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Lester Trimble

Matthew Paris writes:

Lester Trimble, an excellent composer with a singular lyric talent, was also a regular critic for the Herald Tribune under the aegis of Virgil Thomson. He was from Ohio and moved to New York in the 40s with his wife, Connie. Lester was a great talker with a keen intellect. He was sick in his middle age with heart problems and couldn't be as active as he wanted to be. His music is very lyrical, accessible, and well made.

It probably never had the attention it deserved because it was too obviously
transparently sublime and beautiful. Although not an American nationalist in his idiom he did write a double violin concerto on the death of JFK. He was a violinist; he also had a baby grand piano in the house. He wrote one opera and various instrumental pieces. He lived on the Upper West Side. Many of his colleagues had moved there from Greenwich Village.

Lester was hospitable, polite, easy to know, socially, very charming, and cultured. He was a great talker and not loathe to express his very reasonable opinions. Though a Liberal in politics, his inclinations aesthetically were Tory.

WNYC archives id: 85435

Also Seen In...

Part of The Absence of Silence.

The Absence Of Silence was a half hour program that ran for most of the 1970s into the early 80s on WNYC. David Zimmer supplied its nihilistic title and was on hand to squire some of the shows. Mathew Paris conducted most of the interviews, occasionally working with others. The show featured some of the most interesting New Yorkers from Ned Rorem to Al Goldstein.

Matthew Paris is novelist, playwright, musician, videographer and radio host. His prose has been praised by Irwin Shaw, Philip Jose Farmer, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Virgil Thomson, and Richard Kostelanetz. Spalding, Grey liked his piano playing. He currently appears as a blues singer in some East Village bars. He is most notable for appearing on national television as a ping pong player.

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