Rudolf Deman

Rudolf Deman (20 April 1880 – 19 March 1960) was an Austrian-German violinist and academic teacher. He was concertmaster of Orchestra of the Berlin State Opera from 1918 to 1930 and first violinist of the Deman String Quartet which made several recordings.

Life Rudolf Diamant was born in Vienna, the youngest of eight children of goldsmith Moritz Diamant (1838–1927) and Anna, née Bohenzky (1837–1924). The name was changed from "Diamant" to "Deman" in 1892.

He served three years in the military and worked as concertmaster at the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet from 1901 to 1908. After the First World War, Deman was for some time a member of the Poźniak Trio.

In 1930, Deman married the soprano Frida Leider, whom he had met in July 1923 while working together at the Waldoper festival. He gave up his concertmaster duties to accompany her on her international tours. As a Jew, he was no longer allowed to engage in public activity from 1933, though as an Austrian citizen he was protected from further attacks until 1938. After the Anschluss and the 1938 Kristallnacht, Deman emigrated to Switzerland.

Deman died in Berlin on 19 March 1960, at age 79.

Recordings Deman made his first trio recordings for Odeon Records around 1921, and in 1923 he accompanied singers on Homocord.

In 1923 and 1924, he made numerous recordings for Vox, rather light music in duo and trio, but also the Lento from the Violin Concerto by Richard Strauss. Finally, from 1926 to 1930, he recorded with the Deman String Quartet for Deutsche Grammophon: string quartets by Beethoven (op. 18.4, op. 59.3 and op. 132), Dittersdorf (E flat major quartet), Glasunov (Interlude), Mozart (Quartet K 464) and Schubert (Quartets D 87, D 804, D 810 and 5 German Dances) in complete recordings.