Symphony of Songs
Portland Youth Philharmonic, Jacob Avshalomov (conductor)
The Portland Youth Philharmonic honors their conductor of 40 years, Jacob Avshalomov, with this recording. You will be able to judge for yourselves the value of the man as a composer from these three live performances of some of his best music. For his 40 years with the Portland Youth Philharmonic, he has already been judged and indeed, has made a significant contribution tot he world of music in the United States and beyond. Alumni from the Portland Youth Philharmonic, first trained by Jacob Avshalomov, can be found in all major orchestras of the world. What an achievement! Avshalomov was born in China in 1991. His father was the Siberian composer Aaron Avshalomov. He came to the United States in 1937 and studied with the underrated composer Ernst Toch. He graduated from the Eastman School with a B.M. and M.A. In 1954, he was invited to Portland to conduct the Junior Symphony's 30th anniversary concert. He remained there for 40 years. Under his direction, the orchestra toured Europe, Japan and Korea and is acknowledged as one of America's finest youth orchestras.
Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Praises from the Corners of the Earth | Jacob Avshalomov | Portland Youth Philharmonic, Jacob Avshalomov, conductor |
| Raptures for Orchestra on the Madrigals of Gesualdo | Jacob Avshalomov | Portland Youth Philharmonic, Jacob Avshalomov, conductor |
| Symphony of Songs | Jacob Avshalomov | Portland Youth Philharmonic, Jacob Avshalomov, conductor |
Reviews
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"Jacob Avshalomov's early career was as variegated as his later one has been monothematic. He was born in 1919 in Tsingtao, in China, of a mother from San Francisco and a Siberian-born composer-father....Slonimsky, in Baker's, writes that "His music reflects the many cultures with which he was in contact; while the form is cohesive, the materials are multifarious, with tense chromatic harmonies and quasi-oriental inflections."And indeed, the language is fairly conservative, though open to dissonance, and there's little to frighten the timorous listener."
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