Gregor Piatigorsky - Nocturne (Lili Boulanger) (1936)

Gregor Piatigorsky (1903.4.17 - 1976.8.6.), a famous Ukrainian-American Cellist, plays Lili Boulanger's Nocturne. Although the piece is not so well-known, it's sweet enough to listen at this time of the year.

Played on my Numark machine.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gregor
• Piatigorsky
• Lili
• Boulanger
• Nocturne
• 1936
• 78rpm

[MikJFr]

@nsimington You put it very convincingly in principle and make it impossible to disagree. Yes, let Ukrainians be proud of any famous person born there! One could - just to be contrariwise - comment that at the time Piatigorski was born and grew up it's unlikely he would have thought of himself as a Ukrainian but rather as a subject of the Tsar (briefly of the new Soviet régime too), who was eventually very happy to become an American.

[nsimington]

@MikJFr

I'm not sure that's a wise distinction. If someone were to say "Because he was a Jew, Piatigorski wasn't a real Ukrainian," that would be an anti-Semitic remark. Therefore, it seems equally wrong to say that "Piatigorski was a Jew, not a Ukrainian." Can't Ukrainians be proud of their co-nationals who don't happen to share the same ethnicity? That seems generous, not racist.

[ddtan75]

This is one of the most beautifully written jewel of pieces. And agreed that Lili Boulanger is a true genius who died way too young. Thank you for this clip.

[MikJFr]

Love the piece and the performance.

PLEASE NOTE that calling Piatigorski a Ukrainian because his town of birth is today in the Ukraine is ridiculous, he was a JEW who was undoubtedly happy to eventually become an American Jew (or a Jewish American, whatever).

[rheumer]

Absolutely sublime. Thank you.

[stardappledgreen]

I haven't heard this in a while. Very beautiful

[watasenia]

Lili is the genius.

[merrihew]

Lovely. I was not familiar with this work.