The Bartlett and Robertson duo subsequently performed the concerto in several European cities.Ewen, David (ed). American Composers Today: A Biographical and Critical Guide. New York: H.W. Wilson Co. Upon hearing a performance of the work at a private reception, John Barbirolli (not yet Sir John), then conductor of the New York Philharmonic, wrote in a letter to Portnoff: "I have not been moved by any new work for a long time as I was by the work Ethel and Rae played for me. One feels real gratitude that such talents as yours are still to be found."Personal correspondence, cited in archival excerpt from article in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, N.Y., Feb. 1, 1941. This marked the beginning of a three-year collaborative relationship that was supportive of Mischa's work on his most ambitious composition, a concerto for piano and full orchestra.
