Larry Sherwood writes:

>[Raoul] Berger, who immigrated to this country from Russia or Ukraine
>as a child, was a professional violininst early in his career, but
>changed careers in his thirties, partly, I gather, because of the economic
>challenge of being a musician during the Great Depression.  Unfortunately,
>I cannot say how- or even if- he was active as a musician after he gave
>up his professional career, but that is something you could look into.

The Claremont Review of Books published a 1995 interview with Berger
in its Summer 2001 issue.  (He died in September 2000, aged 99.) In it,
he discusses why he quit the world professional music for the law.  It
didn't have all that much to do with the economy.  He simply realized
that he would never be a great soloist. He also has some interesting
things to say about art and musical artistry in general, which may be
of interest to this list.  Some excerpts:

    "I realized that it was impossible for one who doesn't hit the
    heart of the target to make a career as a virtuoso, as a soloist.
    That had been my ambition and training.  "So what drove me out
    of music was not a desire to explore some other avenue, but
    because I found playing in the orchestra frustrating; I was
    over- qualified for the job. Mind you, I was making more money
    in music than I would make at law for quite a few years. But
    what I was doing was numbing, corrosive.  Another thing: one
    goes into any art for self-expression. The only livelihood open
    to me was to play in an orchestra. I did not want to teach, to
    spend my life straightening crippled bow arms. Even if you are
    at the very top in an orchestra, it is the conductor who calls
    the tune and you are expressing what he wants to express. That
    is inescapable.  "So, at age 26, I realized 'I've got to get
    out of here.' "

Berger continued to play the violin until he was 60.  Asked why he quit
for good, he replied:

   "Playing calls for a very high degree of muscular coordination,
   and to keep in shape, one must practice 'setting up' exercises
   every day.  Otherwise you cannot respond to the demands great
   music plays upon you.  My reward was to play quartets every
   Saturday night with top-flight professionals.  This I did for
   years.  .  .  .  When I reached 60, I realized that time had
   taken its toll; whereas I once had had real command of the
   instrument, I found myself slipping .  .  .  After you have
   played supremely well, or thought you did, it was very painful
   to fall short of what your ear demands.  So when I was 60 .  .
   .  I put the violin away, and in the 34 years since, I haven't
   touched a fiddle.  In the words of 'Oklahoma,' it had to be 'all
   or nothin'.'

Asked about his own legacy, (his book on impeachment, written almost 30
years ago, enjoyed a brief resurgence because of events in Washington a
few years ago) Berger had this to say:

    "If I will be known for anything, it will be for the work I did
    after 65. Let me sound a chastening note. One of my idols was
    the great pianist Vladimir Horowitz. He was a paragon. For more
    than 80 years I have been listening to music. I love Casals,
    Toscanini. But not artist has meant as much to me as Horowitz.
    A few years ago he passed away. The other day, I read in the
    Sunday New York Times a review of a recent recording of a sublime
    piano sonata by Schubert, comparing a few artists who couldn't
    hold a candle to Horowitz, but not mentioning Horowitz. My God!
    The greatest performance of all . . . wasn't even mentioned!
    Here was a true giant forgotten after a few years, and that is
    what will happen to most of us."

There's more.  Unfortunately, the interview doesn't appear to exist
online.

Regards,
Bob Chen
Los Angeles, CA