argument top image

Who is the greatest cellist of all time?
Back to question

Leonard Rose was part of the celebrated Istomin-Stern-Rose trio

Leonard Rose with Isaac Stern (violin) and Eugene Istomin (piano) formed one of the world's greatest piano trios, celebrated for their playing and winning a Grammy for their Beethoven recordings.

The Argument

Leonard Rose helped form the Istomin-Stern-Rose trio in 1961. This trio was made up of some of the most established soloists in their respective instruments. Rose’s affiliation with the trio means that he was one of the best cellist players to exist. The group was formed to explore and reinvent the fundamentals that defined the piano, cello, and violin repertoire.[1] The group was wildly famous and well-known for their limited performances due to their schedules as soloists. Leonard Rose’s ability to simultaneously balance his career as a soloist along with the best chamber trio makes him the greatest cello player of all time. Rose contributed enormously to the group’s success, leading to their prestigious achievements. They had over 200 performances and 19 recorded works. Rose was an essential part of the group because of his skills as a cellist.[2] The group received a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. When Rose passed away in 1984, the group disbanded, meaning that Rose was an invaluable musician in the group.[1]Therefore, Rose is the greatest cellist of all time.

Counter arguments

Leonard Rose's ability to be a part of a musical group does not make him the greatest cellist of all time. A musician's ability should be measured by their contributions as a solo artist. If an artist's ability was measured by the success of the group, then the Beaux-Arts Trio or Trio di Trieste should have the greatest cellist title, since both groups performed more concerts and lasted longer than the Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio. [2] Therefore, Leonard Rose's achievements while involved in the Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio do not make him the greatest cellist of all time.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] The Istomin-Stern-Rose trio was a wildly successful chamber trio. [P2] Leonard Rose was a part of the trio. [P3] Therefore, Leonard Rose is the greatest cellist of all time.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/istomin-stern-rose-trio-mn0001708646
  2. https://www.eugeneistomin.com/great-musical-collaborations/trio-istomin-stern-rose/
This page was last edited on Sunday, 12 Jul 2020 at 19:53 UTC

Explore related arguments