Babitz, Sol

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Babitz, Sol

Babitz, Sol, American violinist and writer on music; b. N.Y., Oct. 11, 1911; d. Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 1982. In 1932 he went to Berlin, where he studied violin with Flesch and composition with Juon; also took a course in musicology with Sachs. In 1933 he proceeded to Paris and continued violin instruction with Chailley. Shortly afterward he returned to the U.S., and was a violinist in the Los Angeles Phil. (1933–37). From 1942 to 1961 he played violin in studio orchs. in Hollywood. He publ. Principles of Extensions in Violin Fingering (N.Y., 1947), The Violin: Views and Reviews (Urbana, III., 1959), The Great Baroque Hoax: A Guide to Baroque Performance for Musicians and Connoisseurs (Los Angeles, 1970), and Vocal De-Wagnerization and Other Matters (with G. Pont; Los Angeles, 1973).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire