Collections

Collections

The Piatigorsky Archives represent the personal collection of one of the great musical artists of the 20th century, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903 – 1976). The collection includes music manuscripts in Piatigorsky’s own hand, scores, audio recordings (commercial recordings, broadcast interviews, and test pressings), photographs, books, clippings, ephemera, programs, and documents including Piatigorsky’s letters home while on tour, drafts of his autobiography, and letters from the greatest performers and composers of the day.

A portion of the Piatigorsky Archives collection have been digitized and are accessible via our online database. A complete list of materials can be found in the collection finding aid.

Photographs

Piatigorsky’s personal photograph collection comprised of 1,500 digital images. The photographs are grouped into the following categories: family, general (includes photos with fellow musicians, composers, and friends), portraits, and performance and rehearsals.

Sound Recordings

Digitized recordings of interviews with Piatigorsky.

Concert Programs

Piatigorsky’s career spanned from the time he was twelve years old in Russia until his death in Los Angeles in 1976. The selection of programs available represent the geographical span of his performance (Europe, Asia, and the Americas) and the breadth of his repertoire.

Correspondence

Piatigorsky corresponded with many well-known composers and musicians of the mid-twentieth century. The selected items represent everything from composers regarding works they were writing for Piatigorsky to congratulatory telegrams, and personal letters from Piatigorsky’s dearest friends. Also included are several of Piatigorsky’s letters written to his wife, Jacqueline, while on tour.

Music Manuscripts

Throughout his life, Piatigorsky composed and arranged music for cello. The materials here are a selection of hand-written fragments, sketches, and drafts: some complete and subsequently published, others incomplete and unidentified.