“Anselm was a larger than life person. Everybody who was in the room with him felt his presence. They felt the power of his artistry, the power of his intellect, the power and energy of his passion.”
"I GIVE!"
"Let Me Hear You, God"
"Though Anselm was on this earth a short time, he left us a beautiful gift with his music."
-Andrea Rae Markowicz
Music is a Superb Democracy
"I think the nature of music is such that it's a singular experience...It's you and the band, or it's you and the orchestra, and I think that's a superb democratic process...So you have this wonderful, powerful element that comes into your life called music, which can elevate you, and you're on your own...It's just you making your own decision...And I think that's the true definition of what democracy means."
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
The Music Can Live On
"This connection to Jerusalem moved Anselm to write music for the ages that were coming, but also for the ages that had passed. He was absorbed in the wisdom of the past and moving into the present and leaving behind something for the future... He absorbed the past, wanted to help with the future, and did his best while he was here. I think his contribution... was immense... the music can keep going... I hope we can move his legacy forward especially now with human rights, because that's what Anselm was all about."
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
A Universal Force
"He's a positive person, one of the most positive people I've ever met... He moved without power or money. And that's what I try to do in my life, move without power and money and still get the job done... [Anselm was] a universal force to do good in the world. That surge in him was unique... unusual. I have never seen anything like it!"
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
Legacy
Singing under Anselm's baton was one of the greatest pleasures of my early life. His coaching was an inspiration, and his confidence in me is still one of the cornerstones of my personal and professional self esteem. It was an honor and a privilege to have known him and be mentored by him. I miss him. I'm heartened that his work and life are being appreciated now, and I hope to be part of the revival of his musical legacy.
-Richard Brenin
Bye, Bye, Bicycle
Two things come to mind as I remember the very young Anselm I knew in the Bronx. The first is that I always thought of Anselm and Leslie Morrison as the Amalgamated's very own Cubby and Karen. The second was being with him when he naively lent his brand new bicycle to "some kid" who pointed to Anselm's father and said, “It's alright. That's your Dad, right?” Bye bye bicycle. He was a gentle trusting soul.
- Steffi Rubin, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page
At the Piano
I too was close to Anselm in the 1970s through Young World Development/American Freedom from Hunger Foundation. I will always remember him at the piano in his parents' home playing some original compositions and sharing his dream of composing a symphony. It is a memory vivid to this day as I reflect on what a loss his untimely death was to all of us and to this world.
- Carolyn Todd, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page
Arriving Early
Anselm also studied piano with Malka Gottlieb (who happens to be Zalman's aunt). That’s how I knew him. His lesson was before mine, and I would arrive early so I could listen to him play.
- Sheila Krstevski, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page