On today’s date in 1988, the New York Philharmonic gave a concert in a city then called Leningrad and in a country then called the Soviet Union.

For their visit to the city we now call St. Petersburg in a country known today as Russia, the Philharmonic commissioned a brand-new work by American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.  Her Symbolon received its premiere performance there, and, in fact, was first American symphonic work to be premiered in the USSR.

“The word ‘symbolon’ comes from the Greek,” explained Zwilich, “and refers to the ancient custom whereby two parties broke a piece of pottery in two, each party retaining half. Each half (or symbolon) thus became a token of friendship.”

“From the beginning,” continued Zwilich, “I knew this piece would receive its first performance in the Soviet Union, and I found this profoundly moving. I’m sure my complex feelings, embracing both hope and sadness about the state of the political world, found their way into this work.”

After its premiere, Zwilich’s Symbolon was performed in Moscow, New York, London, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Paris, and the former East Berlin, making it one of Zwilich’s “most-travelled” works.

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939) Symbolon New York Philharmonic;Zubin Mehta, cond. New World CD