FROM THE ARCHIVES: 1943 & 1951 CONCERT REVIEWS

Posted on October 22, 2020

Check out a 1943 review from the Oregon Journal of a PJS concert. It mentions the premiere performance of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

The review also mentions Betty Abbett, who was interviewed in 2015 by flutist Sara Hedberg (PYP 2015). You can hear them playing duets in this video from PYP’s YouTube channel.

This 1951 review from the Oregonian celebrates Jacques Gershkovitch and two former concertmasters, Robert Mann (of the Juilliard String Quartet) and Elizabeth Zwerenz Bell (who was playing with the Portland Symphony then). Elizabeth’s recent estate gift to PYP will help us plan 100th anniversary commemorative activities.

Right click on the photo on your computer and click “Open image in new tab” to see the photo in its full size.

1 Comment

Comments

1. From the newsletter editor: Upon further investigation, it appears that PJS's Adagio for Strings was not a premiere performance in 1943, but it was only a few years after it had been first performed as an orchestral piece on November 5, 1938. The PJS concert was very likely the first time it had been performed in Portland, possibly on the West coast. Now that it is such a celebrated and widely performed work, the brief mention in this review, makes us realize how new music is often overlooked. Don't miss PYP's new music festival, November 14 and 15, 2020. Visit PortlandYouthPhil.org for more details.
Kristan Knapp|October 2020|Portland, OR

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 1943 & 1951 CONCERT REVIEWS

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