Stefan Wolpe (1902–1972): In Memoriam

Extract

Comet-like radiance, conviction, fervent intensity, penetrating thought on many levels of seriousness and humor, combined with breath-taking adventurousness and originality, marked the inner and outer life of Stefan Wolpe, as they do his compositions. Inspiring to those who knew him, these inspiring qualities reached many more through his music. A man, a musician, for whom everyone who came close could not help but feel admiration and affection. Contact with him was such an important experience that he was understandably surrounded by many devoted, convinced friends and students who helped with his problems of performance and publication, helped in finding him teaching positions, helped to save his manuscripts during the fire of a few years ago, helped him to move about when his physical condition was deteriorating. The force of his artistic personality, motivated as it was by deep conviction and by an innately original way of doing things, occasionally seemed to be utterly unconcerned with prudence and caution, yet frequently what he did turned out to be the only right way of acting.