
associatedWith Schillinger, Joseph, 1895-1943 person
associatedWith Schoenberg, Arnold, 1874-1951. person
associatedWith Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1894-1995 person
Stock, Frederick, 1872-1942 person
associatedWith Symphony of the Air. corporateBody
associatedWith Szigeti, Joseph, 1892-1973. person
associatedWith Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957 person
associatedWith Vanguard Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Voice of Firestone (Radio program) corporateBody
descendantOf Wallenstein, Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von, Herzog von Friedland, 1583-1634 person
associatedWith WGN (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
employeeOf WOR (Radio station : New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Chicago IL US
Leipzig 13 DE
New York City NY US
Holmdel NJ US
Los Angeles CA US
New York City NY US
Subject
Orchestra and orchestral music
Radio
Violoncellists
Occupation
Cellist
Conductor
Activity

Person

Birth 1898-10-07

Death 1983-02-08

Male

Americans

English

Information

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