Yampolski Izrail Markovich, *21 (8) November 1905, in Yekaterinoslav, †20 September 1976, in Moscow, musicologist and violinist. He came from a family of Russian musicians: he was the son of cellist Mark Ilich Yampolsky (1879–1951) and nephew of violinist and music teacher Abram Ilich Yampolsky (1890–1956). In 1930, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Abram Yampolsky (violin), Reinhold Glière (composition), and K. Kuznetsov (music history). Between 1927 and 1932, he gave concerts, and then (between 1931 and 1958) taught violin at the Gnessin Musical College and the Central Music School in Moscow. Between 1935 and 1949 (with a break during the war), he lectured on the history and theory of violin playing at the Moscow Conservatory, where in 1940 he became a candidate of arts on the basis of his dissertation on the fundamentals of fingering technique in violin playing (Osnovy skripichnoj aplikatury, Moscow 1933), also published in Romanian (in 1964) and English (with a preface by D. Oistrakh, in 1967 and subsequently reprinted many times). In 1950–59, he worked as an editor at the Sovetskaya Encyclopaedia publishing house in Moscow, and from 1953 he collaborated with the Novosti news agency. From 1967 he was a member of the editorial board of Muzykalnaya encyclopedia and the series “Voprosy muzykal’no-ispolnitel’skogo iskusstva”, and from 1973 he was deputy editor-in-chief of Muzykalnaya encyclopedia (vols. 1–3).
Jampolski’s academic interests focused on issues related to the history, theory, and interpretation of violin music. He popularized knowledge about violin music composers and performers (Corelli, Paganini, Wieniawski, Kreisler, Enescu, Szafran, Ojstrach), describing their works and art of interpretation. He is the author of important historical works: Russkoye skripichnoe iskusstvo [Russian Art of Violin Playing] (Moscow, 1951) and Sovetskiye kompozitory i muzykovedy [Soviet Composers and Musicologists] (with G.B. Bernandt, Moscow 1978). His works on violin playing theory (including Osnovy skripichnoy applikatury [Fundamentals of Violin Fingering]) are of fundamental importance in violin teaching literature.
Together with B. Shteinpress and G. Bernandt, he initiated the development of Soviet lexicography. He was one of the initiators of the first comprehensive (6-volume) music encyclopedia (Muzykalnaya encyclopedia), and wrote many articles for the 5th and 6th editions of Grove’s encyclopedia.
Literature: Izrail Markowicz Jampolski, “Sowietskaja Muzyka” 1977 no. 3 (obituary); I.M. Wetlicyna Jampolskij Izrail Markowicz, Muzykalna encyklopedia, ed. Ju.W. Kiełdysz, vol. 6. Moscow 1982; N. Slonimsky, L. Kuhn, D. McIntire Yampolsky, Izrail (Markovich), in: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 2021.
