From moderator Anthea Kreston:
Please join us on our second Fortnightly Music Book Club foray. One that will connect the broad and diverse Slipped Disk audience to great literature as well as give us a chance to engage with leading musicians of our time. The Fortnightly Music Book Club has a rotating, international group of hosts, and covers a wide range of topics.
Our second selection is Grischa: The Story of Cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, by M. Bartley, and we are thrilled to announce that our guest host is cellist Evan Drachman, grandson of Piatigorsky. The book can be found on Amazon, and has been garnering great reviews. A biography written like a novel. It traces the life of the legendary cellist Piatigorsky – from surviving the Russian pogroms, escaping Nazi Germany, falling in love with the daughter of the Baron de Rothschild (Europe’s wealthiest family) and finally settling in an abandoned castle in the Adirondack mountains of New York State. He played for kings, presidents, and emperors, and continues to inspire musicians the world over through his legacy as a teacher and performer.
A word from our guest host, Evan Drachman:
Piatigorsky believed in the nobility and the expressive possibilities of the cello’s voice – his artistry, charm and magnetism made him one of the most beloved performers and teachers of the twentieth century.
I am Evan Drachman, cellist, President and Artistic Director of the Piatigorsky Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing live classical music to audiences who might otherwise not have access. At the height of Piatigorsky’s career the “bread and butter” of his touring schedule were the Tuesday Morning Music Clubs. Traveling the Super Chief train from coast to coast he got off at every stop performing in small towns throughout the country. This is the work of the Piatigorsky Foundation – to bring music to the places in-between – the small towns that crave music but which too often get overlooked by today’s busy touring musicians.
I am honored to be a part of the Fortnightly Music Book Club, and look forward to guiding you through this biography, filling in gaps and answering questions about my grandfather.
Every other Sunday, look for a posting about the Fortnightly Music Book Club. We will hear from Mr. Drachman in 2 weeks, and have the opportunity to submit questions and propose book titles through a dedicated email address. Mr. Drachman will then answer reader questions. Please submit questions to: Fortnightlymusicbookclub@
See you in a Fortnight!