By Jonathan Shifflett
Few people know that the Second World War turned Los Angeles into a hotbed of classical music. Musicians fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe arrived in Hollywood to fill spots in the prosperous film studio orchestras and caused a striking transformation. A city that was once a cultural desert was suddenly flooded with some of the greatest figures of classical music in the 20th century.
All at once, musicians like Piatigorsky, Heifetz, Schoenberg and Stravinsky were rubbing elbows with Hollywood film stars. The students of classical music felt the benefits of having mentors with powerful friends.
One such student was a young Laurence Lesser. Born in Los Angeles, his cello playing caught the attention of Gregor Piatigorsky. Lesser advanced rapidly in his musical studies, meeting not just the great musicians of the time, but also the Hollywood icons with a taste for good music. Lesser recounted a story where he, Piatigorsky, Itzhak Perlman and Jack Benny, the famous radio and television personality, all enjoyed an evening of music together.
Sometime in the late 1960’s, when I was studying with Piatigorsky and teaching as his assistant and with my own class at USC, Itzhak Perlman came to town to play with the LA Phil. We were very friendly in those days and had spoken about having an evening of chamber music just for fun at my parent’s small home in Beverly Hills. The date was set and I went that morning to visit with him at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where he was staying. As we sat and talked in his room, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and there was… Jack Benny. Benny of course was known as a mediocre violin player who used that as part of his act and very generously helped raise money for orchestras. He knew Itzhak, and was obviously in awe of his playing. After they chatted for a few moments, Itzhak asked me, “Can we invite him tonight?” I said of course. Benny asked what that was about. I explained that the evening would be with me and Itzhak as well as some wonderful players, including Piatigorsky and the violist Milton Thomas. He said he would love to come. I told him the address, said that it was a small house with the entrance off the driveway, up 3 steps directly into the living room where we would be playing. I also said if he heard music, just to wait until it stopped before ringing the doorbell. He was enthusiastic about it and said he would be there.
When I went back to my parents’ place to rearrange the furniture with the help of my brother, Joe, I asked him if he could guess whom I had just met. He couldn’t. When I told him about Benny and that he was coming that night, he wouldn’t believe me, saying I was just making a joke about it.
The evening came and after a movement of some piece the doorbell rang. Joe went to open it, looked down and there was Jack Benny. Joe’s jaw must have dropped, because then Benny, in that iconic voice and tone, with his right hand to his face said, “WELL. I was invited you know!”
This picture captures how delighted he was to be in the midst of fine music making. He was a very kind and warm person and it stays with me as a wonderful memory.
Thanks to Laurence Lesser for sharing this story and to Mary Leipziger for the photographs. For additional reading about European musicians in Hollywood, consider Dorothy Lamb Crawford’s book A Windfall of Musicians. The author interviewed Lesser, among others, and there is a section on Piatigorsky as well.
Laurence Lesser is an internationally renowned soloist and pedagogue. He currently is on faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music. At the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival in May, he will be performing Bach’s Suite No. 5 for Solo Cello. More information can be found here: piatigorskyfestival.usc.edu/events/wednesday-may-18/
You can read more about Laurence Lesser at www.laurencelesser.com/.