Mikhail Emmanuilovich Goldstein (, also transcribed as Michael Emmanuilowitsch Goldstein, ; pen name: Mykhailo Mykhailovsky; 8 November 1917 – 7 September 1989), was a German composer, violinist and violin teacher of German-Jewish origin, brother of prominent violinist Boris Goldstein. His great uncle was the physicist Eugen Goldstein.

Biography

Goldstein was born in Odessa in 1917, the son of Emanuel Goldstein (born 1884) from Leipzig, Germany, who moved to Odessa in 1910 to become a professor for mathematics in Odessa. The Goldstein family became naturalized Soviet citizens in 1918. Michael Goldstein started studying the violin at age four at the School of Stolyarsky in Odessa with Pyotr Stolyarsky who was also the teacher of David Oistrach and Nathan Milstein. He was the author of the celebrated musical hoax "Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky's Symphony No. 21" as well as several others, notably "Expromt" by Balakirev", "Albumblatt" (Листок из Альбома) by Glazunov"' the "Viola Concerto in C Major by Ivan Khandoshkin", etc. He concentrated on composition after his career as a violinist was curtailed by a hand injury. On New Year's Eve 1942, Goldstein was at an open air party held by the Soviet commissars to honor visiting artists, musicians, and actors during a lull in the Battle of Stalingrad. Horrified by the utter destruction all around, he played his violin over the loudspeakers, playing even German music, though it had been banned by the Soviets and all went quiet. After he had finished, the German lines shouted for a ceasefire so he could play more Bach. Goldstein obliged. He was a winner of three prizes at the 1963 All-Union Composers' Competition (compositions for violin and cello). Apparently he submitted his entries under pseudonyms. After this incident his political difficulties increased. He took a teaching position in East Berlin in 1964. He moved to Vienna and Jerusalem in 1967, moved to London in 1968, and finally to Hamburg, Germany in 1969. He gave concerts with Galina Kowal and Michael Minsky. His musical and teaching activities were recognized in Germany with the Bundesverdienstkreuz medal. He was a professor at the Musikhochschule Hamburg from 1969. His teaching assistant was Erdmute Knolle. Among his students was Angelika Bachmann from the group Salut Salon. His daughter Lidia Goldstein is also a violinist and teaches at the music school of Quickborn, Germany. He died in Hamburg in 1989, aged 71.

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