Osnowy skripicznoj applikatury, Moscow 1933, 2nd ed. 1936, expanded 3rd ed. 1955, revised 4th ed. 1977; Romanian ed. Bukarest 1964; English ed. The Principles of Violin Fingering, introduction D. Oistrakh, trans. Alan Lumsden, London 1967, reprint 1971, 1984, 1989;
Paganini – czełowiek i chudożnik [Paganini – the Man and the Artist], with K. Kuznetsov, “Sovetskaya muzyka” 1940 no. 8
Nieopublikowannyje rukopisy „Wariacyi na tiemu rokoko” Czajkowskogo [Unpublished Manuscripts of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Variations on a Rococo Theme’] and Nieopublikowannyj skripicznyj konciert Lapunowa [Unpublished Violin Concerto by Lapunov], in: Sovetskaya muzyka. Sbornik statey, vols. 3 and 6, Moscow 1945, 1946
Nieopublikowannaja mazurka A.K. Głazunowa [Unpublished Mazurka by A.K. Glazunov], “Sovetskaya muzyka” 1949 no. 10
Russkoje skripicznoje iskusstwo. Oczerki i matieriały. Ot istokow do 60-ych godow XIX wieka [Russian Violin Art: Essays and Materials, from the Origins to the 1860s], Moscow 1951
A. Corelli, with K. Kuznetsov, Moscow 1953
H. Wieniawski, Moscow 1955
G. Enescu, Moscow 1956, Romanian ed. Bucharest 1959
B.W. Asafjew o muzykalnom ispołnitielstwie [B.W. Asafiev on Musical Performance], in: Woprosy muzykalno-ispołnitielskogo iskusstwa, vol. 2, Moscow 1958
D. Oistrakh, Moscow 1958, 2nd ed. 1964, revised 3rd ed. 1968, Japanese ed. Tokio 1967
Muzyka Jugosławii [Music of Yugoslavia], Moscow 1958
Encykłopiediczeskij muzykalnyj słowar’, lexical work with B. Shteinpress, Moscow 1959, 2nd ed. 1966
Paweł Kochański, “Sovetskaya muzyka” 1959 no. 7
Pierwyj wirtuoz na ksilofonie, I. Gusanow 1806–1837 [The First Virtuoso on the Xylophone: I. Gusanov, 1806–1837], “Sovetskaya muzyka” 1959 no. 11
Wstupitelnyj oczerk [Introductory Essay], in: Konstantin G. Mostras, 24 Kaprisa dla skripki solo N. Paganini: metodiczeskije kommentarii [Konstantin G. Mostras, 24 Caprices for Solo Violin by N. Paganini: Methodical Commentaries], Moscow 1959
Kratkiy slovar’ lyubiteley muzyki, lexical work with B. Shteinpress, Moscow 1961
N. Paganini. Zhizn’ i tvorchestvo [N. Paganini: Life and Works], Moscow 1961, revised 2nd ed. 1968
Pierwyj skripicznyj konciert B. Bartoka [Bartók’s First Violin Concerto], “Sovetskaya muzyka” 1961 no. 3
Kapriczczi N. Paganini [Capriccios by N. Paganini], Moscow 1962
Sonaty i partity dla skripki solo J.S. Bacha [Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin by J.S. Bach], Moscow 1963
Auer i sowriemiennoje skripicznoje iskusstwo [Auer and Contemporary Violin Art], in: L. Auer Moja szkoła igry na skripkie. Intierprietacyja skripicznoj kłassiki, Moscow 1965
P. Kochański w Rosji [P. Kochański in Russia], in: Polsko-rosyjskie miscellanea muzyczne, ed. Z. Lissa, Krakow 1967
Sovetskoye muzykalno-ispolnitel’skoye iskusstvo [Soviet Musical Performance Art], in: Voprosy muzykal’no-ispolnitel’skogo iskusstva [Issues in Musical Performance], vol. 5, Moscow 1969
Yugoslavskoje muzykoznanije [Yugoslav Musicology], introduction in: Iz proshlogo yugoslavskoj muzyki [On the History of Yugoslav Music], Moscow 1970
Krylov i muzyka [Krylov and Music], Moscow 1970
Kto pisal o muzyke, bio-bibliograficheskiy slovar’ muzykal’nykh kritikov i lits, pisavshikh o muzyke v dorevolyutsionnoy Rossii i SSSR [Who Wrote About Music: A Bio-Bibliographical Dictionary of Musical Critics and Figures Who Wrote About Music in Pre-Revolutionary Russia and the USSR] (lexical work with G. Bernandt), 4 vols., Moscow 1971–89
Pervyy russkiy muzykant v Indii [The First Russian Musician in India], in: Muzyka stran Azii i Afriki, vol. 2, Moscow 1973
D. Szafran, Moscow 1974
F. Kreisler, Moscow 1975
Sovetskije kompozitory i muzykowiedy [Soviet Composers and Musicologists] (with G. B. Bernandt), Moscow 1978
Izbrannye issledovaniya i stati [Selected Studies and Articles], ed. P.W. Baskakowa, Moscow 1985
numerous articles in “Sovetskaya muzyka”, “Muzykal’naya Zhizn” and other Soviet writings
