I Can't Believe I Still Remember This

I played violin in my high school orchestra at The Central High School of Philadelphia during school years 1967-1968 and 1968-1969. The instrumental teacher was Sidney Rothstein.

In my freshman year at Central, Mr. Rothstein ended an orchestra rehearsal early and had us listen to a recording of the final movement of the Mahler Third Symphony. I had never heard the Mahler Third before. At the conclusion of the recording Mr. Rothstein answered students' questions. I asked in what year the symphony was written. Sidney Rothstein didn't know the exact date, but offered an estimate. I can't believe I still remember that.

I wonder if David Rosenbaum can remember that. David Rosenbaum played in the first violin section of the orchestra. He now teaches psychology at my college alma mater, Penn State. He graduated Central in the 229th class in 1974. I was in the 230, which graduated in 1971. David Rosenbaum was in the same Central High School class as Jeffery S. Orchinik, Esq. with whom I worked as a law clerk at the firm of Sagot & Jennings in Philadelphia (1981-1982).

The worlds are colliding!







By the way, the Symphony No. 3 in D minor by Gustav Mahler was written between 1893 and 1896. It is his longest piece and is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, with a typical performance lasting around ninety to one hundred minutes.

Funny thing. In about 1981-1982 the Philadelphia Orchestra performed the Mahler Third. I remember listening to the late Frank Ford during his afternoon radio call-in show on Philadelphia radio station WWDB-FM. The previous evening Frank Ford and his wife Judge Lynne Abraham had attended a performance of the Mahler Third. Frank Ford said, "Wow! That Mahler!" Do you think Judge Abraham can remember seeing the Mahler Third at the Academy of Music in the early 1980s? Who knows?