Lewenthal, Raymond
LEWENTHAL, RAYMOND
LEWENTHAL, RAYMOND (1926–1988), U.S. pianist. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Lewenthal was taken to Hollywood as a child, where he began piano studies, continuing them later in New York with Olga Samaroff, and in Europe with Cortot. He made his American debut in 1948, followed by a period of busy concert giving, which ended in 1953 when he sustained fractures of the arm and hand as a result of being assaulted by thugs in New York. After spending some time in Europe and in Rio de Janeiro as a teacher, he returned to the United States in 1961, reestablishing himself as a brilliant virtuoso with a particular interest in the neglected repertoire of the 19th-century pianist-composers, above all of *Alkan, whose return to public interest was in many ways due to Lewenthal's advocacy (in concert, recordings, and editions published). He gave Liszt cycles in New York (1965, 1966) and London (1967).
[Max Loppert]