(This biography was excerpted from Lev Ginsburg's Volume 3 of "The Art of the Violoncello" pp. 347–350, translated by Yuriy Leonovich).

In the spring of 1882, when Rudolf Ehrlich performed Lalo's Intermezzo at a conservatory recital, the well-known Prague magazine Dalibor described him as "a cellist already widely renowned." At his graduation examination, Ehrlich performed Vieuxtemps's concerto with orchestra.

After several performances in his homeland and in Zurich, the young musician accepted an invitation in the autumn of 1882 to join the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, where he soon assumed the position of principal cellist. Contemporaries often remarked on Ehrlich's beautiful tone and musicality, which they greatly enjoyed in his solo cello parts.

R. I. Ehrlich could be heard as a concertmaster-soloist not only in the theater but also in symphonic concerts. The press frequently highlighted his expressive interpretations of various orchestral solos.

From time to time, Ehrlich appeared on the concert stage, performing solo and chamber works. Notably, he performed in concerts organized by the Philharmonic Society. "A wonderful cellist, very musical, a strong technician with a full, beautiful tone," wrote one contemporary in 1891 after his brilliant performance of Vieuxtemps's concerto at a Philharmonic Society concert. Another reviewer, writing of the talented cellist's well-earned success, noted his "broad, singing tone and first-class technique."

The press also reported on the exceptional success of the artist, as in 1897, when he performed Eckert's concerto. Afterward, he was asked to repeat the Rondo and play Davydov's Humoresque.

In various concerts, Rudolf Ivanovich performed works by Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Davydov, Arensky, Spendiarov, Saint-Saëns, Neruda, Popper, and others, including his own compositions. These he rendered with great expressiveness, musicality, and refined taste.

Reviewers spoke highly of the artist's solo performances. "The soloist of our opera orchestra, Ehrlich, has long earned the admiration of our public," wrote one of them. "He has an excellent, beautiful, and full tone, accompanied by fine technique and expressive phrasing."

Rudolf Ivanovich's performances with singers were also well received. Contemporaries, for instance, recalled the performance of Glinka's Doubt by E. I. Zbruyeva, accompanied by harp and cello, played by K. A. Erdely and R. I. Ehrlich.

Ehrlich was particularly remembered as an outstanding chamber musician. He frequently performed in sonata and other ensemble settings, playing the second cello part in the string quartet gatherings of the Russian Musical Society (RMO). In 1896, Rudolf Ivanovich replaced I. I. Dubrovsky in the Moscow Trio. For many years, the trio—Shor, Krein, and Ehrlich—held a prominent place in Moscow's musical life.

Their memorable "Historical Chamber Mornings" were of significant artistic and educational value at the end of the last century and the beginning of the current one, introducing Russian music lovers to classical and contemporary chamber works.

Reviews in the press often reflected the trio's exceptional artistry. After their performance of trios by Schubert and Tchaikovsky, one reviewer noted: "The artists seemed to surpass themselves this time. Their performance, marked as always by impeccable ensemble, flawless intonation, and unity, was especially captivating for its emotional inspiration—a quality that, even among the best performers, is far from guaranteed."

The programs of the "Historical Chamber Mornings" frequently featured cello sonatas, which were performed by R. I. Ehrlich and D. S. Shor (or other pianists such as A. B. Goldenweiser and Zh. Narbut-Hryshkevich) to consistent acclaim. Rudolf Ivanovich played sonatas by Bach, Geminiani, Schenck, Bréval, Beethoven, Rubinstein, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Grieg, Franck, Saint-Saëns, Boëllmann, and many others.

In these concerts, Ehrlich also performed solo pieces, including Mendelssohn's Variations Concertantes and Schumann's Pieces in Folk Style. Individual movements of sonatas were often encored at the audience's insistence. For instance, the middle movement of Rubinstein's sonata was repeated in 1901, and the same occurred with Grieg's sonata in a 1902 concert. A reviewer emphasized the great inspiration with which Grieg's sonata was performed. Critics praised Ehrlich's musicality and the artistic quality of his interpretations.

R. I. Ehrlich also participated in trios with S. I. Taneyev and I. V. Hřímalý, with A. B. Goldenweiser and D. S. Krein, and in other ensembles.

R. I. Ehrlich distinguished himself primarily as an excellent chamber musician and orchestral soloist. In recognition of his 30 years of service at the Bolshoi Theater, he was awarded the honorary title of Merited Artist. In the later years of his career, he rarely performed large-scale solo concert works.

Among Ehrlich’s students who graduated from the Philharmonic School were I. Fufayev (class of 1891), N. Potolovsky (graduated in 1905 as a cellist and theorist and the composer of a cello sonata), and others. Over the years, R. I. Ehrlich taught cello classes (with interruptions until 1920) at the school alongside A. A. Brandukov.

After his tenure at the Philharmonic School and during the Soviet period, Ehrlich taught at the Musical College (now the Institute at the Moscow Conservatory) and the 6th State Music School until 1923. In the early 1920s, he also continued working at the Bolshoi Theater and performing with the Moscow Trio. In 1920, this ensemble performed Tchaikovsky's trio in the presence of V. I. Lenin.

Having come to Russia at a very young age, Rudolf Ivanovich Ehrlich found a second home there and received a solid musical education. Starting at the age of 16, he was profoundly influenced by Russian music and musicians. The performances of K. Y. Davydov, whom he had the opportunity to hear multiple times in Moscow, must have had a significant impact on the talented musician. Ehrlich undoubtedly developed connections with the Moscow Conservatory’s cello school, engaging creatively with its graduates in the theater, chamber ensembles, and on the concert stage.

For his part, Rudolf Ivanovich Ehrlich made a significant contribution to the development of Moscow’s musical life, dedicating over forty years of multifaceted creative activity to serving Russian musical culture.

R. I. Ehrlich passed away in Moscow on September 14, 1924.

In addition to J. Seyfert, L. Alois, J. Stadler, and R. Ehrlich, discussed earlier in this book, several other Czech cellists worked in Russia for varying lengths of time. These include J. Burian, L. Zelenka, Z. Glazer, B. Sikora, A. Polivka, E. Mysliveček, J. Kadlec, A. Strnad, J. Votruba, and A. Lyubinich. (The author plans to return to some of these figures in a book dedicated to the international cello culture of the 19th and 20th centuries.)

Among them, the most prominent was Ladislav (Vladislav Iosifovich) Zelenka (1881–1957), who graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1896 under the tutelage of Hanuš Wihan. From 1905 to 1910, he taught at the Odessa Music School, where his students included A. Strnad, A. Shuster, and I. Malkin, among others. In Odessa, Zelenka performed in a quartet with A. Fidelman (later replaced by J. Kočian and V. Bezikirsky), F. Stupka, and I. Perman.

After 1913, Zelenka succeeded Wihan in the Czech Quartet. He went on to become a professor at the Conservatory and the Academy of Advanced Mastery in Prague, earning the honorary title of National Artist of the Czechoslovak Republic.