The Artists First Journey-Studies and Travels in Europe
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Cannes France 1973 Continued-Life Stories of Richard Ozanne, Artists first resident journey to France, accompanied with parents, in residence in Cannes. Ozan Marsh-Patricia Benkman Marsh (Parents, pianists and professors of music) It was the memory of a lifetime. Aug 1973, a long-planned tour of Europe and Asia. During the months and year ahead my interests would be developed and the first steps taken towards solidifying the aims and goals I would have during my adult years. During the next year I would enter my second year in high school, and many changes were to happen in this and the next year of my life. Unannounced it was the last year of my dear mothers existence, but during the fall of 1973 it was clear that there was a wonderful adventure with both my parents ahead in our departure to France in August. This began my early studies during a sabbatical of both my parents in Cannes France. We were to commence a tour of Europe, and continue around the world. I would spend one hour with French lessons a day, sitting over the kitchen table with my mother and father, and another 2 hours in school work that was pressed over my by demands of my high school english, history and math requirements. (Arrangements were made to include and allow for several units of study for this semester off from High School) But this was also a time of change for me as I became extremely interested in art and painting although took piano lessons on a regular basis with my father, who two times a week would give me the lessons, my mother taking over from there. I didnt play nor appear among their students and kept very much in the background with this study as usual, somwhat being seen as a conflict of interest to appear among the many students as a pianist, or merely as a student. I do remember the lessons were all technique building at this time, arduous and sometimes extreme exercises of Czerny, Hannon, and others which were exercises as well as a few pieces which I looked at and would study as the case could be. I remember being consumed in a want of playing Maria Von Webers Concertstuk (Concerto), having a friend who played this piano piece in particular excellently. (He was invited to study with my parents in Cannes and remained there for the first couple of months during our stay) As a youth of fourteen my focus did vary and this was a period in which I would grow and change as with all youth of this age. I liked photography more than sitting at a piano practicing. Although I loved music, being exposed to both my parents extremely fine quality pianism was somewhat intimidating. Of course I was encouraged to make my own choices in life and develop my own interests at this point, not necessarily to include music by any demand. During this time my parents were consumed in research for my fathers book..that would later be published as the “Pianists Spectrum”. Both my mother and father would constantly be absorbed in taking notes of the numerous visits they made to the pianists they had known who were still living in Europe, this as well as practicing for upcoming performances. His apartment was filled with paintings and vases. He was a collector of prints and memorabilia during his lifetime. Twice a week I would go for lessons, 4 hours a day I would study. It was not like school and this were private sessions that were in some ways remarkable. I remember the day Blimmer said was special. He had been rather angry with me for not taking interest in more sports..Riding, Fencing..etc, being a few of his suggestions, but he knew I was taking piano lessons and had interest in art. “Now…” Blimmer had a large leather portfolio on his drawing-room desk, “I want you to see some work of other young men…just your age!” he said unbundling the large thick portfolio and bringing out some pieces that were carefully wrapped for inspection. Blimmer had a magnifying glass and handed it to me, joking with me on the occasion by holding the glass up to his eye to make it larger. The first work was an original drawing of Ingres. It was followed by another original all kept neatly for his collection. Blimmer said…”Study this..” and he handed me a 17th century print under glass to take home and “copy it”. It was a Fragonard original…”He laughed”..you must have a collection up there too! (as he knew the owner of the residence we were living…and certainly there were many great pieces…originals which he remarked were, in the apartment where we stayed. In Paris, I was given a sketchbook by a older French artist…it was my ‘first’ sketchbook. Along with this he provided me with a very unique pen that was worn and had a gold-filled fountain head tip (Remembering how to fill these fountain artist pen nibs with ink was an art in itself!) I remembered taking the sketchbook out and finishing it to the end page, in copy drawings from masters. This was my first real interest in art when I viewed the works at the print-room in L’Louvre as well as was literally stunned by the works of Henri Fuseli and Eugene Delacroix, Delaroche and Peter Paul Rubens. Other Stories of my youth followed (Echo-Notes from Journals). Paris France, Visited on 3 different occasions from Cannes, returning to Marsailles- Visited Fountainbleu, Versailles-Louvre-Museums— Madrid– Visited by rail, 2 days Madrid Spain Basil Switzerland Geneva Switerland Berlin, Germany– One day by rail from Frankfurt, overnight trip- traveled across Check-Point Charlie first time to visit East Germany- Florence Genova Torino Denmark- Sweden, (Travel by train, up and then by bus and car to Trondheim and Narvic Norway above the arctic circle-) Austria Vienna, Austria Saltzburg, Austria More…Edit here |
My Recollections: Tucson Arizona Years 1966/67-Early 1990’s
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Richard Ozanne: Tucson Arizona Study Years-Both my father and mother were insistent on good quality education. Even in the 1960’s and 70’s access to quality education was difficult. In those days one could not be “home schooled”. During my early years I was subject to the Public School System which had its well-meant system of education. We arrived in Tucson from our residence in South Carolina in 1966 (first visit for me) and finally move there in 1967) Early instruction in school was a bit of a leap after spending the first two years of my public school in Spartanburg South Carolina, where I did rather well and was top in my class. I was given permission to be a part of a special project that was new to Arizona…in ‘the experimental school’, a new product of education that was supposed to be an advanced addition to the Tucson educational system. I spent one semester at this experimental school and then was transferred to public school. The memories of that time, and the ‘experimental’ education system was close to bizarre. Still to this day I do remember with a 20/20 recollection that they attempted to pry open our minds to new ideas, often at an advanced level, but did not really recognize that we were still ‘children’ and should have enjoyed this time in the occupation of being “children” and not adults. The school was organized mathematical into rows, seats and numbers as well as colors in a very experimental array of somewhat demanding methodology, crowding our young minds with theroms of mathematics, science, art, and history that were beyond the interest of normal progress of a 3rd grader. As far as I know, and most probably for the very best this school and its projects of building ‘genius’ students was stopped soon after I left..remembering quite well how well this system did not work, even to the general public school system, which out of the two comparisons was indeed better by far. Memory of having to carry colored trays with numbers assigned to them, the color coding of nearly everything, and the regime of moving like robots from room to room for the different ‘Study Cells” Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple (Self administered according to numbers or symbols, the teacher maintiaining silence and leaving us to our open book study of methodical progress through projects)- Math, History, Science etc…was a memory that was both confusing and over-diciplined, one teacher using a whistle to crowd us into orthodox lines…reports…when break time came, all the children were going crazy! The dicipline problem was out of control needless to say! Piano Study: Since I was from a family of musicians, pianists, the opportunities were outstanding. Both my parents were top calibur pianists from a very wonderful line of historical figures in the music world. Sometimes it was overwhelming, even at an early age to be constantly surrounded by piano 24/7 and listen hear and know the repertoir of each individual young pianist that studied with my parents. It was a non-stop environment. Beethoven, Shubert, Bach, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Busoni and every composer one could deem to imagine. The young pianists would come in to the studio and get a wonderful lesson by my parents which would go “all out” for their students on many levels, and then watch all the schenanigans happen on the sidelines. A Continuation of my Studies: At that time the University system was quite different from today and the degrees were much stronger, broader and more work was required, having more substance as well as finding it difficult to attain the degree, rather than merely putting in 4 years. I graduated with my BFA in 1982 and went directly into graduate school at the University of Arizona towards my Masters. In the next months I was offered a foreign scholarships in Beijing China (Studying at the Central Academy In Beijing), a possible study position in Germany, graduate school at Art Center, and a wonderful possibility of study in New York with a very prominent classical artist in New York City at the Art Students League—I attended the ASL from 1983-86 taking full-time study at the League as well as Columbia University, professors from Parsons School of Design and the National Academy of Art. |
Spartanburg South Carolina
Richard Ozanne South Carolina
| Converse College Spartanburg South Carolina
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San Francisco Residence
Richard Ozanne San Francisco 1960-63
In late 196o we moved from St. Charles to San Francisco and took over a very large old Victorian house as our residence in the vicinity of what was near Height Ashbury. The Large Victorian had many floors and had a gigantic stairway with ornate glass and embellishmet. This building had been residence to the French Embassy at one time and filled my memories for many years.
The building was divided…the back portion and down a flight of stairs were reserved for the students of my parents. In the parlor was a wonderful rosewood concert grand where my parents gave lessons to their students, both my parents taking a post at San Francisco Conservatory of Music during this period.
There are a number of scenes and memories which I had as a child on the porch of our large house in San Francisco as well as the velveteen living room and spacious areas and beautifully carved woodwork.
I remember in particular some of the students who were boarders in the downstairs array of rooms which seemed like catacombs who were students of my parents during this period. One of my memories included the great Dutch virtuoso Egon Petri came over for dinner on several different occasions. Since he was the artist-teacher of both my parents for a number of years there seemed to be a bond of his expertise over the dinner table. I do remember one afternoon he came over to play a concert in the living room, perhaps an excerpt from one of the last recordings he did, I do remember being almost fastened to my mother’s lap during the performance and was poised to pay attention to the music I heard. Of course I do remember it was Beethoven and in my minds-eye I do remember the masters prominent playing as well as his intensity at the keyboard. This happened several times in my memory. He was very impressed at the lavishly decorated house lent to my parents for a time. I remember when he came over and asked me to come to the piano being roughly about 2 years old and with energy of impatience as a child. Petri sat me down and spanned my fingers over the keyboard and looked at me with is glasses pitched down with intensity. He was quite talkative to me for some reason, my parents standing aside and watching as he gave me a mini lesson of a chord or two, wondering if I would be a pianist by the size of my hands. Some inquiry was then passed around as to when I would start receiving lessons, and if I attained the age where they would be most useful.
My grandparents lived in San Francisco. My grandfather was first flutist of the San Francisco Symphony for a number of years (Herbert Benkman) My mother’s family were deep-seated with classical music for many-many years. I do remember the serious discussions at my grandfather’s house regarding music as well as the piano in the front room that would be the focus of attention in the afternoons or after a dinner.
Over the years of memory I do remember other family at the table as well as musical guests of prominence who were invited to dinner, some of memory, and some of large and serious discussions. My grandfather’s brother Siegfried Benkman would often come over as well as musicians from the orchestra on occasion.
Some of the visitor to our families home were legendary musicians.
During our time in San Francisco we began to move, the first residence returned to the embassy and a couple of nice but small two-bedroom apartments or houses followed.
