IN the early 1900's my mother would stand outside the large temple in Pinsk (in the freezing cold) to listen to the great Russian cantors sing the prayers.
IN the late 30's and 40's, in NYC, we listened to classical music (no "semi-classical" for us!) on radio and records. The records were small, breakable shellac discs. We purchased one of the very first FM (Pilot) tuners.
AROUND 1940 the headline in the N.Y. Journal-American warned that German bombers were seen approaching the East coast of the U.S! All walked quickly to their destinations. Naively, as far as the eye could see we looked skyward for a glimpse of the of the hostile warplanes.
WE listened to such short dramatic pieces as Marche Slave (Tchaikovsky), Pomp and Circumstance March (Elgar), Carmen Suite (Bizet), Overture to Rienzi (Wagner), excerpts from the Peer Gynt Suite (Grieg), Overture and Libiamo from La Traviata (Verdi), and the Grand March from Aidi (Verdi).
ONE weekend in early Dec. 1941 we came home from our weekly movie matinee to be excitedly greeted at the door. "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor!" Not fully understanding, we said, "Where's Pearl Harbor?"
THERE was a kind of flare in those days. Gentlemen tipped their hats to passing lady acquaintances. Ask a gentleman for the time and he would make a sweeping, circular arm movement ending with an eyelevel look at his wristwatch. CIGARETTE smoking was widely popular and had it's own customs. Gentlemen carried silverplated cigarette cases and offered Chesterfields to the ladies at social functions. When the lady brought the cigarette to her lips flames instantly appeared - from the matches and lighters of the attentive gentlemen.
In the mid forties we purchased one of the first
television sets. It was a GE with a 10" screen. We
watched many of the great Toscanini broadcasts on NBC-TV.
NBC-TV also produced a series of staged studio operas. In 1948 (approx.) we saw an emotionally charged peformance of the short opera "Suor Angelica" with Elaine Malbin. This was probably the first complete opera we ever saw. Fifty years, and many operas later, we heard our first complete opera on the Internet, "The Marriage of Figaro" from the Chicago Lyric broadcast on WFMT.
One hot summer Sunday afternoon we (family, friends and neighbors) boarded an excursion boat for a trip up the Hudson, sponsored by the local political club. As we climbed the gangplank to the ship's deck we were all given a sandwich wrapped in cellophane. Quickly, we were told by passengers that the sandwich contained peanut butter, a strange substance that made your lips stick together. Others threw their lunches over the side and we tossed ours overboard as well. Looking down the Hudson we were astonished to see a flotilla of white glistening squares, contrasting sharply with the Hudson's deep green, floating for miles off into the far distance.
(To be continued)Updated 9-23-98
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