such as the title role in Boris Godunov, would not only sing, but declaim, almost shouting. On encountering him one day, the young Piatigorsky told him, "You talk too much and don't sing enough." Chaliapin responded, "You sing too much and don't talk enough." Piatigorsky thought about this and from that point on, tried to incorporate the kind of drama and expression he heard in Chaliapin's singing into his own artistic expression. Works Piatigorsky was also a composer. His Variations on a Paganini Theme (based on Caprice No. 24) was composed in 1946 for cello and orchestra and was orchestrated by his longtime accompanist Ralph Berkowitz; it was later transcribed for cello and piano. Each of the fifteen variations whimsically portrays one of Piatigorsky's musician colleagues. Denis Brott, a student of Piatigorsky, identified them as: Casals, Hindemith, Garbousova, Morini, Salmond, Szigeti, Menuhin, Milstein, Kreisler, a self-portrait of Piatigorsky himself, Cassadó, Elman, Bolognini, Heifetz, and Horowitz. Partial discography Heifetz, Primrose & Piatigorsky (RCA Victor LP LSC-2563) RCA Victor Red Seal 1961 Heifetz & Piatigorsky (Stereo LP LSC-3009) RCA Victor Red Seal 1968 The Heifetz Piatigorsky Concerts (21-CD boxed set, original album collection) Sony-RCA 88725451452, 2013 Chess Piatigorsky also enjoyed playing chess. His wife, Jacqueline Piatigorsky, was a strong player who played in several US women's championships and represented the United States in the women's Chess Olympiad. In 1963, the Piatigorskys organized and financed a strong international tournament in Los Angeles, won by Paul Keres and Tigran Petrosian. A second Piatigorsky Cup was held in Santa Monica in 1966, and was won by Boris Spassky. References Further reading His autobiography: Cellist (1965). Doubleday. Limited edition reprint: Da Capo Press (1976). "With the Artists". World Famed String Players Discuss Their Art, Samuel and Sada Applebaum, John Markert & Co., New York (1955). Pages 192-202 are devoted to Gregor Piatigorsky. Jump in the Waves, a Memoir, Jacqueline Piatigorsky, St. Martin's Press, New York (1988). . External links http://www.piatigorskyarchives.org Biography at cello.org Youtube: An Afternoon with Gregor Piatigorsky (1976) Short documentary by Steve Grumette, including student Raphael Wallfisch. 1903 births 1976 deaths Russian cellists Deaths from lung cancer Jewish classical musicians American music educators Grammy Award winners American classical cellists Moscow Conservatory alumni Players of the Berlin Philharmonic Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Soviet emigrants to Germany German emigrants to the United States Jews from the Russian Empire Chess patrons Burials at Westwood