Finally my father invested in a family home at the top of Picacco street in San Francisco in an area known as Golden Gate Heights, one block down from my grand- uncles home…an expansive home and one of the first large residences ever built in that area. I remember our family home and its view- amazing and beautiful expanse of a 360 panorama of all of San Francisco. Right next door lived Willy Macovie the famous baseball player of the San Franscisco Giants. All in all it was a fortunate childhood that compressed music and culture into a very interesting childhood where I had my first piano lessons and schooling…catching my first baseball from Willi Macovie! (Known for the special way he would throw the baseball)
I960’s San Francisco (comment)
The 1960’s in San Francisco were far different from today. In memory it was so different from I remember television portraying it. It seemed that there was a certain energy in the air, and opportunity seemed to amplify this energy without the built up ideas and energies or profit margins and mega-dynamics of today.
I visited our old home where we lived about 8 years back during the boom of the housing market in the early 2000’s. I was shocked to see the simple 23,000 dollar house which was a difficult investment for my father in the early 1960’s selling for and amplified $1,760,ooo dollars! We sold that house, seemingly small for any area as an adult, in 1971 for $32,000. Of course times had changed.
In the 1960’s it was possible for most people to earn a good living as classical musicians, if in fact they were good enough-the rarity was still a matter of perspective, as there was an age of the definition of both ‘good music’ (classical music) and all other music popular in the definitions of how the culture was defined (One could still count and number the performers at any one time in the field of so-called serious music…that there were more serious musician is somewhat obvious)
In 1963 both my parents moved to South Carolina to a post as resident artists at Converse College in Spartanburg.
Richard Ozanne Childhood Years
Remembering the months after I was born in St. Charles/St. Louis, is almost a surreal dream. To go back in my mind to the very house..or the very yard where the first of my childhood memories is quite beautiful but in fuzzy detail the sort of arrangements we lived in.
My parents were both “professors of music” as well as ‘concert artists’ (professional stage performers), and this, during its day was quite a different life than most children had fallen by fate into.
The music that was surrounding me from birth was not your typical kind of this era. There was an intense focus on the classical piano, music of a larger platform which was a tradition within traditions of the serious scope of music.
Patricia Benkman, my mother was a deliberate and serious pianist and consumate musician of her era. There was a legend that she was back on stage in a solo recital less than weeks after my birth.
I was born on May 20th 1959, and less than one month both my parents, under a large teaching and performing load were at Chautauqua Institution continuing their rigorous teaching schedules.
Being thier only child I was given considerable care througout my childhood and paid exclusive attention to despite the focus of my parents scheduals.
Ms. Marie Painter…
The struggle with balance of time
A former landlady, who was retired, offered to take care of me during my parents scheduals in St. Charles and during the summers at Chautauqua…somewhat ironicly her name seemed to be inclusive of what I was to become in my profession later on in life.
Mrs. Marie Painter. I have loving memories of this lady, considering her a extra-family during the course of my youth. A description follows that was etched in my memory. She was a very concious lady with a shock of gray hair, very plesant and at the same time deeply religious in her devotion, having a bible at hand in each condition. Her ethics were high, and so were the lessons driven, reading to me at periods when I could understand passages from the Bible at every possible convienience. Her shock of gray hair went up into a very symetric beaufont, her eyeglasses resting gently on her nose and slipping down to correction. She was a gentle lady but quite stern in her values, and these promoted within the notions of the “Good Book”, as she read to me passage after passage, when I was a child especially at bedtime.
Every summer until 1976 she returned to Chautauqua to help my parents with the chores of taking care of me, and later just the essentials of cooking meals. As a child she was an interesting influence. Mrs. Painter was a very staunch religious woman who had a dynamic facility with the raising of children in a rather Victorian way with high ethics and ‘good morality’. She was also interested in my education and promoted these aspects with direction of my parents as soon as I began to speak. Ms Panter was rather a vital taskmaster when it came to academics, and especially reading, since she had suffered a rather cold, unadorned and sparse education, which she tried in her later years to make up for by reading, listening to lectures and giving herself the time to grow into comprehension of this new world that was being created out of the 1960’s (Education: typical of the early 20th century, per-depression era where industrial labor and farm work were pushed way ahead of school interests leaving large gaps for things like history, culture and the arts) In her words she wished to see more from the youth of the day.
The Road…..
Of course travels of my parents were constant during my childhood. I do remember long road trips and even longer journies by airplane. It seemed every couple of months there was a new destination My father was appearing in Boston with the Boston Pops (not just for one concert, he was often constantly touring with Arthur Fiedler for 60 concert tours with orchestra during this time)…and of course the summers at Chautauqua where the family would pack the station wagon with boxes of music, a piano keyboard and head out for the venture to upstate New York, in mid June for our arrival in New York.
Background….
