User:Mexindian/sandbox

Heimo Haitto (May 22,1925 - June 10,1999) was a Finnish violinist, teacher, conductor, writer, and actor. He was born in Viipuri, Finland. He is probably Finland’s most famous violinist. Haitto was a notorious, unconventional classical musician, someone who did not easily fit the profile of a disciplined classical violinist, somewhat akin to Nicolo Paganini, Arthur Hartman, Elias Breeskin, and possibly Eugene Fodor as well. He was a gambler and loved drinking, although he was more than likely never an alcoholic. He deliberately stopped playing altogether in mid-career. For a time, he actually lived the life of a hobo or vagabond, being literally homeless, traveling by train, in boxcars. Despite all of the turmoil in his life - the idiosyncrasies, romantic excesses, and bohemian lifestyle, he was a brilliant violinist and a genuine artist. Haitto married a cellist (Beverly LeBeck, pupil of Pablo Casals) and, later on, an actress (Marja-Liisa Nisula.) He also married poet Eva Vastari in the mid 1970s. Haitto’s playing style could conceivably be compared to that of Ivry Gitlis, incorporating rhythmic license in his phrasing and a distinctive sound. Haitto wrote his memoirs in the late 1970s although an English translation is not available. His father worked for the railroad but he was also a violinist and gave Haitto his first lessons, beginning at age 5. At age 9, Haitto’s father took him to the Vyborg Music Academy and left him entirely in the care of professor Boris Sirpo (1893-1967.) (Vyborg and Viipuri are one and the same city.)  Under Sirpo’s tough and rigid supervision, Haitto practiced almost constantly. At age 13, Haitto made his public debut in Helsinki. He also appeared in his first movie – Soldier’s Bride – playing the part of a boy violinist. In that same year he won an international violin competition in London and soon after briefly toured the Scandinavian countries. In that year also, due to the Russian-Finnish war, Sirpo brought Haitto to the U.S. to tour on behalf of the Red Cross. By then, Haitto had already been studying rigorously under Sirpo’s very strict tutelage for five years. According to some sources, Haitto was not allowed to have contact with his family during those years. In the U.S., Haitto appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra in April of 1940, playing the Paganini concerto – probably the first one in D. That was his U.S. debut. He also soloed with many other American orchestras. He played in Carnegie Hall under John Barbirolli as well. Eventually, accompanied by Sirpo, he settled in Portland, Oregon in 1942. Most European artists arriving in the U.S in those years chose to begin their American careers from home bases in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, or even Chicago, but not Haitto. In 1943, Haitto was released by his strict teacher and set out on his own. He then settled in Los Angeles. There, he eventually played in the Los Angeles Philharmonic (September, 1952 to May, 1954) and in Hollywood studio orchestras but appeared far and wide as a soloist as well. He was 27 years old. He had also appeared in another movie: There is Magic in Music. One source says he enlisted in the military but another says he wasn’t accepted because he was foreign-born. He married in New York in the spring of 1945. He was 20 years old. One source says he studied with Ivan Galamian in New York. His new wife (Beverly LeBeck), was later a cellist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic – in the 1949-1950 season and again in the 1954-1955 season. Haitto was therefore not playing in the orchestra at the same time as his wife. Brilliant as he was, Haitto was dismissed from the orchestra due to excessive absences and other problems. It has been reported that he loved to go to Las Vegas and gambled heavily. During the 1950s, he concertized and became the conductor of an orchestra in Salem, Oregon. He moved to Mexico City and lived there (with Beverly LeBeck) between 1960 and 1962, serving as concertmaster of an orchestra, but I don’t know which orchestra. At the time, there were four professional orchestras in the city. After divorcing LeBeck, he married Marja-Liisa Nisula (the actress) in 1964 but divorced her 2 years later. From 1965 to about 1976, he was a bum and even spent some time in jail. In 1976, Haitto returned to Finland and began to practice again. He was 51 years old. He also remarried (Eva Vastari this time) and six months later, he was ready to play again. In childhood he had played a Guarnerius violin but in adulthood I don’t know what he played. Vastari and Haitto formed a duo. She read poetry and he played. He also did some teaching and lecturing. They finally settled in Marbella, Spain. The photo shows him playing dominoes there. Haitto fell ill in 1995 and died on June 10, 1999, at age 74. Haitto made several recordings which are still available, though they are not easy to find. You can hear his unique style of playing here and here.