Rose [Rosenblum], Arnold (Josef)

(b Iasi, Romania, 24 Oct 1863; d London, 25 Aug 1946). Austrian violinist. He studied with Heissler from 1873 at the Musikverein Konservatorium der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, making his debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus in 1879. He also received support from Verdi, Gounod and Liszt. In 1881 he became leader of the orchestra of the Vienna Hofoper (later Staatsoper) and the Vienna PO, positions he held until 1938 (with some breaks due to disagreements, including an extended absence from 1907 to 1929). From 1888 to 1896 Rose also led the orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival.

In 1883 he founded the Rose Quartet, with Egghard, Loh and Eduard Rose (Arnold's brother). The quartet underwent several changes of personnel, but from 1905 to 1920 consisted of Rose, Fischer, Ruzitska and Buxbaum. The quartet performed with many prominent musicians, and gave the first performances of works by Brahms, Reger, Pfitzner, Korngold, Schmidt, Schoenberg (first two string quartets) and Webern (Five Movements). Among their most outstanding contributions were four Beethoven cycles, and their performances of the late quartets were especially acclaimed. Also noteworthy were frequent performances of Brahms and Schubert.

In 1902 Rose married Mahler's sister Justine, and thus came into close contact with Mahler, who was then director of the Vienna Hofoper. Rose appeared 48 times as a soloist with the Vienna PO, and from 1909 to 1924 taught at the Vienna Music Academy. He became a celebrated figure in Viennese musical life, and received many honours including the Order of Franz Josef and the Goldenes Verdienstzeichen um die Republik Osterreich. In 1938 he emigrated to England, where he continued to perform, with Buxbaum and others, until 1945. Rose played with great musicality, rhythmic sensitivity and purity of intonation; he was also noted for his absolute security in changing position, 'noble vibrato' and secure left hand. His correspondence with Mahler is contained in the Mahler-Rose Collection at the University of Western Ontario.

Rose's daughter Alma (b Vienna, 3 Nov 1906; d Auschwitz, ?4 April 1944) was also a violinist, and sometimes performed with her father in Bach's Double Concerto. She toured Europe as a violinist and as conductor of a women's orchestra until 1938, and was later arrested by the Germans in the Netherlands. In July 1943 she was transported to Auschwitz, where she led and directed the 'Madchenorchester'. Her death is thought to have been caused by poisoning at the hands of a jealous colleague.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. Korngold: Das Rose-Quartett (Vienna, 1933)
A. Boult: 'Rose and the Vienna Philharmonic', ML, xxxii (1951), 256--7
C. Flesch: Memoirs (London, 1957/R, 2/1958; Ger. orig., Freiburg, 1960, 2/1961)
F. Fenelon: Das Madchenorchester in Auschwitz (Frankfurt, 1980)
T. Potter: 'The Last Flowering of Old Vienna', The Strad, cv (1994), 232--6
C. Ottner: 'Arnold Rose ist nicht bloss ein Wiener Meistergeiger', Kammermusik zwischen den Weltkriegen IV, ed. C. Ottner (Vienna, 1995), 64--77
G. Knapp: Das Frauenorchester in Auschwitz: musikalische Zwangsarbeit und ihre Bewaltigung (Hamburg, 1996)
 

CARMEN OTTNER