Research Catalog

Title

Poppa piece [sound recording] : bar mitzvah.

Author

Robbins, Jerome.

Publication

1976.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Estate of Jerome Robbins. dnr
• Oral history archive.

Found In

Jerome Robbins Collection

Description

1 sound disc (ca. 37 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

Recorded on Jan. 12 and Feb. 16, 1976. Jerome Robbins begins by mentioning a conversation with Laura Dean, which made him think about presenting a solo concert of his work, and comments on how this is related to his development of the autobiographical work Poppa piece. In the first segment of the tape, recorded on Jan. 12, 1976, Robbins speaks about his memories of his bar mitzvah. He describes how the event loomed ominously in his childhood because of its symbolism of becoming a man and accepting responsibility for one's sins. He speaks about the after-school Cheder program he attended at the Jewish community center in Union City, N.J.; about learning Hebrew, his fascination with the script and inability to translate the language. He discusses his emotions on the death of his grandfather, and then speaks about learning to sing a section of the Torah. He describes the teacher who came to instruct him in singing, and his own conflicted and negative feelings about being Jewish. He recalls that his father continually teased him about his small size, and discusses his feelings of guilt and anger toward his parents. Robbins sings a brief excerpt from the Torah, and then recounts in detail an incident when he was studying with the singing teacher and boys from the neighborhood came to the window and made fun of him, then invaded the room. He speaks about how this incident exemplified for him "Jewish submission to persecution," and his own inability to fight back. He describes his bar mitzvah, and his emotional breakdown when he attempted to sing. (This part of the recording runs ca. 20 min.) In the next segment, recorded on Feb. 16, 1976, titled by Robbins "A Christmas party," he begins by speaking about his early years in Manhattan, and comments on his relationships with his mother and father. He describes the family apartment on Booraem Avenue in Jersey City, N.J. Robbins then recounts an incident when he was younger than 6, when he was given an electric train set for Christmas, and later his father, dressed as Santa Claus, threatened to take the train set away. The last 2 min. of the disc contains unidentified violin music.

Alternative Title

Jerome Robbins Collection. Audio materials.

Subjects

• Jews > Identity
• Audiotapes > Robbins, J
• Robbins, Jerome > Family
• Robbins, Jerome > Homes and haunts > New Jersey
• Bar mitzvah
• Jews > Education

Note

• Jerome Robbins speaks about memories of his bar mitzvah and childhood memories of his father. This is one of a group of recordings made by Robbins in the mid-1970's, in the initial stages of planning his autobiographical theater work Poppa piece. These "audio notebooks" contain reminiscences which he recorded as part of the development of the work.
• Sound quality is good, except for distortion and fluctuating volume during the last 4 min.

Access (note)

• Permission required.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded by the Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Source (note)

• Estate of Jerome Robbins

Biography (note)

• Poppa piece was an autobiographical work created by Jerome Robbins, incorporating music, dance and dialogue. Planned and developed over many years, Poppa piece was rehearsed in workshops at the Lincoln Center Theater in 1991, but was never produced.

Linking Entry (note)

• Forms part of: Jerome Robbins Collection. Audio materials.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2726 JRC

OCLC

754820212

Author

Robbins, Jerome.

Title

Poppa piece [sound recording] : bar mitzvah.

Imprint

1976.

Access

Permission required.

Original Version

Original format: 1 sound cassette (ca. 37 min.; 1 7/8 in. per sec.; 2 channels) ; originally recorded in 1976.

Funding

Preservation was funded by the Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Biography

Poppa piece was an autobiographical work created by Jerome Robbins, incorporating music, dance and dialogue. Planned and developed over many years, Poppa piece was rehearsed in workshops at the Lincoln Center Theater in 1991, but was never produced.

Linking Entry

Forms part of: Jerome Robbins Collection. Audio materials.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2726 JRC

Source

Gift; Estate of Jerome Robbins, 1999. NN-PD

Added Author

Estate of Jerome Robbins. Donor

Oral history archive.

Added Title

Jerome Robbins Collection. Audio materials.

Found In:

Jerome Robbins Collection

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2726 JRC