Recordings
“Boże zmiłuj się nad nami” (Psalm 67, “God be merciful unto us”) from Ozar schire jeschurun
When Jacob Leopold Weiss (1825–1889) arrived in Warsaw in 1860, he was not only expected to perform the duties of chief cantor but was also given the authority to find and train the finest singers for the synagogue choir. Weiss, who later served a Wilno congregation, also composed choral music for his synagogues. “Boże…
“Lecho dodi” from Hallel w’simrah
Abraham Ber Birnbaum (1865–1922)—not to be confused with Eduard Birnbaum, the famous cantor of Königsberg, who amassed the collection now at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati—trained in Łódź, and, starting in 1893, became the chief cantor of the progressive congregation in Częstochowa, a position he held for 20 years.…
Intermezzo, Op. 2
The Intermezzo by Paula Szalit (1886–1920) represents the extraordinary participation in the international concert arena of Polish Jewish virtuosos—the likes of Edward Woff, Karol Tausig, Ignacy Friedman, Maurycy Rosenthal, Wanda Landowska, Felicja Blumental, Artur Rubinstein, and Mieczysław Horszowski, to…
Mazurek
The mazurka by Henryk Cylkow (1866–1945), a Jewish musician active in Kraków during the interwar period, shows remarkable affinity with the new stylistic trends initiated by Karol Szymanowski, the doyen of the Polish musical scene during this period, who imbued the traditional genre of the mazurka with new expressive…
Mazurek
The mazurka by Paweł Anhalt (1910–?), a Jewish musician active in Kraków during the interwar period, shows remarkable affinity with the new stylistic trends initiated by Karol Szymanowski, the doyen of the Polish musical scene during this period, who imbued the traditional genre of the mazurka with new expressive…
Five Pieces for Violin and Piano
For Aleksander Tansman (1897–1986), a composer who grew up in Łódź, Paris became home (with the exception of war years, when he sought refuge in Los Angeles). Thus, Tansman’s musical language became aligned with the aesthetics of neoclassicism favored by the Parisian musical circles. His Five Pieces for Violin and…
“Szkoda twoich łez, dziewczyno” (“It’s No Use Crying, Girl”)
Andrzej Włast (1895–1943?), the lyricist of the tango “Szkoda twoich łez, dziewczyno” (It’s No Use Crying, Girl), who was born in Łódź as Gustaw Baumritter, is credited with over 2,000 texts, fruits of his collaborations with theaters, cabarets, and composers. Artur Gold (1897–1943), a composer of many hits of the…
“Rochel’s keiver” ("Rachel's Tomb")
“Rochel’s keiver” (Rachel’s Tomb) is an art song for mezzo soprano with piano and cello accompaniment by Zavel Zilberts (1881–1949). In a nod to the German Romantic tradition, the poet K. A. Spiro describes the biblical Rachel as a semi-mythical figure whose tears mingle with the waters of the Jordan river. Zilberts'…
String Trio, Op. 10
Józef Koffler (1896–1944) looked to Vienna for inspiration. Born in Stryj, Koffler was associated for most of his life with Lwów musical institutions. During his studies in Vienna, he became acquainted with the dodecaphonic (12-tone) technique, characteristic of compositions by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton…
“Farshpreyt zikh, vekhter,” khor fun di vekhter fun di druidn, num. 4 der kantate Walpurgis nakht (“Verteilt euch, wack’re Männer” from Die erste Walpurgisnacht)
The Yiddish rendition of the chorus from Die erste Walpurgisnacht by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809–1847) comes from a rare copy of a two-volume collection published in Wilno (Yid. Vilne) on the eve of World War II. Billed as the repertory of a chorus led by Jakub Gersztajn (who perished in…
Setting of the folk song “Her nor, sheyn meydele”
Izrael Fajwiszys (1887-1943) was an important figure in the amateur choral movement that took root by the end of the 19th century, with organizations such as “Lira,” “Hazomir” and “Szir” sprouting in small towns and big cities. In Łódź, “Hazomir” and the affiliated symphonic orchestra performed an…