In Wednesday’s (2/10) Boston Globe, Walter Dawkins writes, “Victor Alpert, for 31 years the librarian of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, transformed the position with his dry wit, forceful personality, and experience as a professional violinist. ‘He had a rather unique relationship with the conductors and other senior people that he worked with, because he was very straightforward and he would speak his mind,’ said his son, David of New York, N.Y. ‘He was the only person at Symphony Hall who could tell [former Boston Pops conductor] Arthur Fiedler no.’ Mr. Alpert died Dec. 11 at Belmont Manor Nursing Center of natural causes. He was 91. … Mr. Alpert and his wife performed in the Minneapolis Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra. … Mr. Alpert joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as assistant librarian in 1953. He took over for principal librarian Leslie Rogers after Rogers became ill and later died during a European tour in 1956. Over the years, Mr. Alpert worked with music directors Charles Munch, Erich Leinsdorf, William Steinberg, Seiji Ozawa, and John Williams, as well as many guest conductors and soloists.”
Posted February 10, 2010
