Kolodin, Irving, 1908-1988

Irving Kolodin, music critic, author of several books and teacher at the Juilliard School, was born in 1908 and died in 1987 in New York, after suffering a stroke in the previous year.

In 1926 he began his studies at the Institute of Musical Art, which later became part of the Juilliard School. In 1931 he got his first assignment as music critic at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Soon after, in 1932, Kolodin joined the staff at The New York Sun under W. J. Henderson, where he remained until it was merged with the New York World-Telegram in 1950. Kolodin's longest employer was the Saturday Review of Literature: in 1947 he began as the editor of a monthly Recordings section, moving on to music reviews and feature articles, as well as his most popular and long-lasting column, Music to My Ears. Kolodin contributed to many other magazines and newspapers, such as Newsday, and the New York Herald Tribune. He was the author of several books, album covers for RCA Victor, and program notes for the New York Philharmonic. Above all, Kolodin became famous for his authoritative works on the history of the Metropolitan Opera. Although the majority of Kolodin's writings focus on classical music and opera, his articles and books cover a wide variety of subjects, ranging from jazz and popular music to dance. In addition to his career as an author, Kolodin was faculty member at the Juilliard School from 1968 to 1986, where he taught courses on the Music of Mahler and Music Criticism.

Irving Kolodin was born in February 21, 1908 in New York City. He was the son of Benjamin and Leah (Geller) Kolodin. After completing his high school education in Newark, New Jersey and a year in Extension Courses at Columbia University, in 1926 Kolodin studied at the Institute of Musical Art, which later became part of the Juilliard School. He began working as an instructor at the same institution from 1929 until 1931, when he got his first assignment as music critic at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Soon after, in 1932, Kolodin joined the staff at The New York Sun under W. J. Henderson. He remained with The New York Sun until it was merged with the New York World-Telegram in 1950, advancing from assistant critic to music editor.

Kolodin’s longest employer was the Saturday Review of Literature . In 1947 he began there as the editor of a monthly Recordings section, moving on to music reviews and feature articles, as well as his most popular and long-lasting column, Music to My Ears. In addition, he contributed to many other magazines and newspapers, including Newsday, and the New York Herald Tribune.

Although the majority of Kolodin’s writings focus on classical music and opera, his articles cover a rich variety of subjects, ranging from jazz and popular music to dance. Kolodin was one of the first to focus on the newly emerging recorded music, following its development from phonograph records to compact discs. He wrote several articles on the subject, maintained relevant columns in both The New York Sun and the Saturday Review, and in 1941 published A Guide to Recorded Music, with subsequent revisions through 1951. He was also the author of Mozart on Records (1942), The Saturday Review Home Book of Recorded Music and Sound Reproduction (1952 and revised in 1956), and Orchestral Music (1955), part of a three-volume survey of long-playing recordings published by Alfred Knopf, Inc.

Above all, Kolodin became famous for his authoritative works on the history of the Metropolitan Opera. The Metropolitan Opera: 1883-1935, published in 1936, was followed by a second edition, titled The Story of the Metropolitan Opera, 1883-1950: A Candid History (1953). It was further updated in 1966 and towards the end of his life he was working on a new edition in celebration of the Metropolitan Opera’s centennial, titled The Metropolitan Opera: Centennial Edition, 1966-1984.

Other books by Kolodin include The Continuity of Music: A History of Influence (1969), The Interior Beethoven: A Biography of the Music (1975), The Opera Omnibus: Four Centuries of Critical Give and Take (1976), and In Quest of Music: A Journey in Time (1980).

During the 1950s Kolodin collaborated with RCA Victor in the preparation of several albums, including a Critic's Choice album and a five-record set titled 50 Years of Great Operatic Singing . He also wrote program notes for the New York Philharmonic from 1953 to 1958, and in 1970 he was part of the White House Record Library Commission, a committee entrusted with building the record collection of the Presidential Library. Kolodin was responsible for the classical section. In addition to his writings, Kolodin also was a faculty member at the Juilliard School from 1968 to 1986, teaching courses on the Music of Mahler and Music Criticism.

Kolodin died in 1987 in New York, after suffering a stroke in the previous year.

Epithet: American music critic