After the summer session 1959 my father and mother were on their way to Boston where my father performed and went on tour with the Boston Pops orchestra. His early recording, one of several that were made…with RCA first titled in a ”Nothing but the Beer”Compilation..Three Concert Gems- Franz Liszt Hungarian Fantasy with the Boston Pops Arthur Fiedler. He played that particular piece on tour with the Liszt Concerto #1 E Flat and Spanish Rhapsody of Busoni (Orchestra Version) practicing diligently a full 6-7 hours a day…seemingly endlessly and going for a week of tour and returning home to resume teaching at Lindenwood College in St Charles. Our house was filled with music. Of course my mother would practice and give lessons at home when not heading off for her duties teaching..Evenings they would work two pianos my mother giving all the readings for my father on second piano of whatever concerto was to be next on the roster of performances, concertos for orchestra that may have been scheduled. Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn,Liszt, Beethoven, Chopin, Kabalevsky, Brahms 1st and 2nd Concertos, Prokofiev 1st2nd and 3rd, Gershwin- all were practiced and played during the memories of my youth as well as the endless roster of many other pieces that I as a mere fledgeling in this world would absorb and remember in the background through my years.
In early 1960 my parents as well myself were traveling on the across to London and then Amsterdam Europe where my father continued on to concertize and record. I have brief memories of the great Constellation-an transoceanic airliner that spun its way onto the tarmac and the letters KLM , as well as a very concerned stewardess who took me into her arms and cared for me on the way across. What memories could I have at that age. Perhaps only Dutch being spoken..I remember my father walking away, my mother concerned as he was continuing on to the USSR-Russia in a brief interlude to meet Kabalevsky and discuss new revisions of his piano concerto #2 which he had played on continuing concert tours with the Boston Pops.
That year and the following year our family traveled rather extensively, of course as a child I was given equal attention by both parents, and rarely-rarely being cared for by any other person or baby sitter even on tours-my parents would switch and equally take on the duties of taking care of me. In late 1959 and 1960 we eventually made our residence in San Francisco CA with a new post for my mother at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Of course my memories were reinforced via many hours of 8mm my father took of his travels and performances.. At one point-I was held up to the piano and hands placed on the keys…There was a simple question whether this child was going to follow in his parents footsteps and be a pianist or musician, a laymen, or doctor. Several old newspaper articles were interested in my parents choices. Family matters in the late 1950’s seemed to be the focus of many reviews and special interest stories of the news. My parents were both in the limelight often. It seemed that there was no end to the news paper articles from that era. Our family also made the papers and news on many occasion-examples still exist of almost “paparazzi’ inquiries in the news of the day. The face that I was mentioned in some of them..sometimes was disconcerting, after all the story of Lindbergh was still on the minds of many in the day….to keep a low profile. Of course times were changing slowly and the news, which once concentrated a great deal on the arts and the personalities were beginning to trim back through the 1960’s and 70’s..to the rather obscure stories of the arts and artists in the 1990’s and beyond. Times do change but this was a special time, and a special childhood being around serious music, particular music and great performers. It was the conclusion of my parents before I was born to have a well-rounded child and have he or she discover for themselves the world in which they partake.
All I can remember is being surrounded by music..and this was one gift as I child I could not forget easily.
Of course these early days I can just sketch out with brief memories….
The memories of an “Iron Horse” (a iron pole -statue that was near Lindenwood), and being fully conscious to the music that was being played at that time were my first actual memories, as well as being cared for by my parents in a very unique way.
During this time I recollect a great deal of travel. My father had just made travels to Russia (a brief experience) but commentary for the Kabalevsky Piano Concerto #2 revisions that were made with Arthur Fiedler in Boston during the tour- 1959/60.
Memories of London-Amsterdam, scarcely a child-
to go back in my mind to the very house..or the very yard and remember in quite beautiful but fuzzy detail the sort of arrangements we lived in. My parents were both professors of music and this, during its day was quite a different life than most children had fallen into. The music was surrounding me almost from birth. Patricia Benkman, my mother was of such a deliberate musician that she was back on stage in a solo events soon after my birth- how soon, my mother used to say it was a week. And it was a week before my birth that she had played her last concert- I was born on May 20th 1959, and less than one month both my parents were at Chautauqua teaching on their rigorous schedules. A former landlady, who was retired, offered to take care of me during the summers at Chautauqua…A Mrs. Marie Painter. Every summer until 1976 she returned to Chautauqua to help my parents with the chores of taking care of me, and later just the essentials of cooking meals. As a child she was an interesting influence. Mrs. Painter was a very staunch religious woman who had a dynamic facility with the raising of children in a rather Victorian way. She was also interested in my education and was rather a vital taskmaster when it came to academics, and especially reading, since she had suffered a rather cold education, (typical of the early 20th century, per-depression era where industrial labor and farm work were pushed way ahead of school interests) and wished to see more from the youth of the day.
Of course travels of my parents were constant during my childhood. One can say even as a baby our family was on the road-by car or by airplane. It seemed every couple of months there was a new destination..and of course the summers at Chautauqua where the family would pack the station wagon and boxes of music and head out for the venture to upstate New York, usually in mid June. This was a tour across the country from wherever we lived…
After the summer session 1959 my father and mother were on their way to Boston where my father performed and went on tour with the Boston Pops orchestra. His early recording, one of several that were made…with RCA first titled in a ”Nothing but the Beer”Compilation..Three Concert Gems- Franz Liszt Hungarian Fantasy with the Boston Pops Arthur Fiedler. He played that particular piece on tour with the Liszt Concerto #1 E Flat and Spanish Rhapsody of Busoni (Orchestra Version) practicing diligently a full 6-7 hours a day…seemingly endlessly and going for a week of tour and returning home to resume teaching at Lindenwood College in St Charles. Our house was filled with music. Of course my mother would practice and give lessons at home when not heading off for her duties teaching..Evenings they would work two pianos my mother giving all the readings for my father on second piano of whatever concerto was to be next on the roster of performances, concertos for orchestra that may have been scheduled. Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn,Liszt, Beethoven, Chopin, Kabalevsky, Brahms 1st and 2nd Concertos, Prokofiev 1st2nd and 3rd, Gershwin- all were practiced and played during the memories of my youth as well as the endless roster of many other pieces that I as a mere fledgeling in this world would absorb and remember in the background through my years.
