Vincent Persichetti was born in Philadelphia on this date in 1915. He died there in 1987. Although he seems to have had more of a lasting influence as a teacher – having molded legions of budding composers through his work at Combs College of Music, the Philadelphia Conservatory, and the Juilliard School – his own compositions are invariably well-crafted and certainly well worth listening to.

Somewhere, I’ve got one of his manuscripts in a box of musical collectibles I acquired at Freeman’s Auction House, back in the day when, if no one bid on a lot, it would go down to a dollar. It may have been in with a box of conductor James De Preist’s homework. I ought to make a point to dig that out. Nothing major, maybe a fanfare or something, a short work for brass.

The Philadelphia Orchestra used to play his work from time to time, but I haven’t seen any of Persichetti’s music on their programs for years. There is a document from the Muti era, on New World Records, a CD of live performances of the Symphony No. 5 for strings and the Piano Concerto, with Robert Taub as soloist. Frankly, I prefer this symphony, recorded by Ormandy and posted here in four movements:

I. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajw4Ayhd1AA

II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hkAvb3Gx7A

III. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BASajjHG08

IV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rONwSSdlDE

A 1983 documentary on Persichetti

An interview with Bruce Duffie

http://www.bruceduffie.com/persichetti.html

An afternoon with Tim Page

https://www.wnyc.org/story/an-afternoon-with-vincent-persichetti/

Happy birthday, Vincent Persichetti!

PHOTO: The Vincent Persichetti historical marker outside the Curtis Institute of Music, from which he graduated in 1939