In early 1960 my parents as well myself were traveling on the across to London and then Amsterdam Europe where my father continued on to concertize and record. I have brief memories of the great Constellation-an transoceanic airliner that spun its way onto the tarmac and the letters KLM , as well as a very concerned stewardess who took me into her arms and cared for me on the way across. What memories could I have at that age. Perhaps only Dutch being spoken..I remember my father walking away, my mother concerned as he was continuing on to the USSR-Russia in a brief interlude to meet Kabalevsky and discuss new revisions of his piano concerto #2 which he had played on continuing concert tours with the Boston Pops.
That year and the following year our family traveled rather extensively, of course as a child I was given equal attention by both parents, and rarely-rarely being cared for by any other person or baby sitter even on tours-my parents would switch and equally take on the duties of taking care of me. In late 1959 and 1960 we eventually made our residence in San Francisco CA with a new post for my mother at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Of course my memories were reinforced via many hours of 8mm my father took of his travels and performances.. At one point-I was held up to the piano and hands placed on the keys…There was a simple question whether this child was going to follow in his parents footsteps and be a pianist or musician, a laymen, or doctor. Several old newspaper articles were interested in my parents choices. Family matters in the late 1950’s seemed to be the focus of many reviews and special interest stories of the news. My parents were both in the limelight often. It seemed that there was no end to the news paper articles from that era. Our family also made the papers and news on many occasion-examples still exist of almost “paparazzi’ inquiries in the news of the day. The face that I was mentioned in some of them..sometimes was disconcerting, after all the story of Lindbergh was still on the minds of many in the day….to keep a low profile. Of course times were changing slowly and the news, which once concentrated a great deal on the arts and the personalities were beginning to trim back through the 1960’s and 70’s..to the rather obscure stories of the arts and artists in the 1990’s and beyond. Times do change but this was a special time, and a special childhood being around serious music, particular music and great performers. It was the conclusion of my parents before I was born to have a well-rounded child and have he or she discover for themselves the world in which they partake.
All I can remember is being surrounded by music..and this was one gift as I child I could not forget easily.
Of course these early days I can just sketch out with brief memories….
The memories of an “Iron Horse” (a iron pole -statue that was near Lindenwood), and being fully conscious to the music that was being played at that time were my first actual memories, as well as being cared for by my parents in a very unique way.
During this time I recollect a great deal of travel. My father had just made travels to Russia (a brief experience) but commentary for the Kabalevsky Piano Concerto #2 revisions that were made with Arthur Fiedler in Boston during the tour- 1959/60.
Memories of a long and arduous flight to London-Amsterdam, scarcely a child-
The History
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life,the functional business dogmatic, and the precedence of the casual, and formal, there is a place for art. The artist sees many things, and many will criticize, but this being has to live, quantify and enrich through his talents a world that is suspect of all good things, and pleasure which can be, or seem like, a complete distortion, but be an absolute measure of truth in one’s journey. The artist is a traveler from his studio to the world. By being both the creator, facilitator, director and producer as well as the prophet, the life of the artist is often analogous to that of clergy in the cloister. God is seen from another viewpoint, where vanishing point meets the horizon, and plane becomes analogous with the context of perspective.
There are often many obstacles in the artist’s life that provide for insight into the truth of a natural “reality” and “things that are beautiful”, however this artist is well aware of the certain dangers one sometime beholds in their craft. I use the word cautiously, but hold this word, (danger)in high regard as the reality that an artist may view is not necessarily the pedestrian or common viewpoint. All who wish to become artists be warned of the beauty that one may perceive, the pleasure of ones craft, but also the dangers that may come to pass as a matter of taking on the creative perspective.
The “Tradition” of a the Family
There was no such word as “artists” as we generally know them today. The word was once considered in high esteem among many cultures of our civilization. The word is often felt of as a general term indicating a crafts person or hobbiest ( creating a general idea that everyone is an artist…but there are actually fewer and fewer by ratio to our population ) but better known yet is of the far-reaching tradition of this craft. Of course it was generally the convention since the 19th century and the term “starving artists” was initiated out of a popular but poorly written drama (a play) set in Paris c.1850- that our stigma became a general catch phrase among the populace.
It was a sad time during the start of a period of wars that engulfed Europe where artists were huddled in Paris and other cities of Europe in the mid-19th century. Naturally the artists were many, and those who were known were generally members of the Academy as its tradition went back at least 200 years from there into the guilds of artists from Italy and Germany who were trained, thus typifying a type of union of the arts. In this day and age it is generally unheard of. The type cast and certain bias or prejudice of ‘starving artist’ only goes back to this age in Paris. Usually, as with this particular craft, academy and time the artists were not only well paid but sometimes better off than the culture surrounding them. Unfortunately the advent of photography in the 1830’s shifted the impulse for the ‘picture’ to a new parameter outside painting or the consensus of the arts as being a superior craft. By the late 19th century many painters had drifted towards more eclectic styles which could not really be caught by the camera. The advent of abstract art in the early 20th century defined a new thought process which has continued to this day. By the 1930-50s the conventional realistic image’ in art was largely questioned, abstract forms generally predominated. Although there was a gigantic push ahead in the arts in the 1940’s through the 1970’s in all artistic medium, it still didn’t seem likely that art in its formal terms would disappear from the books as a serious study. Rather sadly in the late 1980’s and 90’s (similar to a period a century previous) there was a general opposition to the terms of art, its creation and the importance of the media to society bringing us to the present age where art in all forms is challenged in existence.
Ages such as this had existed before. In the late 16th century, the world challenged by new ideas and standards changed its opinions of what came before it. Gigantic shifts in political structure laid many ideologies extinct and few for reference to this day. In the late 17th century (classical era changed) the same thing happened leading to a long period of 20 years before the Romantic era took shape (in this period of huge ideological shifts and wars, nations shifted and the motion was felt through the art) in its upgrade of vision that lasted well into the 20th century with the expressionist painters who were romantics. Now of course there is the same dynamic and the same problem as our world makes another metamorphosis and the age changes to new eras of discovery.
With modern media, marketing and vast resources of internet, and television the future of the arts is left entirely unclear. In some cases one may come to some idea that there will not be any art for the future, in other cases we can we can summarize that art is a function of a human ability to work in reference to his own expression and according to his own impulse of either trained or natural ability. But what is for sure at this time, and very clear that some impulse must be given to the arts to be able to survive this period.
Traditionally, basically ever since the arts emerged out of the Renaissance, the arts as they were generally known had positively nothing of the free hand expression given today in a somewhat derogatory manner. There has been and continued as a tradition, and a well-respected tradition, as per the arts for many centuries. Unfortunately this has not been played out among popular media and culture of today. In some respects this tradition that has lasted well over a thousand years.. laying a pathway of many influences.
In the visual arts there have been the painters of Europe who provided centuries of influence. Rembrandt and the Dutch masters each had their atelier which produced many students who gave influences to different changes and referenced an evolution from what we can view in any book on art history. Even the modern artists of today have been influenced if studied, on the basis of history, in their arts or crafts. The painters of the Bauhaus didn’t instantaneously become “artists”. There was no respect historically for an artist that didn’t study as well perform their craft. Many names of the artists have gone by the wayside but their influences can be clearly seen. What we have is the culture of art today, that is unaffected by the past because it is reflective of every action and reaction, neuron impulse and perception of beauty that is relevant to media but not necessarily ‘art’ in the higher sense as this realm has become an adage of sorts, for the ceiling has been removed and replaced by a new order and new diagrams of art as it may be considered, the art of the masses and the influence of decoration that proposes art of value.
In music we have the influences of the Germans, Italians, French, Austrians or English as well as many others. The schools of Bach, Mozart or Hayden are well-known. From these schools the next generation of musicians were formed. The names are many and their influences still to this day among the perceptive youth which study the marks of “genius” that were represented.
Somehow I feel we have broken the arrow in our perception of what is considered good or bad. Art from 100 years ago cannot be in any way compared even in a general way to that produced today. The essence of art meshed with philosophy seems lost in our culture. Skill in our current age has seemingly no bearing because it is outsmart by the latest computer driven program, on an incremental level, but skill (true skill) can never be matched only augmented. Our world, filled with the remarkable achievements of mechanics and technology can never undermine the basic skill of recording thoughts on paper whether in the arts or in engineering. It is the development of this imaginative complex that drives achieved skill forward to new dimensions of progress. It is hoped that the person can remain an individual with his choices of artistic exploration. Classical music and classical art may have all turned to the basis of ‘mass approval’ in order for a concert or exhibition to be deemed progressive. It is clear that the arts of today are slowly diminishing in importance among the populace if it is not “popular art” or “art for the masses”. For the civilizations of tomorrow we may ask: who are the artists who represent our time and age. Surely will these will be the popular icons of our media?
Family “Ozanne”
(Based in part on original documents from England (College of Arms, Normandy and France from the 13 century and 19th century as well as written and oral notes)
The name surname “Ozanne” comes from my fathers side of the family, and the name, almost common on the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, is many centuries old from the records that were kept. The surname has quite a number of different relationships. It is primarily a Norman (Normandy France) name but also English, French sides of this family. Some of the Ozanne, Ozan can be found as far away as Poland and central Europe. Ironically I personally met a Slovakian and Pole that had the first name as Ozan. This name is a name of a river in Turkey. It means Troubadour in Turkish, and for some twist of the language sounds similar to Azen in Arabic which means “Time”. Ozanne, some have said comes from the name of the “Hosannas” which were a call to herald. The Hosannas were the ones that according to some legend carried the Palm Branches and sang praise during the life of Jesus. Similar in a sense to “Azen” declaring a time for worship. With some irony this word translates into Hebrew meaning “Ear”. Thoughts of Troubadours and singing praise can be applied with the imagination.
A Cote of Arms in copper plate (as an etching) was passed from generation to generation as well as papers on parchment of the history of the family “Ozanne”. This is an interesting legacy as it leads to the direct descendants of William the Conqueror (sister Matilda) as well as many other nobles in England and France. Hear-say legend passed through the family basically what was known by descendants before as well as on paper. Whether reasons to be proud or feel irrationally significant added to the legend that our branch of the family were direct ancestors of William the Conqueror. A ring was passed from generation to generation…diamonds set deeply in sapphire occurring in a star design were said to be the ring passed on to his sister upon Williams death as proof. In any case it was said that this was the testament of his death…the delivery of the ring. (In a bank vault, I ponder over the history of this…fact or fiction who knows…only a relic of the past but quite intact and beautiful) There is some written record of the Ozanne existing in Poland, as well, as the first democratically elected King of Poland “Stanislas Augustus” under the Pontitowski Dynasty. This I was mentioned in my family charts of a Richard Ozanne born in Krakow c.____ having an ambassador present at the great church with the King Stanislas Augustus as godfather. (little is known about the Polish roots or lineage from there…) There was a “Richard Ozanne”, born in Poland via a family Zukowska hence the added interest. *Later upon a visit to Krakow Poland(1996) I had an interesting time. I was doing some research on the history etc in the old archives (the ones left after the war that still had some history preserved) and came across an old man and his wife with many interesting commentaries about the history of Poland, Pontitowski and apparently the name Zukowska. He gave me a small token of interest (later researched over the internet) Some interesting commentary about this article (a cross of sorts) of art and designed enameled with the words “Poland Restored” as a token memento from the organization he had been part of, after dinner at his home the night before my trip down to Zakopane where I spent a week in the Tatras…something to do with Polish history as well as my own visits to Zakopane in the past. Not much comment, just some interest.
Of course this information was passed along via old papers from generation to generation and when in London I visited the College of Arms, as it is known, that confirmed some records as to my descendants. Genealogy is a novelty. At one point long ago it was considered something of science. The question is Who knows exactly, except to have somewhat pointed reference to ones history in documents, some which have held the prism of time only to dwindle with age and neglect. At this point I hold both the copper plate etching of the coat of arms and a ring which once belonged to William the Conqueror, its stones set in sapphire blackened by time. I did research. This research lead to the nostalgic, a lesson in history from where I came. The Marsh family was very close in kin (name on my great grandmothers side) as well business dealing with the Ozanne family at one point during the early part of the 20th century through the Great Depression. One of my uncles, “Ozanne” a deeply spiritual and sentimental man founded the Rhine foundation towards psychic research.
The Marshes were from a prominent family in upstate New York , who once owned a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and a city block on Wall Street (circa 1900), who have been in the United States since before 1776. My uncle James Marsh was present on the cover of the New York Herald Tribune during the Stock Market Crash of 1929 owning a seat on the New York Stock Exchange at one time. Of English origin they came from the vicinity of Kent. Other families too have consolidated themselves in to my own. Marlowe was my great grandmothers name, of English-Austo-Hungarian origin. Tchereginska of Russian origin. (My grandmothers name) who was a noted Russian actress on stage and movies, went by the last name of Edwards (her uncles name) to clear the censors. She disappeared in the late 20’s (?) and was never seen of nor heard of again. Austro-Hungarian, Czech Ancestry from Prague (c.1910) the name of Bernhardt. ( perhaps Sara Bernhardt was a relative)
My mother’s family came from Germany. Not the Germany as we know today, but a deeply divided Germany under 19th century rule during the wars between separatists states under Otto Von Bismark. There name was Benkman, or Benkmann, a once noble family that had the title of “Von” or “Count.” , bankers of the empire. Who knows what happened! My great-grandfather was a violinist, a master musician who was looking for safety in the new America and for the liberty that called this his home. He settled in California, the approximate date 1880, a date of a refuge because of his beliefs, on a passenger manifest ,by the same name, on a vessel headed towards New York.
Existing in northern Germany near the Lithuanian border in German Held territory they migrated south to the area of Bayren near Munich. One part of the family stayed in Germany, my great-grandfather came to America on strong convictions. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a concert flutist (Herbert Benkman) who worked for the San Francisco Symphony from the 1930’s -60’s. His Brother Siegfried Benkman was a skilled composer of classical and liturgical music for the Catholic Church. He was most noted for his Yosemite Suite.
Our family pursued excellence in their craft of art and music, which is beyond definition by most standards of today. Our new art is reflective of rapid moving popularity, a culture based on mass consumption…and the of fleeting moment.
Biography in International Who’s Who of Music, Available Online or at the Library of Congress Washington DC-His many recordings, perhaps over 100 in number of various composers are not available through commercial venues except for a very select few…he purposely wanted it this way. To this day I have the original masters from many concerts on tape-paper and acetate-reel to reel, wax disc, and commercially done digital “Beta” as well as many videos.
He was a brilliant pianist, a student of Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Egon Petri and Emile Von Sauer. His bio had been listed so many times, and boxes of material (newspaper, books, article and letters)exist to this day which I have gone through and discovered, making him a personal hero of mine.
Ozan Marsh (June 25, 1920 in Pasadena, California – March 15, 1992) was a pianist active in concert performances throughout the world as well as across the United States.
A disciple of Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Petri, Casadesus and Von Sauer, the late Ozan Marsh has received the plaudits of audiences and critics around the world, particularly for his performances of Liszt and Chopin. For more than five decades Ozan Marsh has won critical acclaim in recital appearances and as soloist with the world’s most distinguished orchestras. Among these are the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestras, to name a few.
Before the second world war he studied in Europe at Fountainbleau with Robert and Gaby Casadesus, Isidore Phillipp and other noted figures of this musical period. He traveled to Vienna and worked with Emile Von Sauer (one of the last surviving pupils of Franz Liszt) and continued study with Econ Petri during summer sessions in Zakopane Poland. Marsh gave his Paris and Warsaw debut (Warsaw Conservatory) in 1938 only months before the outbreak of the war. His first Town Hall New York debut was in 1939 and received fine praise from the New York Times. During WWII he served in the Navy’s “Lighter than Air” dirigible squadron as well as a final post as chaplains assistant because of a disability caused by the war.
During his career he played over 200 concert appearances with the Boston Pops Orchestra (in Boston and on nationwide concert tours), Appeared a number of times with the New York Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as well as gave literally hundreds of solo concerts throughout the United States under Columbia Artists Management, on their Community Concerts Series. During his life he had the opportunity to tour Russia (former Soviet Union 1980)at the invitation of the Soviet Government and at the invitation of one of that nations foremost senior composers Dmitri Kabalevsky. He toured South Korea three time and China PRC twice playing solo concerts as well as appearing with orchestra with the Beijing (China) Opera Orchestra.
Ozan Marsh coupled an outstanding performing career with an equally distinguished academic one. “As a teacher he was tireless- the activity was as much a passionate necessity for him as practicing or performing. With Ozan Marsh teaching was a vast workshop of ideas.[citation needed]
Ozan Marsh was characteristic of the finest of his kind. An artist of restless energy, attracted to the piano as though by a magnet. He was a tireless craftsman , constantly mixing, blending, and researching the qualities of sound with and acute inner ear. Marsh possessed a huge repertory augmented by research. He stemmed from the grand manner of the keyboard, when the pianist was the heroic personage. Ozan Marsh played in a monumental style graced by elegant virtuosity with refinement and subtle coloring that was uniquely his own.
He served on the faculties of such major institutions as Indiana University, Manhattan School of Music, Butler University, St. Lawrence University, University of Arizona and the Chautauqua Institution. He participated in judging various international piano competitions including the Van Cliburn, the Franz Liszt, the National Federation of Music Clubs and many others. Some of his students include Donna Amato, Edgar Coleman, and David Syme among others. He was also the President of the Pianist’s Foundation of America, (formerly the Southwest Pianists Foundation) an organization devoted to furthering of the careers of promising young pianists. He gave a great deal of his time to the much needed project of furthering the goals of those pianists, many whom have gone on to wonderful careers themselves.
Ozan Marsh has recorded for RCA (His Masters Voice), CBS (Columbia), PFA and VLR Records, the Voice of America and the Boston Symphony Transcription Library.
Although these may just be names today, they in fact represented some of the greatest pianistic giants of the 2oth Century.
My Mother Patricia Benkman (Pianist and Professor)
Patricia Benkman was a pianist of remarkable character (Patricia Benkman).
She was born into a pianistic and musical family and began studies at an early age. Her father was chair flute of the San Francisco Symphony from the 1930’s through his retirement in the early 1960’s. My mother was seemingly destined to be a star of the pianistic stage. She gave one of the first premiers of Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue at a young age in San Francisco as a child prodigy and went on to perform across the country, with the New York Symphony (before it was the NY Philharmonic), the Indianapolis Symphony and many other concert dates across the United States and in Europe. She was a pupil of Isabella Vengerova as well as Egon Petri in New York, Europe and Poland. As a young pianist she was dynamic and took the concert stage by storm being encouraged by conductors and composers such as Walter Damerosch and Pierre Monreaux as well as many musicians and audiences across the US.
She made numerous recordings in her life although she had reserves about ‘recording’ a performance in general. Her style was technical brilliance of a caliber that is even rare today, with an edge of grace that was sturdy yet passionate and extremely educated in music.
My parents met during a summer in Zakopane Poland in the late 1930’s slightly before world war II. My father had been studying with Egon Petri during his summer courses in Zakopane and was concertizing in Warsaw as well as attending the Music conservatory at Fontainebleau under Robert Casadesus. Isadore Phillip, (Under lecturers) Igor Stravinsky, Leopold Godowsky (the names abound to this history as I remember he used to talk endlessly of his studies in Europe before the World War)
During my parents first meeting I remember my father’s comments on my mothers playing. ” As though a roman candle were sitting at the piano burning with brilliance,security, musical talent and tone…and certainly I was intimidated, jealous and set back by this beautiful young lady who I had to know”, and quite obviously she was impressed by my father who was able to establish incredible technique, raw emotion and thunderous speed on the keyboard
The Artistic Spectrum
It is said Inspiration comes from a Divine source. The creator, well endowed with the gifts from within and those substantiated through study gives inspiration a lift through the imaginative structure of his built talent. Henceforth comes the creative genus, that person which strives to grow, study and give his talents to society and relentlessly puts his work on the line for this given faith.
Is it a faith or a mission?
In this story we will look at a history and background which should prove interesting, and inspiring to some. This is a story from a legend of a family dedicated to the arts, who challenged their talents to prove the enduring faith of the object of art as a particular cause, a creation and a mission.
The Artist Voyage 